Today we’d like to introduce you to Keely Mikkelsen.
Hi Keely, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Art started out as a fun hobby for me, mostly drawing Sonic the Hedgehog fanart on the backs of my school papers. Art became a tool to put the images in my head onto paper, so I started making my own stories and drawing them out. It made me want to learn and improve. I studied tutorials and researched as much as I could about how to make comics. It finally clicked that art could be a career, so I pursued an Entertainment Art/Animation degree at Cal State Fullerton.
At CSUF, I learned so much from fantastic professors like Chuck and Wendy Grieb, Garrett Kaida, Cliff Cramp, Mike Dietz, and Pete Michels. I also had the opportunity to join and eventually become an officer of Pencil Mileage Club. I made wonderful lifelong friends that shared the same interest in animation, and I realized how much I enjoy collaborating with others on projects. This has become one of my driving forces of inspiration going forward in my career; I love working with cool people to make cool things.
I got my first paid gig just before graduation, doing freelance background painting on a student-made animated short at the School of Visual Arts. Shortly after, I started working as a comic colorist on “MariSole” for Nike SNKRS. I’m currently a colorist on a sci-fi comic called “Digital” by Rich Watkin. In addition to working as a freelance artist, I taught Visual Development and Digital Concept Painting classes at Azusa Pacific University.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the main struggles of working as an artist is unpredictability. I wasn’t able to land an internship at an animation studio in college, but I was lucky enough to start freelancing before graduation. As soon as I focus on animation, I get a gig in comics. A project gets canceled, then I get an opportunity to teach. I’m very grateful for all of my experiences. I’m grateful to get to try new things. But I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of my friends and family.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in color and lighting. I got a lot of my color theory knowledge from college, but I honestly chose color and light as my focus because it’s what I notice when I observe the world. I’m always looking at the way the sun is hitting the mountains throughout the day, or how many different greens there really are in the plants around me, or how different the reflected light looks on a metal pole vs. a window. Ever since I started drawing digitally, when I observe the world, I think about how I’d break it down into different layers, use certain brushes for certain textures, and use different layer modes to get the right lighting. I do love the whole drawing process, but color and light come the most naturally to me.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
“Color and Light” by James Gurney is a great book for learning foundations, and the “Color with Kurt” YouTube channel is my go-to resource for any question I have about coloring comics. I’m currently taking Kat Tsai’s “Color and Light” class as well and I highly recommend it. Art is something you can keep improving at your whole life, so I think it’s important to do everything you can to keep learning as you progress in your career.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://keelymikkelsen.wixsite.com/portfolio
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yigloo/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keelymikkelsen/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeelyMikkelsen
- Other: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/keelymikkelsen/
