Plus: Why coastal comforts lured this artist to his California home.
(Image credit: Mike Butkus)
My studio has seen quite the evolution over the years – from the bustling streets of Burbank, California, to the laid-back vibe of Hawaii, and now to a peaceful little town on the Central Coast of California: Morro Bay. Each location has had a huge impact on how and when I work, and every time I’ve set up a new studio, it feels like a new chapter.
Back in Burbank, I was in a large studio, with all the bells and whistles I could ask for but also the terrible LA traffic and smog, and I never quite felt at home there. It was a convenient location in that the ad agencies were just an hour’s drive away, but it lacked the inspiration I needed. So, when the chance to move to Hawaii came up, I jumped on it.
I downsized to a smaller studio in the home but the difference in lifestyle was profound. I’d work in the morning, then spend the afternoon with my son, snorkelling or surfing in the clear, warm water before returning home to enjoy the sunset on our porch with my wife and a glass of wine in hand.
But, like many others, Covid and family matters shifted things. We found ourselves back on the mainland, this time settling in Morro Bay as we could no longer be far away from the water. It’s a quiet coastal town with a healthy dose of summer tourism and quickly became home. My new studio here is about 3,000 square feet, has plenty of space, and is just a 10-minute walk from the beach.
It’s essential to carve out a space that allows me to zone into my work without any distractions.
Mike Butkus
The studio itself is ever-changing. I rearrange constantly; sometimes for a new piece of equipment, for a project that needs more space, or sometimes just because I’m bored (for your own new equipment here are some of the best drawing tablets). One of the unexpected benefits of my current studio is the strong friendship I’ve cultivated with a family of bluebirds this past year. I saw that they loved hanging out in the tree in front of my office, so I’d leave nuts and seeds on my window ledge for them to snack on. The mother bird would actually sit on the windowsill and tap on my window if I forgot.
The only unhappy campers though are the retired chiropractor couple living across the street. They have several feeders outside their windows for the bluebirds, but apparently they now favour my offerings over theirs. I’ve caught the couple glaring at me through their partially closed blinds quite a few times; very creepy.
What’s the lesson I’ve learned from all this changing of studios? It’s the importance of having a dedicated workspace that can be separated from home life. It’s especially important for my line of work because I don’t have a set schedule. A lot of times I’m juggling multiple projects and need to work straight through the night or get up at 1am to make the deadline.
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It’s essential to carve out a space that allows me to zone into my work without any distractions, no matter what time of day it is, while having freedom to step away and take in the beauty outside my door. My studio in Morro Bay allows me to do that.
Artist in residence: Mike Butkus
(Image credit: Mike Butkus)
Mike's studio setup, clockwise from top left. "My assistant, Jerry the skeleton. I use him when teaching anatomy classes."
"At the top of my studio, just below the lights, is a bar I use to attach studio portrait lights. Behind the curtains is where I do photoshoots and have extra equipment storage."
"I used acrylic and watercolour to create this poster artwork for the Bethesda video game Starfield." (See the best poster designs here).
"I have many model cars that I use quite a bit for photographs, as I often do action-adventure car chases for movie posters."
"Meet my beautiful redwood glass palette, which also comes with a slide-out oil paint drawer."
"Many of you probably have questions like, “Why is there a huge air canister by his desk?” No, it’s not for making balloon animals – I use the CO2 canister for my airbrush."
(Image credit: Mike Butkus)
"A traditional movie poster illustration for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes for 20th Century Fox. Made in acrylic, gouache and colour pencils."
(Image credit: Mike Butkus)
"This is Off Leash Studios in Morro Bay, where we host our workshops and my studio."
(Image credit: Mike Butkus)
"I used acrylic and watercolour to create this poster artwork for the Bethesda video game Starfield."
(Image credit: Mike Butkus)
"This is a painting for the Blu-ray Collector’s Edition of The Strangers: Chapter 1 created for Lionsgate."
(Image credit: Mike Butkus)
"As you can see, my studio changes quite a bit. I like to switch up my furniture and layout, but sometimes I need to for staging."
(Image credit: Mike Butkus)
"This was a drawing for the game Borderlands that was then digitally painted by the super talented folks at Bond Advertising. I did the design and illustration."
(Image credit: Mike Butkus)
"Most of my work is traditional, but I still need a computer system to scan and make revisions." (The best laptops for drawing can help you here.)
(Image credit: Mike Butkus)
"I used acrylic and colour pencil in this Starfield poster art, which was tweaked by the client."
(Image credit: Mike Butkus)
"My partner and I started a gaming business called Mad Monster Company. Here are designs for our board game Mad Monster Bash."
(Image credit: Mike Butkus)
"A painting for the History Channel called Doomsday Preppers. This one’s a fun spoof on Norman Rockwell."
(Image credit: Mike Butkus)
"Cover designs for my book a Traveller’s Guide to Drawing the Extraordinary Creatures of the Universe Volume 1: Aetherin. It releases in early 2025 and teaches creature art techniques." (Find more great book cover designs here.)
Mike Butkus is an award-winning concept artist who has worked on over 5,000 games, films, TV series, books and toy designs for the likes of Netflix and HBO. To see more visit his website.
This content originally appeared in ImagineFX magazine, the world's leading digital art and fantasy art magazine. ImagineFX is on sale in the UK, Europe, United States, Canada, Australia and more. Limited numbers of ImagineFX print editions are available for delivery from our online store (the shipping costs are included in all prices)
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