Ian Miller (illustrator)
Encyclopedia
Ian Miller is a British fantasy
illustrator and writer best known for his quirkily etched gothic style and macabre sensibility, and noted for his book and magazine cover and interior illustrations, including covers for books by H.P. Lovecraft and contributions to David Day
's Tolkien-inspired compendiums, work for Fighting Fantasy
gamebook
s and various role-playing and wargaming publications, as well as contributions to the Ralph Bakshi
films Wizards
and Coolworld.
As a child Miller experimented with coloured pencils and poster paints producing images of Ancient Egyptians during something he refers to as his 'Ancient Egyptian Phase', followed later by an obsession with cowboys and Indians. At the age of nine Miller attended Mortbane Academy for Boys in Invernesshire, Scotland, where he recalls regular painting expeditions to the surrounding countryside under the tutelage of the art master, nicknamed 'Old Dribble'. Between 1963 and 1967 he enrolled at Northwich School of Art, before embarking upon a degree at St. Martin's School of Art
(now Central St. Martins College of Art and Design), London where he began in sculpture before switching to painting, and graduating with honours in 1970. Shortly after this he was taken on by an agent and began working in London as a professional illustrator.
and Club International
.
In 1975 and 1976 whilst Miller was staying in San Francisco, he was approached by Ralph Bakshi
and invited to contribute to the film Wizards
. Miller relocated to Los Angeles and worked on the animated movie, later citing it as an experience that left a profound impression upon him. He would later go on to work on the film Coolworld by the same director in the 1980s, and produce pre-production work for the film Shrek
in the 1990s.
Miller is well-known for his work for the Fighting Fantasy
gamebooks which rose to popularity in the mid-1980s, providing covers for early titles in the series like The Citadel of Chaos, House of Hell and Creature of Havoc. He has also contributed to the Games Workshop
-published fantasy gaming periodical White Dwarf
in which he was featured in an Illuminations exposé in issue 86, and provided numerous illustrations for various role-playing
and war gaming books and supplements published by Games Workshop during the latter half of the 1980s, including the covers for Terror of the Lichmaster, Death on the Reik and Warhammer City for Warhammer
, and a host of illustrations for the Realm of Chaos supplement and the first edition of
Warhammer 40,000
. In the following decades Miller went on to provide further illustrations for gaming lines published by other companies, including the Everway
, Shadowrun
, and Earthdawn
RPGs.
Miller has illustrated cards for the Magic: The Gathering
collectible card game.
Miller is also noted for his Tolkien-inspired illustrations, and contributed to the lavishly illustrated A Tolkien Bestiary and Characters from Tolkien - A Bestiary, and has provided illustrations for British science fiction periodical Interzone
and cover and interior images for SF titles like Alien Stories 2 by Dennis Pepper.
A number of anthologies of Miller's work have been published over the years. His first, with James Slattery, The Green Dog Trumpet and Other Stories, was published by Dragon's Dream
in 1979, and was followed by another, Secret Art, and a third, entitled Ratspike, co-authored with fellow illustrator and Games Workshop art director John Blanche
and published by GW Books. Miller has also produced imagery for two graphic novels, the first, The Luck in the Head, with writer M. John Harrison
and a second with James Herbert
called The City, as well as working on an unpublished third called Suzie Pellet.
Miller has exhibited frequently during his career in both solo shows and group exhibitions in Britain and internationally.
Current projects include the production of a series of black and white panel drawings called Corpus Pandemonium, and a book called The Broken Novel, a reworked film project called The Confessions of Carrie Sphagnum, a set of Tarot cards, and a theatre project entitled The Shingle Dance.
comments in the introduction to Blanche and Miller's Ratspike:
According to Miller, his illustrations have a tendency to the 'frontalistic', and are also noted to often feature recurrent elements inspired by fishes, flies and robotic forms, and the gnarled haunting trees which he claims originated in an attempt to cover failures of draughtsmanship. Says Miller of his work:
Miller cites amongst his principal artistic influences Albrecht Dürer
and Leonardo da Vinci
, the German Expressionists and French Impressionists, as well as an early predilection for Japanese landscape artists. Other sources include the formative influence of writer Alfred Bester, and a love for the Flash Gordon RKO Radio serials, and his early exposure to the cinematic medium in general which he feels lent a narrative quality to his work, as well as, of course, the every day world itself:
Miller has experimented with various media during his career, but has a preference for pencils, technical pens, watercolour, and charcoal. "I found self-expression with the pen - with oils it was quite the opposite." He also occasionally combines collage and photography into his pieces. His best-known published work has tended to be characterised by a trademark pen-and-ink and wash technique executed on line board and which he refers to as his 'Tight Pen Style', emphasising line detail and a restricted use of colour, something he views as a result of both short-sightedness and Northern European proclivities:
More recently he has taken to adding an Apple Macintosh computer to his range of tools.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
illustrator and writer best known for his quirkily etched gothic style and macabre sensibility, and noted for his book and magazine cover and interior illustrations, including covers for books by H.P. Lovecraft and contributions to David Day
David Day (Canadian writer)
David Day is a Canadian author most notably known for his biographies about J. R. R. Tolkien and his works.-Biography:...
