Every artist has a beginning, and mine started with a Viking and a stunning blond prisoner.
When I was a child, I fell in love with comic books. Not just any comic books, but Thorgal — the legendary series blending Norse mythology and science fiction. One specific panel changed everything: a blonde slave girl tied to a pole, sentenced to drown with the tide. And then close-up to her water-filled blue eyes. And of course, muscle-positive savior holding her in his arms. I copied those drawings so many times, I wore a hole through the pages. It was my first lesson in focus, emotion, and dramatic lighting.
Around the same time, I discovered the genius of Szymon Kobyliński, the Polish illustrator whose sharp, expressive lines captured the essence of his subjects with elegance and wit — always truthful, never cruel. This become the motto for all my heroes and models because not long after, I realized I could paint portraits. And that skill came in handy when I needed to buy my first car — a golden, thirteen-year-old Passat I fondly named The Golden Hornet (in Polish it doesn’t sound so pompous). I earned the money for it by painting custom portraits on a seaside promenade. Sunburnt tourists, mums with kids, curious couples — I drew them all.
Portraits
Portraits, especially quick ones, are all about watching. And the best time to draw someone is during long conversations or internal monologues. That’s when people drop their social mask, and the real character shows. Below, you’ll find a gallery of portraits done both on commission and during those moments of secret observation.
Very Serious Portraits
Character Design
Custom Artwork and Character Design – My Journey in Illustration & Portraits
For a while, I also painted food. That’s right. Stock image libraries like iStockPhoto and Icon stocked up on my renderings of pancakes, cherries, and gourmet pastas. It may sound glamorous, but food illustration is just as demanding as faces. Every strawberry has to look edible.
AI-Enchanced Illustration
More recently, I’ve moved into AI-enhanced illustration. It’s a new chapter, but built on the same foundations: storytelling, observation, and good lighting. Below, you’ll also find examples of illustrations created for the Canal+ documentary Apple Prisoners, for the cultural book Naj Naj Polska, and for the upcoming project 50 Generations of Poles.
This journey—from pencil to pixels—has shaped my creative identity. And I sincerely hope it never ends.
Because as long as people keep making interesting faces, I’ll keep drawing them. Even if that means the next Passat has to be platinum.