Late Night at the Bar of Bacchus

The latest in the Street Scenes series, and the last image I completed for the Residency. The original size is 30" x 50", and was done with Flashe acrylics on canvas. Some of you may even recognize the locale, although the clientele is a bit different.

When Juan Valdez stood alone...

A blast from the past, but one that I thought deserved a post.

Lost-"Numbers"

Finally! An illustration for Lost! Not exactly a character I was planning on doing, but it simply came together first. I have some ideas in the works for Sawyer and Claire, but we'll have to see if time permits.

Jason Anderson Poster

It's been a while since I posted, so hopefully this makes up for it. New poster for 1% Productions.

New Street Scenes!

I've finally gotten around to posting some of my new 'Street Scenes' that were completed during the Barkerart Residency at the Hot Shops Art Center. The top one is titled 'Pandora's Dilemma at Eve's Boutique,' and includes the characters Eve, Pandora, Izanami, Aberewa, and in the background Daphne, Isis, Cinderella, and Godmother Chanel (these may be hard to see in this image). The bottom one is 'Smoke Break behind Maggie's Diner,' and includes the Minotaur, the Sphinx, and the Cyclops. These posts don't really do the images justice since they are very, very big pieces. More to come!

'Lost' Illustrations

So, I know these drawings don't exactly fit in with the theme this week for Illustration Friday, but I thought that it would help me dive in to one of my next projects. I've decided my illustration portfolio needs a little beefing up, so I'm planning a series of illustrations based on the show 'Lost.' These are the first character sketches (from top: Jack, Kate, and Locke), which is something I usually do before doing the final artwork.

Are they perfect? By no means, I did them over an hour one night. But they do help me get a sense of the character's features, and how I can simplify or emphasize those features for my own rendition. I'll show more sketches and the final works as they progress, for those interested.

Also, I drew these on some old, OLD sketch paper, hence the golden-magenta tone (although I think the magenta came from the scan).

The Black Dahlia Murder Poster

The latest poster I did for 1% Productions. The bands are all pretty heavy death metal, but I wanted to stay away from typical goth cliches, so I tried to tie it in with what the headliner is actually named after. Thank you 'Homicide: Life on the Streets' DVD for design inspiration!

Illustration Friday-Float

I usually don't do personal pieces, but when I saw this week's theme, I found it especially appropriate. I just finished a studio residency here in Omaha, and so I'm wondering what to do next.

In case you can't read it, the text around the ripples says, "Floating on Brahma's sea...but where's my lotus?"

Street Scenes Tourist's Guide Panels 1-4

Street Scenes Tourist's Guide Panels 5-6

Street Scenes Tourist's Guide Panels 7-8

Street Scenes Part 1

Street Scenes Part 2

Street Scenes Part 3

A New Blog for a New Era

Okay, I may be exaggerating a bit with the title, but I started a new blog for a couple reasons: 1) The old URL address I was using was way too confusing when I told it to other people. I'm finding that one of the tricks to getting people to look at your blog is a simple address that they can remember. 2) I was using the name 'Studio 305' in the address and the title of the blog. It eventually dawned on me that this too was confusing and redundant since I don't have a studio with a 305 as a number, that it was originally an art department in-joke when I was doing my Senior Thesis, and that it eventually morphed into a collaborative project with a couple friends that is currently on pause.

And thus, 'Mike Sgier Illustration' was born. Simple and to the point. This is who I am and what I do. Nothing fancy. Enjoy!

A Collection of Posters

Below are several posters I've done over the past year for a concert promoter here in Omaha, 1% Productions. The ones toward the bottom of the page were the earliest ones done, but starting with the Bettie Serveert poster I changed my style, using a combination of drawing and Adobe Illustrator to create the posters, and I think the results are above and beyond what I was doing earlier with traditional media.

Local H Poster

Richard Buckner and Anders Parker Poster

Of Montreal Poster

Wakarusa Poster Entry (Not Used)

Bettie Serveert Poster

Jolie Holland Poster

Damien Jurado Poster