Featured Pro Portfolio: Michael Michera

Michael Michera is a Poland based concept artist for futuristic sci-fi robots, creatures and characters. His style is highly influenced by his passion for both science fiction and biology. Using the ArtStation Pro Vertical theme allowed him showcase a  well framed selection of his best work on his homepage.

Check out Michael’s ArtStation-powered portfolio website. 

In this interview, Michael discusses his personal project, first job, style and more.

How did you get started in the industry?

For as long as I can remember, working on my own creations has always been my favorite form of spending time. I can’t imagine my life without being creative and staying curious about things that I am passionate about. As a young man, I enjoyed drawing from imagination the most. This is still my favourite thing to do, but nowadays it is also my job. It seems that concept art as a career path was an obvious choice in my case.

My professional route started when I was asked to create a cover illustration for a science-fiction novel. It was the the beginning of making dreams come true and obviously I wanted to give it my best. That’s why after a sketch phase, I ended up with not just one, but two finished artworks for the cover of this one specific story. The alternative version had different composition and mood but both were so good that they became official. It was a kind of confirmation for me that I can provide good quality of work and a good first experience.

Tell us about one of your favorite projects.

Definitely MACHIMERA! It’s my extensive personal project built on everything what fascinates me about technology, science fiction and art. The title has been made by combining two words – “machine” and “chimera”. I decided to create something unique that I couldn’t find in another science-fiction stories. A world that shows my vision of the future.

MACHIMERA is still in development phase but one of my ultimate goals is to use this story and my designs in a dedicated feature movie. I would like to also be responsible for more products associated with this brand: video games, card games, comic books, action figures and many more. It needs time and the right people but I know that MACHIMERA is worth it.

How would you describe your style and how it developed?

What I create is realistic. This style has been developed through my passion to biology, industrial design and science-fiction. This is the easiest way to describe what I do but of course list of influences is much longer. I specialize in futuristic designs like robots and machines in general but also characters and creatures. Making them look real gives me the most satisfaction. Sometimes I like to experiment with more stylized look, especially when I’m doing sketches.  However, I have a clear vision of my work and what I want to achieve.

What is your advice for aspiring artists?

Don’t forget to be passionate about more than just the visual part of your work. Stay curious. Read books, study nature and learn more about the subject of your art. It can be beneficial for your work. This kind of knowledge gives you a confidence boost and it shows in your creations.

If you want to become an exceptional artist it’s important to not only develop your art skills but also work on yourself. You need a strong personality. It is useful to introduce discipline into your life. At the same time, remember to not lose the enjoyment of creating. It is very important to look for inspiration but don’t let other artists influence you too much. We are all different and it’s impossible to follow someone else’s path of life.

Find something that you really like to create, and do it!

See more of Michael’s work on his portfolio website. To learn more about ArtStation Pro websites, click here.