Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio – Without a doubt my favorite artist ever. His intensity and ability to capture a moment is unmatched. I can lose hours looking at his art.
Jim Phillips - He created so many iconic images that wound up on a skateboard that it would be impossible for me not to love and be inspired by him. It’s everything cool from skateboards, surfing and rock n’ roll. He has such command of a line too. Jim Phillips Website
Robert Williams – As soon as I started delving into artists that didn’t solely do comic books or skateboard art, I discovered Robert Williams. Total genius who opened up the wonderful world of low brow art to me. Robert Williams Website
Joe Coleman – I don’t know which is more interesting, Coleman himself, or his art. His attention to detail and ability to tell a story through art is amazing. I love his portraits that are surrounded by vignettes of the subject’s life. His art has made me want to learn about someone more than any book has. Joe Coleman Website
Pushead – The reason why I love skulls and stippling. His work is so classic and copied. He is probably the most influential artist on the way I draw.
Sailor Jerry Collins – The grandfather of American tattoo flash. His work is never out of style and influenced the way tattooers, tattoo. He has a knack to make you stare at the simplest drawing for a long time. And his use of color is fantastic. So bold. Sailor Jerry Collins Website
Sam Kieth – He drew a lot of stuff for the Incredible Hulk, Wolverine, his own character The Maxx and a slew of others. His anatomy is all wrong, his surreality is both strange and dreamlike (he accomplishes this on a two dimensional comic book page.). I haven’t read a new comic in years, but his art always remains a favorite of mine. Sam Kieth Website
Tom Savini – Not an artist as far as what people think of immediately. Instead, he is a movie make-up artist. And his specialty is monsters. Without a doubt his creations on screen have influenced my own art. If it weren’t for Savini, I wouldn’t have fell in love as hard as I did with zombies when I was younger. Tom Savini Website
Sean Cliver – Another skateboard artist. His work is so iconic, crisp and clean. Once you see a couple of his pieces you will be able to recognize his style every time. I must’ve redrawn his classic Tony Hawk “Hawk Skull” graphic 200-300 times in the late ’80s. Sean Cliver Website
Zach Stuka - Chicago based tattoo artist, who happens to be one of my best friends. He is an incredible artist, but more importantly, every time we talk art, I learn so much. He is an artist in the truest sense. Zach Stuka Website