Bill Sienkiewicz

I think Bill Sienkiewicz is one of the most interesting comic artists and illustrators today. Most of his work can be easily found in bookshops or online stores, and it is a worthy addition to any collection, not only of comics, but also for people interested in general illustration and creativity.

Sienkiewicz is a very special artist in many respects. While most comic artists or illustrators use one or a very limited number of painting and drawing techniques, he happily mixes every conceivable media in a single page —even in a single frame: pencil, inks, charcoal, crayons, acrylic, photocopies and collage, watercolours, gouache, textures... Watercolour is often avoided by many comics artists, but in Sienkiewicz’s case, it plays a crucial role in his art.
Sienkiewicz is an excellent watercolourist, using colour in a daring and unrestrained way.

I especially recommend the following volumes:

• Daredevil: Love & War (story by Frank Miller).
• Elektra: Assassin (story by Frank Miller). See an online exhibition.
• Stray Toasters, a very personal work where he both wrote the story and did the illustration.
• Moby Dick, a comic adaptation from the Melville classic.
  
• Santa: My life and times (illustrated almost completely in watercolours.)
• Hendrix: Voodoo Child (illustrated biography)

At first his style was heavily influenced by Neal Adams, but slowly he developed his unique mélange of influences, which include of course Adams, but also psychedelic imagery, Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt,Alphonse Muncha and other early XX century artists, and a myriad of other influences (especially Bob Peak (thanks, Brian, for the remark), which he has blended to create his own and very personal visual language.

Apart from the Elektra exhibition, you can also visit Bill’s site. But the best you can do is go and buy the full list I’ve written before.