From construction to captivating creations: Michael Byers shares insights into his process, influences, and the balance between commercial and personal work.
What was the defining moment or experience that made you realise you wanted to pursue a career as an artist?
When I was in my early 20s I was working construction. Up until that point, after high school, I had been living at home doing odd jobs here and there. Eventually that led to doing construction. All that time I had been creative in some way. I drew all the time when I was a kid up until just after I graduated high school. While working construction I took a look around and decided I didn’t want to do that for the rest of my life. Living at home afforded me the ability to live rent free so I decided that’s the best time to try to go back to school. I remembered how much I loved art and that everyone in my family all said I was good at it and that I should do something with it. I finally took them up on that and enrolled in school and now here I am.
Who were some of your early influences in art and illustration?
When I was a kid I would watch TV shows from the ‘80s. One was called Cartooning With Yardly Jones. He was a cartoonist. I’d love watching him draw. Occasionally I’d try to draw like him. I even got a book of his on how to cartoon when I was a kid. The other show that taught me a bunch was Secret City. It had a guy who went by Commander Mark and he’d guide you through drawing. Other than that it was ‘80s cartoons and then eventually masters like Degas and Norman Rockwell. Some comic book art as well.
Do you primarily draw from reference, or do you often create from memory?
I use reference sparingly. I try my best to go from memory. I find the work is looser and more organic looking when you don’t use reference. Also when doing client work it makes it quicker if I can just draw it from memory. That takes practice though.
You share a multitude of captivating sketchbook doodles on Instagram. What inspires these illustrations? Are they usually spontaneous or part of a project?
They are usually spontaneously done but occasionally I am inspired by something I saw or something I heard that day. Sometimes it’s inspired by something my kids did or said. But mostly just randomness.
In some of your sketchbooks, the pages are filled with intricate scenes featuring multiple characters. Can you walk us through your process for creating these detailed drawings and how you decide which elements to emphasise?
I think for the most part those scenes are a bunch of randomness that pops into my head. That said, I think I’m always subconsciously thinking about design when I compose the page. I’m thinking about where I want the eye to go. It’s become a habit to create eye movement. I had a teacher in art school who said it’s okay to make busy detailed work but you need a place for the eye to rest.
How do you balance your commercial work with personal projects? Do you find that one influences the other in your creative process?
I don’t do a good job of that. By that I mean I need to do more personal work. I tend to just do client work and then feel too mentally wiped to start any personal work. The doodling in my sketchbook is my personal work for now. That said I think for sure both influence each other in some way. I think when I work things out in my sketchbook I can add some of those elements to my client work. It also helps me get better at drawing on the fly with client work. Speeds up the process a bunch.
When working on personal projects, what themes or subjects do you find most compelling? How do these differ from the themes in your commercial work?
I think in personal work I tend to do more fantastic things. Animals personified etc. It differs because my commercial work tends to be more literal. However I feel like the more I explore personally that more fantasy I’ve been able to incorporate into my client stuff.
What have been some career-defining moments for you, and how have mentors influenced your artistic journey?
I never really feel like I’ve had a career defining moment. I think that’s still to come even after almost 18 years of illustrating…but mentors have had a huge impact. Everything from inspiration to advice, they’ve all had some impact. I think the mentors in my life helped give me confidence by believing in me. When someone else who is clearly successful believes in you it goes a long way.
How has your artistic style evolved over the years, and what factors do you believe have contributed to this evolution?
My drawing style has shifted the better I get at drawing. One huge impact has been the influence of the work of the late master Kim Jung Gi. His ability to create literally ANYTHING out of his head inspired me to draw as much as possible so I could get as good as possible.
What has been your most exciting commission to date? What made it stand out for you, and how did it challenge you as an artist?
I think there’s been a few. One was working with the Maine Art School to do a bunch of work for their website and other stuff. I got to work with some animation students who were able to bring some elements of my static work to life. That was pretty cool. I’m currently working on a really interesting job where I’m doing black and white images for a book. It’s a challenge because I am feeling like I want to make sure I do the best I can do, because I don’t want to let the author down. I’m grateful that I’ve done enough work that I can’t think of a most exciting. Lots of them were super fun and challenging.
See more from Michael Byers:
Website: http://www.michaelcbyers.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelbyers/
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8fD6sJRmv_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Czktepdsemc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D