Edge of Umbra

I’m Michael Braun, the artist behind Edge of Umbra.

I’ve been drawing surreal, psychedelic artwork for more than 15 years, and one of my favorite parts of the process is that I rarely know how a piece is going to end. I usually start without a detailed plan, follow whatever idea shows up next, and let the drawing build itself from there. Characters, creatures, faces, symbols, landscapes, and completely random things tend to find their way onto the page. A lot of the fun is discovering the finished piece at the same time I’m creating it.

Most of my original linework is drawn with Sharpies and I use Uni-ball Vision Elite pens for finer details. Once a piece is finished, I scan the original and paint it digitally, bringing in the vibrant colors that have become a big part of the Edge of Umbra style. Life is more fun with color.

I’ve always bounced between different ways of creating, whether that meant traditional drawing, pour painting, or developing the surreal psychedelic style you see here. I’ve never been especially interested in sticking to one rigid subject or theme. If an idea is interesting enough to draw, it has a place.

I’ve also always loved artwork that gives you more to discover the longer you look at it. That became a major part of Edge of Umbra: dense, surreal pieces filled with small details, strange ideas, hidden characters, and things you may not notice the first time around.

Everything in the shop begins as artwork drawn by hand before being adapted into the finished prints. More than anything, Edge of Umbra is a place for whatever is in my head to find its way onto the page — and hopefully onto a few walls along the way.