Mike Dargas (born 1983) is a German hyperrealist painter.

He is a native of Cologne, Germany^[4], a place where at the age of 11 he already exhibited his paintings in the Cathedral Square of Cologne, painted with pastel colors and chalk. At this age he was accepted into the painting school, he was the only child among adults. He trained as a carpenter and developed an interest in three-dimensional art, thanks to his training in the painting school and the creation of metal and wood sculptures. Despite his training, his passion continued to be painting^[4]. He had always been interested in the visual arts. For a while he was involved in the world of tattoos. At 20 years of age he was already a famous tattoo artist and recognized by many, thanks to the diffusion and acceptance on social networks. Some of his designs won numerous awards and scholarships for further study.

Inspired by Caravaggio, Salvador Dalí and H. R. Giger, he became interested in hyperrealism and began to paint portraits of men and women, young and old, on large canvases, each about 2 meters high.

His works are based on oil paintings of portraits, often sensual and with clearly emphasized features, covered with substances that run through his skin similar to honey, chocolate or oil.

Other of the paintings have translucent papers and veils, where the hyper-realistic techniques used by Dargas stand out even more.

Most of the portraits are of women engrossed in their own thoughts, which make the viewer's mind work, taking him to the depth of a look where he makes him think of himself as a human being and his inner emotional perspective.

The Substance Paint series began in 2014 as a method of experimentation.

To date, his techniques have changed for the better, which is why he himself affirms that he is always in a constant figurative and conceptual evolution^[5].