's Tolkien-inspired compendiums, work for Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy is a series of single-player fantasy roleplay gamebooks created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The first volumes in the series were published by Puffin in 1982, with the rights to the franchise eventually being purchased by Wizard Books in 2002...
gamebook
Gamebook
A gamebook is a work of fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making effective choices. The narrative branches along various paths through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages...
s and various role-playing and wargaming publications, as well as contributions to the Ralph Bakshi
Ralph Bakshi
Ralph Bakshi is an Israeli-American director of animated and live-action films. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1992, he directed nine theatrically released feature films, five of which he wrote...
films Wizards
Wizards (film)
Wizards is a 1977 American animated post-apocalyptic science fantasy film about the battle between two wizards, one representing the forces of magic and one representing the forces of industrial technology. It was written, produced, and directed by Ralph Bakshi...
and Coolworld.
Early life
Miller was born in 1947, and raised predominantly in London and Manchester. His mother, who encouraged the artistic vocation, was a theatrical millner for one of the leading costumiers to the film industry, which, with cinema, he cites as an early inspiration:As a child Miller experimented with coloured pencils and poster paints producing images of Ancient Egyptians during something he refers to as his 'Ancient Egyptian Phase', followed later by an obsession with cowboys and Indians. At the age of nine Miller attended Mortbane Academy for Boys in Invernesshire, Scotland, where he recalls regular painting expeditions to the surrounding countryside under the tutelage of the art master, nicknamed 'Old Dribble'. Between 1963 and 1967 he enrolled at Northwich School of Art, before embarking upon a degree at St. Martin's School of Art
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. The school has an outstanding international reputation, and is considered one of the world's leading art and design institutions...
(now Central St. Martins College of Art and Design), London where he began in sculpture before switching to painting, and graduating with honours in 1970. Shortly after this he was taken on by an agent and began working in London as a professional illustrator.
Career
Miller's earliest work included magazine and book jacket illustrations, including a host of illustrations for paperback titles by H.P.Lovecraft, and work for Men OnlyMen Only
Men Only is a British soft-core pornographic magazine published by Paul Raymond since 1971. However, the title goes back to 1935 when it was founded by C. Arthur Pearson Ltd as a pocket magazine . It set out its editorial stall in the first issue:'We don't want women readers. We won't have women...
and Club International
Club International
Club International is a United Kingdom-based magazine that depicts softcore pornographic pictures of women. It is a sister magazine of American magazine Club. Club International was founded in 1972 and is published every four weeks, making thirteen issues per year...
.
In 1975 and 1976 whilst Miller was staying in San Francisco, he was approached by Ralph Bakshi
Ralph Bakshi
Ralph Bakshi is an Israeli-American director of animated and live-action films. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1992, he directed nine theatrically released feature films, five of which he wrote...
and invited to contribute to the film Wizards
Wizards (film)
Wizards is a 1977 American animated post-apocalyptic science fantasy film about the battle between two wizards, one representing the forces of magic and one representing the forces of industrial technology. It was written, produced, and directed by Ralph Bakshi...
. Miller relocated to Los Angeles and worked on the animated movie, later citing it as an experience that left a profound impression upon him. He would later go on to work on the film Coolworld by the same director in the 1980s, and produce pre-production work for the film Shrek
Shrek
Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!...
in the 1990s.
Miller is well-known for his work for the Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy
Fighting Fantasy is a series of single-player fantasy roleplay gamebooks created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The first volumes in the series were published by Puffin in 1982, with the rights to the franchise eventually being purchased by Wizard Books in 2002...
gamebooks which rose to popularity in the mid-1980s, providing covers for early titles in the series like The Citadel of Chaos, House of Hell and Creature of Havoc. He has also contributed to the Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
-published fantasy gaming periodical White Dwarf
White Dwarf (magazine)
White Dwarf is a magazine published by British games manufacturer Games Workshop. Initially covering a wide variety of fantasy and science-fiction role-playing and board games, particularly the role playing games Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest and Traveller...
in which he was featured in an Illuminations exposé in issue 86, and provided numerous illustrations for various role-playing
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
and war gaming books and supplements published by Games Workshop during the latter half of the 1980s, including the covers for Terror of the Lichmaster, Death on the Reik and Warhammer City for Warhammer
Warhammer Fantasy (setting)
Warhammer Fantasy is a fantasy setting, created by Games Workshop, which is used by many of the company's games. Some of the best-known games set in this world are: the table top wargame Warhammer Fantasy Battle, the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay pen-and-paper role-playing game, and the MMORPG...
, and a host of illustrations for the Realm of Chaos supplement and the first edition of
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
. In the following decades Miller went on to provide further illustrations for gaming lines published by other companies, including the Everway
Everway
Everway is a fantasy role-playing game first published by Wizards of the Coast under their Alter Ego brand in the mid-1990s. Its lead designer was Jonathan Tweet. Marketed as a "Visionary Roleplaying Game", it has often been characterized as an innovative piece with a limited commercial success...
, Shadowrun
Shadowrun
Shadowrun is a role-playing game set in a near-future fictional universe in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy fiction, horror, and detective fiction.The original game has spawned...
