“I have never studied at an art school, I just started painting at the age of 3. My mother told me, she noticed my artistic talent very early, when I drew my first sketches. After kindergarten I started using oil colors. I guess I was 7 or 8 years old when the first piece was sold to a friend of the family.

My hometown Cologne is well-known for the Dome, an ancient cathedral that lies in the heart of the City. It’s a touristic area and artists have been presenting their skills in front of the cathedral for decades already. One day, I must have been 10, I packed my drawing equipement, went to the cathedral and started to draw pieces of the Old Masters with crayons. I was a shy guy at the time but it was an inner wish to paint among all the other artists.

Later I had my own tattoo studio for 14 years to do my living until I decided to become an artist. Today I paint large realistic portraits in oil. I love to work on light reflections and color grading and use photographic characteristics to underline the realistic effect.”

Mike Dargas: website / instagram
Via: boredpanda.com