Graphic designer from Sunderland creates tribute to George Michael using thousands of screws

Darren Timby, from Sunderland, spent around 90 hours creating a unique depiction of George Michael using screws. Credit: PA

A Sunderland-based graphic designer has created a "tribute with a twist" to George Michael, making a likeness of the late pop star's face using thousands of screws.

It took Darren Timby around 90 hours to complete the piece, which features around 12,000 zinc, gold-coloured and black screws on a white canvas.

Michael rose to fame when he formed the pop duo Wham! with Andrew Ridgeley in the early 1980s, and died on Christmas Day in 2016.

Mr Timby said he wanted to create something to mark the anniversary.

“George Michael’s music has always been a guilty pleasure of mine and I wanted to create a tribute with a twist to remember him as he passed away on Christmas Day eight years ago," he told the PA news agency.

Mr Timby used a total of around 12,000 screws to create his piece, and said he started with George Michael's eyes. Credit: PA

Mr Timby started by working out the dimensions of the piece, deciding on three feet wide by four feet high.

“There’s a lot of maths and measuring that goes on in working out the size of canvas that I need to hold the weight of the metal and ensure I get in all aspects of the art," he said.

“I then pinpoint where I want the screws to go and it is so satisfying when I start adding them in.

“I started with the eyes because as soon as they become recognisable as the subject, I know that the art is going to work.”

Recently, Wham! made chart history, as their hit Last Christmas became the first song to be crowned Christmas number one two years in a row.

Mr Timby said: “From a nostalgia point of view, it’s the standout song for me because I was born in the early 1980s and I was growing up listening to it.

“You can’t get through a day in December without hearing Last Christmas.”

Mr Timby started creating screw art in 2020, and said replicating Michael's thick hair was a challenge.

The finished piece is currently sitting in Mr Timby's workshop, but he is hoping it will soon find a good home. Credit: PA

He said: “With George, you have to a good job on the hair and do it justice – sometimes a little squiggle here or a straight line of screws there can change the highlights and the contrast.

“Sometimes just one or two extra screws can really make a difference and the hair takes up the majority of the piece.

“Selecting the different coloured screws for the hair also helps to lift and balance the face, improving the overall image contrast, because you’re only working in four tones.”

His artwork is currently sitting in his workshop but he hopes it “finds a home where it will be appreciated” at either a gallery or even with a George Michael superfan.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...