, and Earthdawn
Earthdawn
Earthdawn is a fantasy role-playing game, originally produced by FASA in 1993. In 1999 it was licensed to Living Room Games, which produced the Second Edition...
RPGs.
Miller has illustrated cards for the Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
collectible card game.
Miller is also noted for his Tolkien-inspired illustrations, and contributed to the lavishly illustrated A Tolkien Bestiary and Characters from Tolkien - A Bestiary, and has provided illustrations for British science fiction periodical Interzone
Interzone (magazine)
Interzone is an award-winning British fantasy and science fiction magazine. Published since 1982, Interzone is the eighth longest-running science fiction magazine in history and the longest-running British SF magazine...
and cover and interior images for SF titles like Alien Stories 2 by Dennis Pepper.
A number of anthologies of Miller's work have been published over the years. His first, with James Slattery, The Green Dog Trumpet and Other Stories, was published by Dragon's Dream
Paper Tiger Books
Paper Tiger is a publishing house started in 1976 by Martyn and Roger Dean, on the back of their success at publishing Dean's Views graphic album under sister imprint Dragon's Dream...
in 1979, and was followed by another, Secret Art, and a third, entitled Ratspike, co-authored with fellow illustrator and Games Workshop art director John Blanche
John Blanche
John Blanche is a British fantasy and science fiction illustrator and modeler known for his work for Games Workshop's White Dwarf magazine, Warhammer Fantasy Battle, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and Warhammer 40,000 games and his role as art director for the company, including his work in the field...
and published by GW Books. Miller has also produced imagery for two graphic novels, the first, The Luck in the Head, with writer M. John Harrison
M. John Harrison
M. John Harrison , known as Mike Harrison, is an English author and critic. His work includes the Viriconium sequence of novels and short stories, , Climbers , and the Kefahuchi Tract series which begins with Light . He currently resides in London.-Early years:Harrison was born in Rugby,...
and a second with James Herbert
James Herbert
James Herbert, OBE is a best-selling English horror writer who originally worked as the art director of an advertising agency. He is a full-time writer who also designs his own book covers and publicity.-Family:...
called The City, as well as working on an unpublished third called Suzie Pellet.
Miller has exhibited frequently during his career in both solo shows and group exhibitions in Britain and internationally.
Current projects include the production of a series of black and white panel drawings called Corpus Pandemonium, and a book called The Broken Novel, a reworked film project called The Confessions of Carrie Sphagnum, a set of Tarot cards, and a theatre project entitled The Shingle Dance.
Style and technique
Miller's style is variously described as surreal, gothic and nightmarish or grotesque. "Edgy and surreal, Miller combines intelligent geometric exactness with a messy, fluid sense of what it means to be human." As fellow contemporary illustrator Patrick WoodroffePatrick Woodroffe
Patrick James Woodroffe is an English artist, etcher and drawer, who specialises in fantasy science-fiction artwork, with images that border on the surreal...
comments in the introduction to Blanche and Miller's Ratspike:
According to Miller, his illustrations have a tendency to the 'frontalistic', and are also noted to often feature recurrent elements inspired by fishes, flies and robotic forms, and the gnarled haunting trees which he claims originated in an attempt to cover failures of draughtsmanship. Says Miller of his work:
Miller cites amongst his principal artistic influences Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer was a German painter, printmaker, engraver, mathematician, and theorist from Nuremberg. His prints established his reputation across Europe when he was still in his twenties, and he has been conventionally regarded as the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance ever since...
and Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
, the German Expressionists and French Impressionists, as well as an early predilection for Japanese landscape artists. Other sources include the formative influence of writer Alfred Bester, and a love for the Flash Gordon RKO Radio serials, and his early exposure to the cinematic medium in general which he feels lent a narrative quality to his work, as well as, of course, the every day world itself:
Miller has experimented with various media during his career, but has a preference for pencils, technical pens, watercolour, and charcoal. "I found self-expression with the pen - with oils it was quite the opposite." He also occasionally combines collage and photography into his pieces. His best-known published work has tended to be characterised by a trademark pen-and-ink and wash technique executed on line board and which he refers to as his 'Tight Pen Style', emphasising line detail and a restricted use of colour, something he views as a result of both short-sightedness and Northern European proclivities:
More recently he has taken to adding an Apple Macintosh computer to his range of tools.
External links
- Books illustrated by Ian Miller on Gamebooks.org
- An article on Miller in an Italian fantasy e-zine
- A gallery of Miller's artwork in an Italian fantasy e-zine
- Alien Stories 2 illustration on Google books
- Ian Miller's Geometrically Exact Surrealism at io9.com
- The Art of Ian Miller on an arts blog
- Ian Miller artwork on a fantasy and fantasy art blog
- A partial list of Ian Miller's credits on an RPG gaming site
- The logo for Chickenfish.TV, a video and web content production company based in Hong Kong
- Ian Miller's Fighting Fantasy credits on a gaming Wiki page
- A selection of Miller's images on Sci-Fi-O-Rama
- Ian Miller's Gallery with biography and artbooks on Inside Your ART