Artist: Michael C. Hsiung
Website: michaelchsiung.com

He’s in Human Pyramids Artist Collective and sports a moustache. Many of his characters sport one too, or a beard, and haircuts that may have similarities with The Vandals “I’ve got an Ape Drape” song. Michael’s work tells us of bears, centaurs, mermaids. mermen, and unicorns (and even a sauna club), living in harmony, or bullying, with whimsical people and other hybrid creatures. Cycling and skateboarding are usual activities in this mostly black & white, patterned world. Here it is, for your enjoyment before 2012’s curtain drop.

Who?
Michael C. Hsiung and I’m 36.

What?
I’m a freelance artist/illustrator.  I was lucky enough also to be hired a while back as the Vans Online Content editor for their art blog.

When?
I generally prefer working early in the morning and at times at night, depending on the work load.  I generally multi-task between drawing, blog stuff, and home life, but I do prefer to focus on one project or drawing at a time.

Where?
I live and work from my apartment in Los Feliz, located in Los Angeles, CA.

Why?
What really inspires me to continue making art is the people who enjoy it, the works of other artists, the friendships that making art brings, and the satisfaction that expression brings me each and every day.

How?
I spend lots of time using a blue pencil and sketching shapes and erasing until I find a suitable form or shape for me to start filling in.  Some days I’ll sketch and nothing really happens for me, but other days, things just sort of appear. Sometimes I have several drawings sitting around for weeks, just barely outlined.  I don’t know what it is, but it seems like there’s a moment when they’re going to be finished or not.  I prefer using ink in the form of the Micron pen since I’m able to lean and get close to the paper, but I am trying to use a brush more and more for the fluidity and variation in line weights.  I would love to incorporate more washes and color in my works, but I try to ease into that naturally versus trying to just have them in a piece for the sake of having it in there.

Find Michael here:
Portfolio: michaelchsiung.com
Facebook: Michael-C-Hsiung
Flickr: unicornhsiung
Tumbrl: michaelchsiung
Instagram: @michaelchsiung