Micah Lidberg is an illustrator, designer, and typographer with a enviably clean and detailed art style. His flat spaces and colors remind me of Japanese prints, albeit with a more random doodle aesthetic.

The abundance of interesting subjects in his pieces is explained by his partially stream-of-consciousness process; "Before I set out to start working on a piece, I imagine what the general layout is going to be. In that way, I do plan an environment for hidden gems to live in. However, all the little moments and stories don’t become a reality until I get down to the actual, final drawing. They take form when I begin to address each little square inch of the piece."

Angry Cloud

The surreal and oftentimes creepy mood Micah enjoys implementing is what most draws me to his narratives. Though his wild colors and characters seem influenced by psychedelics, he clarifies that "all of my work comes from my sober imagination." And there is definitely a much more sober quality to his pristine, economically-silhouetted shapes.

Rendlesham Forest, 1980

Micah's hand-drawn details contribute a richness of texture that I find really inspiring, but I think color (which he adds digitally) is what best pulls together the atmosphere of his work.

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