About

Artist based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

I have always loved to draw! From a very young age I was praised for my drawing ability, although I always just drew for fun.

I studied A-levels in Graphics and Art, which led to a BA in product design at university, all of which contributed to my drawing ability and techniques. Now I work in marketing so my interest is very much in products, brands and the inspirational nature of an object and how people relate to it.

Why pen and paper? I have always drawn on paper, I love the idea of a blank canvas. It sounds simple, but there’s something exciting about drawing with pen too, the permanence of it – especially when I am nearing the end of a 100+ hour piece of work! When I start to draw I select a product, take as many photos as I can of it in multiple poses, with different lighting to achieve the best representation of the product in a photograph. My technique is then essentially scaling it up, mapping it out, and then starting a long journey of lightly scribbling in small circles, just as you might doodle while sat on the phone. I layer these up on top of each other to achieve a sort of photorealism.

I have always loved drawing with fineliner pens, all the way from my days of graphics and product design, and they are the ideal medium to achieve fine details. When I was searching for a quality paper with texture to carry lots of ink, I stumbled upon Arches 640gsm cold pressed paper which as well as being produced in the same way since 1492 in France, gives a fantastic texture – not too rough, not too smooth – in which I can layer pen strokes to achieve texture and depth and is able to stand up to me working into it over and over without damaging it.

I draw because I love it. It's something I have always loved. I started posting on Instagram because I wanted to see how people would react to my drawings, and I've had a wave of positive feedback and enquiries ever since. I have an enormous list of things I plan on drawing next, and I will continue to post work in progress shots on my Instagram account as I go. I have a few commission requests at the moment, and am always open to new and exciting challenges!

Follow my drawing progress on Instagram by searching @michael.stephen.carter or to get in touch email me via [email protected]