About

About MykeyMadeIt

MykeyMadeIt Is the creative window into the world of Mykey, Creative Intuitive and dedicated Graphics Service Provider. From simple concept sketches to fully dynamic web-pages, we provide high-quality service based visual concepts. Our focus is bringing Ideas and Concepts to life, using our experience, and whatever medium available to create dynamic images and interactive media. We are devoted to giving the client and potential viewers what they want to see, original and enticing works of art. To take projects to successful completion, we employ many non-linear concepts, including a surrealistic approach when combining symbolism and photorealism in object based projects.

BACKGROUND

MykeyMadeIt began providing high-quality yet extremely affordable graphic services, early in 2004 as StsStudios. Previously a sub-company of “Portal96 Entertainment”, Stsstudios produced a wide variety of illustrations for album covers, poetry books, and many other projects.

One cover that was produced for its sister company, SEER SOUNDS, was featured in the Metro-Times (a very hip urban-Detroit info-zine). In 2004, with more focus and training, we began producing digitally based interactive media (websites, applets, logos, photos, composites, id badges, flyers, newsletters, and more).

During 2007 StsStudios has been making serious advancements in all aspects of the world as we know it. Higher quality graphics, dynamic web-pages, prints, and even a magazine in the works; these are just a few of the benefits our clients are now enjoying.

In the Summer of 2009 Mykey began to transition from strictly client based commercial projects, to more artistically focused productions, mostly inspired by personal vision. Apparel, videos, websites, prints, and live performances, all geared to truly exhibit his vision are what lay ahead for MykeyMadeIt..

SKILLS & TRAINING

Below is a summation of the skills and services that are currently available to customers of Mykey and MykeyMadeIt:

ILLUSTRATION

1) Multiple hand-rendering mediums

Pencil, Pastel, Color-pencil, Watercolor, Marker, Pen & Ink

2) Large Variety of Digital / Hand-Rendered Media

Portraits, Landscapes, Comics, Design/Concept, Character Design, Storyboarding (Sequential Art), Dynamic Perspective, Surreal 2-D Large Scale Wall-Prints…

MULTIMEDIA / PRINT DESIGN

CD Covers/Extras, E-cards/Digi-Invitations, T-shirt Design, Business Cards, Letterheads/Envelopes, Ads, WebPages, Applets, Logos, Simple Animation Shorts, and more…

SPECIALIZED DIGITAL PRODUCTS

1) Small Databases (relational and non-relational), Reports, Filing Papers, Icons, Presentations, Media Players, Loaders, and more…

2) Dynamic Graphics & Coding

HTML – Web content formatting

CSS – Enhanced Web Layout

PHP – (open source) Small Database & Web Interface

Simple Action Script – Interactive Media Programming

Flash Customization

Software Knowledge:

Adobe:

Illustrator, Photoshop, In-Design, Premiere
Fireworks, Flash, Dreamweaver, Livecycle

Microsoft:

Word, Access, Power-point, FrontPage

Corel:

Painter XI

Pixelogic:

ZBrush

ARTISTIC STYLE

Our artistic style is a combination of a wide variety of influences and inspirations. The dynamic figure renderings and intense battle sequences of modern comics have always sent my imagination into overdrive. We also appreciate the painstaking sense detail that can be seen in those tech-heavy Manga-Style animated movies.

While working on character or story based projects, we conceptualize the final piece to almost epic or iconic proportions. We play out every angle we can find by using tons of brainstorming techniques. We believe intriguing personas, images, and ideas to be great vehicles for communicating information on many socially conscious issues. By combining a simple but interesting idea, with a little brainstorming and symbolism, we create compelling images that impress and intrigue.

MykeyMadeIt provides many different rendering styles based on the clients desired medium

Pencil (graphite/color): When using pencil our illustration style ranges from simple thumbnails and gesture drawings to fine detail lines for commercial art or technical illustrations. For shaded images we implement a technique mastered by Casey Wise, a world class illustrator, using tiny circles building the entire image evenly for maximum realism. As we build technical drawings be it parts, cars or buildings; MykeyMadeIt focuses on dynamic perspective, proportion, scaling, balance and more

Pen & Ink (quill or modern technic): When using Pen & Ink we have all the strokes we use for pencil rendering plus various hatching techniques. When illustrating with pen we use variations of line thickness to create depth and reinforce dynamic proportions. Contrast, value, and perspective bring these images to life

Pastels (Hard or Soft): we use pastels to enhance the images we created using our various other mediums. Pastels are used for smooth blends, full coloring, highlights, clouds or smoke, and much more

Marker (renderings): Markers bring all the hand rendered mediums together; they can be used in combination all of the previously mentioned mediums. Adding the vibrant and consistent colors of markers to renderings gives images a very commercial feel. Markers are also great for storyboards, tech drawings, fashion design, comics and more

DESIGN PROCESS

All the graphic services that we provide begin in the concept phase, we create as many thumbnails and rough sketches that are necessary to obtain the best composition, proportion, and perspective we can. Once weve worked through planning phase, we work with the client to make any changes or additions to the project. During the final creative stages were all about putting plans into action, and working each medium to its fullest potential.

Lets Go Digital

Illustration: Images are scanned into the computer, and then Photo-Enhanced to maximize their quality, Line drawings and images that will be used in more commercial work are vectorized to maximized image quality during certain modification processes such as resizing. Vectorizing also ensures clean modern look to project.

Coloring: Images are colored (or re-colored) digitally using vector shapes and gradients; this provides color consistency and far more vibrant final images.

Photo-Editing: Photos are digitally enhanced adjusting contrast, value, color properties, resolution, brightness and much more. Photos that will be used for compositing in projects such as montages, websites, album covers, etc are cut precisely to fit these purposes. Glamour shots are perfected through the removal of blemishes, the tweaking and trimming of bad body angles and other imperfections.

Script Based Design Projects: All script based project such as web-pages, databases, and interactive movies start in good ol pen and paper form. During this process every aspect the system is planned with the client. After the planning phase is completed original scripting is integrated with any necessary 3rd party scripting to ensure compatibility and greatly reduce design time. Once we have effectively completed our scripting process and tested the system with our client, we then move to the front end design phase. At completion of all work and integration of the project, all finals, instructions, and source files are transferred to the client by the predetermined transfer process.

INTO THE FUTURE

Traditional Graphics techniques are the fundamentals that make any Illustration professional if applied properly, but the computer has taken illustration to ever greater heights.

Mykey has embraced this new technology whole-heatedly and has gone to great length to remain informed and educated on the latest trends. Hand drawn images are digitally enhanced, colored, and illustrated using the latest software. We are also experimenting with photographic illustration, using photos to build compelling stories. Merchandise is available through Zazzle and across the web