When Tunberg was 7 or 8 years old, he became fascinated with copying postage stamps. At 11 or 12, Tunberg started copying art work that he found in magazines. His favorite artists at that time were de Chirico, Picasso, and Magritte. Influenced by these masters, Tunberg started painting original landscapes of the surrounding areas in Oregon where he lived. However, once he saw his first Ingres, Tunberg's love for drawing the human form became an irrepressible force in his life.