Michael C Hsiung is a self taught artist/illustrator from Los Angeles, CA.
If you like centaurs, mermen, and obese hairy men drinking (and I’m not talking about Australians here), then you’ll love Michael C. Hsiung works. The artist currently lives in Los Angeles, CA, and has produced artworks for prestigious names like Enjoi Skateboards, Oxford American Magazine, Dr. Martens, among others. I exchanged a few words with this cool “facially hairy Asian”.
More about Michael C. Hsiung.
Twitter: @michaelchsiung
Hairy man on a bicycle
How would you describe your work?
I guess my work is illustrative mixed with humor, done in mostly pen or ink and usually black and white with little bit of color. The subjects of my work usually feature weird animals, creatures, and obese hairy men drinking, carousing and/or skating.
Father with a kid and a dead animal
Please share with us your working process.
I usually grab a pencil and sketch, working out ideas as I am doing then. After, I usually outline the rest in pen or sometimes ink, adding shading, patterning and/or color. It doesn’t always happen so smoothly though.
Artwork by Michael C Hsiung
How does your environment influence your art?
Sometimes my environment does influence my art, but I guess it’s not sometime that typically does. For instance, my apartment is always surrounded by artworks, books and/or decorations that influence a piece. I have swords, unicorns portraits, and weird stuff like that laying around which can find their way into my artworks. But then again some of my other works aren’t influenced by any of that. I think they are just weird subconscious things that surface.
Illustration of a kinky siren
Who are your influences?
Some many artists I think influence me from Classical, comic book to contemporaries! It’s really hard to pinpoint but stuff like Edward Gorey and Daniel Clowes to my own sister who is an awesome painter, Pearl Hsiung. There’s load of artists too but some folks who I can think of are Travis Millard, Jay Howell, Mel Kadel, Mike Stilkey, and Sieben who really have influenced me by their artwork and work ethic.
Artwork of a man jumping on imaginary creatures
Any last word?
So far, so good, so what.
