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Hi, I’m Michael Francis, a Kiowa/Cherokee artist with nearly a decade of experience working in comics, animation and games. I earned a BFA in Visual Development from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and I’ve collaborated with clients like the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bent Image Lab/Columbia Pictures, delivering high-quality character designs, props, storyboards, background paintings and environment concepts for both 2D and 3D pipelines. I pride myself on strong drawing and painting fundamentals, and I’m proficient with industry-standard tools such as Blender and Photoshop. I also write indigenous-centered stories published online as digital comics and have ambitions to print and distribute them physically. I’m committed to 100% human-made work and I do not use AI in my process.…Hi, I’m Michael Francis, a Kiowa/Cherokee artist with nearly a decade of experience working in comics, animation and games. I earned a BFA in Visual Development from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and I’ve collaborated with clients like the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bent Image Lab/Columbia Pictures, delivering high-quality character designs, props, storyboards, background paintings and environment concepts for both 2D and 3D pipelines. I pride myself on strong drawing and painting fundamentals, and I’m proficient with industry-standard tools such as Blender and Photoshop. I also write indigenous-centered stories published online as digital comics and have ambitions to print and distribute them physically. I’m committed to 100% human-made work and I do not use AI in my process.

Michael Francis

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Hi, I’m Michael Francis, a Kiowa/Cherokee artist with nearly a decade of experience working in comics, animation and games. I earned a BFA in Visual Development from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and I’ve collaborated with clients like the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bent Image Lab/Columbia Pictures, delivering high-quality character designs, props, storyboards, background paintings and environment concepts for both 2D and 3D pipelines. I pride myself on strong drawing and painting fundamentals, and I’m proficient with industry-standard tools such as Blender and Photoshop. I also write indigenous-centered stories published online as digital comics and have ambitions to print and distribute them physically. I’m committed to 100% human-made work and I do not use AI in my process.…Hi, I’m Michael Francis, a Kiowa/Cherokee artist with nearly a decade of experience working in comics, animation and games. I earned a BFA in Visual Development from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and I’ve collaborated with clients like the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bent Image Lab/Columbia Pictures, delivering high-quality character designs, props, storyboards, background paintings and environment concepts for both 2D and 3D pipelines. I pride myself on strong drawing and painting fundamentals, and I’m proficient with industry-standard tools such as Blender and Photoshop. I also write indigenous-centered stories published online as digital comics and have ambitions to print and distribute them physically. I’m committed to 100% human-made work and I do not use AI in my process.

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Michael Francis, a Kiowa/Cherokee artist with nearly a decade of experience working in comics, animation and games. I earned a BFA in Visual Development from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and I’ve collaborated with clients like the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bent Image Lab/Columbia Pictures, delivering high-quality character designs, props, storyboards, background paintings and environment concepts for both 2D and 3D pipelines. I pride myself on strong drawing and painting fundamentals, and I’m proficient with industry-standard tools such as Blender and Photoshop. I also write indigenous-centered stories published online as digital comics and have ambitions to print and distribute them physically. I’m committed to 100% human-made work and I do not use AI in my process.

Skills

Experience Level

Expert

Expert

Expert

Expert

Work Experience

Freelance Illustrator at Firefly Studios

April 1, 2026 - Present

Collaborated on an illustration for the mobile game Stronghold Kingdoms; artwork used as marketing material for Native American Heritage Month in app/game stores, the game’s website and social channels.

Writer/Artist/Founder at Mikey’s Comics

December 1, 2025 - Present

Wrote scripts and built a comics brand focused on indigenous-centered stories. The first issue, Starman’s Odyssey, released in May 2026 with two more issues in 2027; responsibilities included writing, drawing, marketing, branding, social media and distribution.

Clean Up at In-N-Out

September 1, 2025 - Present

Performed early-morning cleaning duties and light stocking; managed freight and maintained store cleanliness.

Junior Concept Artist at Luxark Studio

June 1, 2025 - September 1, 2025

Designed character illustrations for a Star Trek themed TTRPG manual, The Scion Expanse Core Rulebook; recreated two existing characters to fit a line-art, cel-shaded style.

Visual Development / Background Painter at Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior

January 1, 2025 - April 1, 2025

Contributed cultural input and research for style development and script refinements; produced storyboards, animatics, background paintings and spot illustrations for the Unmet Needs Animated Short about climate change impacts on coastal tribes.

Color Script Artist at Bent Image Lab / Columbia Pictures

May 1, 2023 - Present

Rendered color keys to aid the VFX Lighting Team for two short 2D animated sequences; partnered with art director to create color keys consistent with the project’s children’s book art style per the style guide.

Sales Specialist at Apple Inc.

October 1, 2021 - April 1, 2025

Provided product information and solutions to customers; collaborated with team to ensure the best customer experience; adapted quickly to new technologies and maintained attention to detail in both visual and technical aspects.

Color Key Artist at Ford Motor Company / SCAD Pro

September 1, 2018 - Present

Created color keys for an unreleased Ford climate-change related commercial; painted over 3D renders to help the team establish the mood and look.

Concept Artist at SCAD Animation

September 1, 2018 - December 1, 2018

Created concept art for an untitled animated student short; designed props and backgrounds and assisted the story team in refining the story to fit the animation pipeline.

Freelance Illustrator and Designer at Various Clients

January 1, 2018 - Present

Freelance illustration and design work for media projects; commissioned logos, posters, t‑shirts and promotional artwork for events, social media, publishing and animated projects for YouTubers, musicians, local events and vendors.