Concept Artist Mike Corriero
Sometimes you come across work that is hard to categorize – am I looking at a game concept, illustration or an advanced fashion sketch? “Demons and Deities” by concept artist Mike Corriero is reminiscent of a high fashion moodboard, yet operating in a completely different work field.
– I used a very different technique to tackle the specific Demons and Deities for this personal project. It involved fashion design as the base and using a lot of real world tribes and various cultures all across the globe as reference. Runway models helped establish the basic lineup and a few of the general silhouettes.
The majority of the concepts were built upon multiple layers of lasso tool selections and gradient fills. A lot of custom brushes were used as dominant shapes and patterns and most of the designs were created through graphic and abstract shapes with hints of real world armor, cloth and trinkets. This was a very experimental process that turned out to be quite relaxing and fun to explore.”
Mike has nearly 10 years of experience as a freelance Concept artist and Illustrator for the Entertainment Industries. He has worked for companies such as Liquid Development, Radical Entertainment, Applibot Inc., Paizo Publishing and Hasbro Inc among others. One of his specialities is creature design and his Da Vinci like way of sketching creates interesting tension, considering the computerized context.
– I’ve always been intrigued and mesmerized by all of God’s creatures in this world. Whether I went fishing with my Dad and my brothers or whether we were camping, I was always wading in swampy water, weeds and flipping over rocks searching for “creepy crawlies”. I would collect all sorts of insects, frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes, newts, turtles, lizards and anything I found interesting. I always released them but it was fun to observe and study them even at such a young age.
– My interest in animals is what feeds and fuels my desire to create and design fictional creatures. It’s something that’s so natural to me that it’s become second nature. As far back as I can remember I had an interest in films that explored vast and exciting worlds with abundant and believable ecosystems. I love watching nature documentaries like BBC’s Planet Earth, Life, Madagascar, and Africa.
What are you currently working on?
– I’m currently working on world-building with an idea about a vast array of cultures, tribes, creatures and exotic environments. It’s a joint collaboration in which I’ve invited a small handful of other artists I respect to join me in exploring this concept. The project will be driven and steered in whichever direction the work takes it, but the current topic revolves around “Demons and Deities”. Exploring the mythological, tribal and biblical beings and using those as a base stepping stone to design a fictional world where these beings exist in reality and remain a mystery to the cultures and tribes that worship and fear them.
– The thing that drives me as an artist personally is the basic principle behind creation. I am happiest sitting down in front of my computer or a sketchbook, with a cup of coffee and listening to music or watching a good movie for some inspiration. I could sit and sketch until the day grows old and lose myself in the world and ideas that come pouring out of my mind. To be able to fill a blank sheet of paper or a digital canvas with creatures, environments and all the crazy thoughts that run through my head is such a great feeling. It’s an addiction that fills my every thought and waking moment.
