About | Artist Mike Green Illustration

A little about Mike

Hi :) I'm an artist based in London with a passion for creating joyful pictures of places I visit and filling them with stories.

I want to give the feeling of a snapshot in time with my work, stories either side of the scene the viewer can imagine. I love to include details that reward a closer look and repeated viewings.

I think successful art allows the viewer to make a personal connection with the work in some way, drawing on their own experiences, hopes and dreams. My work aims to put a smile on your face every time you look.

So much to draw, so little time!

So many things inspire me to draw, wandering around London, traveling or seeing other artists work.

I'm always driven to create something new, It's just a hard choice deciding what to draw next due to the endless possibilities. If you have any suggestions for something you would like to see please let me know!

1. Layout, focus and colour

What makes people connect with an image, where should they look and how do I want them to feel. When starting a design I work through layout and colour roughs with these thoughts in mind. The further into a painting, the longer changes take so it’s worth experimenting early. Each piece can take 30 hours so its important to start with a clear plan. Once I have a design that feels right, its time to develop it further.

2. Deciding on the details

While some artists only use lines for layouts, I stubbornly keep my linework visible through to the end design. I love the texture and character of pencil and pen give and no tool is more immediate or accessible. Lines and mark making in art connect me with the joy childhood stories, comic books and Saturday morning cartoons and compliment the paint and pastel media underneath.

Drawing the final lines based on my roughs, I try and keep some of the energy present in the initial sketches.

3. Finishing touches

The closer I get to the end the slower the progress seems to be, becoming a spot the difference to anyone viewing progress. Trying to reach a point where I can no longer improve on a painting is the goal, often taking many iterations. What seems done and dusted at the end of a long day can reveal all its flaws immediately the next morning. It takes multiple goes at the final stretch but at some point I accept its finished, and something I can look back on with satisfaction.