Morgan McGill
Morgan is an emerging artist that goes by the alias Axel. He started out with acrylics on canvas and comic drawings then experimented with watercolours, oil pastels, graphite, and even coffee! Morgan is mostly known for his realistic artwork of animals and landscapes, but has recently embraced abstract art as part of his A levels.
Morgan’s real passion though is illustrations. He loves creating original characters, fan art, and illustrations for budding, new authors. He has used digital media for drawing from an early age, starting off only using his fingers on his phone before transitioning to a much larger iPad and pen.
Morgan is always creating entertaining and meaningful stories in his mind, and using these as inspiration for many of his works. Morgan is an extremely hard worker, putting 200% into everything he does including his academic qualifications. His determination to succeed has allowed him to overcome many challenges..
Frequently Asked Questions
What is your artistic background?
I am self taught starting out with comic characters and comic stories. I was then taught how to paint with acrylics by Graham Collins in the Barleyland Craft Studios.
Which artists have most inspired you?
Scott Christian Sava, Pierre Bonnard, Sari Shryack, Lisa Ober and Picasso. I have also been inspired by many manga and comic illustrators.
How did your GCSEs & A levels shape you as an artist?
I experimented with oil pastels, watercolours, graphite, pencils and coffee to create unique pictures inspired by other artists. GCSEs taught me how to create realistic and detailed pictures much faster than I could before. A level Art and Design is teaching me to push myself outside of my comfort zone into more abstract and expressionistic areas.
What are your top 3 favourite fandoms?
- Honkai Star Rail
- FNAF
- Black Butler
How do you create original characters?
I draw my inspiration from many different sources (eg. books, videos, games, films) and I use it to create entertaining and meaningful stories. These stories are mostly character driven, so I use a preset character design first (typically my persona) to help establish a narrative and personality. I then ditch my persona and use IBIS to develop the first iteration of my character. I then continue to explore the character using many different styles, colour palets, accessories etc. until I find something that fits.
What do you use to paint digitally?
I use IBIS Paint X. My last creation had 349 layers and took over 62 hours to complete.
What advice would you give to emerging artists?
First and foremost, have fun. While learning and improving will help you progress as an artist, if you find yourself beginning to despise your passion, give yourself a break and try something else. Brute force works for some, but for most it will just lead to frustration and burnout.
Can I use your work in a study or to practice?
Of course you may. Just drop me a line in ‘Contact me’ and I’ll give you any information you need about the process I use.
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