Those Who Influence Me

 Michael Pantaleon

Although I am a graphic designer, my first love was and always will be illustration (and if you're curious about my graphic design work, come visit us at our BFA show in April, where I will be presenting TUNNEL, my fashion magazine). Being easily inspired creatively, narrowing down the list to only five was the hardest part.

Here are some of the artists/identities that I consider most influential:

Jack Kirby; Long Gone

Growing up as a child, a number of my uncles introduced me to the realm of superheroes, the Marvel Universe to be particular. This fascination has never been abandoned and ultimately has become a top influence in my creative journey thus far. None of this would be a possibility without the geniuses behind these beloved characters and stories. As much as we give Stan Lee his flowers, and rightfully so, a shared appreciation should also shine upon Jack Kirby. The flat applications of bold colors, heavy use of black inks, and an emphasis on line weight variation all became integral elements that I have implemented in my style of illustrations.

Salvador Dali; Perception of Time

The most frequent critical feedback I receive from my illustration work is the lack of backgrounds, where the focal figures seem to be floating in space. Though somewhat intentional due to my inexperience with creating environments, this concept of white space encapsulating all my pieces explores the cohesion of a conscious mind, allowing themselves to all coexist and act as an extension of my inner thoughts in a visible manner. Salvador Dali and his inspirations with philosophy have allowed me to grasp these surrealistic qualities and use them to my advantage.

Junji Ito; Eye Am I

Junji Ito is a manga artist that I am very familiar with, yet never indulged fully into the context of the popular images. His renown ability to alter the human body in horrific ways is nothing less than admirable. Inspired by his own fears and for the thrill of creating weird entities, I find my most desired aspect of Junji Ito is his comfort in being uncomfortable, and being able to express those urges directly through freedom.

Kim Jung Gi; Passerby

In my opinion, nothing can compare to the simplicity of a sketchbook session. The physical nature of laying pencil on paper, then refining that with sharpies and micron pens has been a tried and true method of creating that has been engraved in my artistic habits. The masterful display of black and white illustrations of Kim Jung Gi and his extensive body of work pushed my understanding of sketchbook art. He creates whatever, whenever, wherever, without the fear of being judged based on the intrusive randomness of a composition he imagined.

Disney; Tangerine Dream

Impossible not to mention, Disney in its entirety is unfathomably mesmerizing from top to bottom. That’s it. That’s all I have to say. I’m sure you understand.

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