Stephen Hickman
Encyclopedia
Stephen Hickman is an award-winning American artist, illustrator, sculptor and author. He is best known for his work in science fiction
and fantasy
with over 350 book and magazine covers to his credit. His efforts have brought an extra dimension to the stories of Robert A. Heinlein
, H. P. Lovecraft
, J. R. R. Tolkien
, Anne McCaffery, and Andre Norton
. He may be best known for illustrating Larry Niven
's Man-Kzin Wars
novels and the evocative dragons he created for Steven Brust
's Dragaeran series, which have often been imitated. His most widely circulated effort is a series of space fantasy postage stamps done for the United States Postal Service
.
Hickman has mastered a variety of styles and is known for his versatility. However, his work is especially notable for two features. His use of the possibilities of oil color, in layers both transparent and translucent, is balanced to create subtle moods that can range for the contemplative to the unsettling. Frank Kelly Freas
said that no one since Rembrandt has mastered the use of gold the way Hickman has.
Another consistent feature of Hickman's work is the intelligence of his characters, especially the women. The faces of Hickman's subjects are fully engaged in thought, sometimes absorbed in a dream, sometimes on the verge of a climactic "aha." This characteristic might best be compared to that of another Dutch painter, Vermeer.
Hickman says the most difficult thing to capture in art is the sublime, likening it to 'catching the gold ring on the artistic carousel'. He strives to create a positive, reassuring effect in his viewers by communicating beauty and elegance. "Besides, the elegant and sublime have a certain shock value in the present age." His style is classically based and often, as he puts it, with "a strong vision quest
aspect."
Stephen Hickman was born in Washington, DC, the son of John F. and Mary Lee Hickman. Because his father was in the foreign service, he was already a world traveler before high school, having lived in Manila and Karachi. He also lived in Texas and Arizona before his family returned to the Washington area, settling in Alexandria Virginia. Hickman's father regularly told him tales, from ghost stories to his own childhood experiences in the Philippine Islands, and Hickman credits him with inspired his interest in literature and writing. Hickman's mother introduced him to painting and encouraged him to be original in all things. Both parents were supportive of his creative endeavors.
In Alexandria, Hickman went to Francis Hammond High School. The art program was directed by Fletcher Proctor, who later was responsible for art in the whole school district. Between regular and summer sessions, Hickman had the equivalent of eight years of training in art from Proctor, what he considered to be all of useful training he had for his profession. After graduating high school, Hickman spent two years at Richmond Professional Institute (now part of Virginia Commonwealth University) where he shared classes with Mike Kaluta and Phil Trumbo.
A turning point for Hickman’s career was when he went to the 1967 NY Comic Convention. There he met Frank Frazetta
and Roy G. Krenkel. He found that both men were thoughtful and helpful. He got advice that included mastering artistic anatomy, with special attention to the skeleton. They advised him to spend the money on decent brushes. The conventional was also eye-opening for him because he got to see original painting after years of only knowing the artists through paperback covers.
Hickman's professional career was launched in 1972 when he got a job creating T-shirt designs for Shirt Explosion in Lanham, MD. In this situation where Hickman was given virtually unlimited artistic freedom, he realized that he could earn a living by doing what he wanted to. His entry into book illustration came in 1974, when Neil Adams of Continuity Studios, NYC, introduced Hickman to Charles Volpe, Art Editor at Ace Books. Volpe bought the printing rights of items from his portfolio, and later commissioning paintings which were used for reprints of Ace Doubles in the Classics of Science-Fiction series. Since then he has been a full-time artist. Some of his work has been collected in The Fantasy Art of Stephen Hickman. He has been honored with a Hugo Award
(1993, for Achievement in Science Fiction and Fantasy), five Chesley Awards
and two gold awards from the Spectrum Anthology.
Hickman has tried his hand at writing and illustrating his own work. His novel, The Lemurian Stone, was published in 1988. In this work, he created the Pharazar Mythos, which has been the basis for several major paintings, including The Lion Pavilion and The Astronomer Prince. His work has also motivated other writers. Most notably, The Diver and Mermaid, done as a private commission, inspired Harlan Ellison
to write "Midnight in the Sunken Cathedral."
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy
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...
with over 350 book and magazine covers to his credit. His efforts have brought an extra dimension to the stories of Robert A. Heinlein
Robert A. Heinlein
Robert Anson Heinlein was an American science fiction writer. Often called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was one of the most influential and controversial authors of the genre. He set a standard for science and engineering plausibility and helped to raise the genre's standards of...
, H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
, J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
, Anne McCaffery, and Andre Norton
Andre Norton
Andre Alice Norton, née Alice Mary Norton was an American science fiction and fantasy author under the noms de plume Andre Norton, Andrew North and Allen Weston...
. He may be best known for illustrating Larry Niven
Larry Niven
Laurence van Cott Niven / ˈlæri ˈnɪvən/ is an American science fiction author. His best-known work is Ringworld , which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards. His work is primarily hard science fiction, using big science concepts and theoretical physics...
's Man-Kzin Wars
Man-Kzin Wars
The Man-Kzin Wars is a series of military science fiction short story collections , as well as the eponymous conflicts between mankind and the Kzinti that they detail...
novels and the evocative dragons he created for Steven Brust
Steven Brust
Steven Karl Zoltán Brust is an American fantasy and science fiction author of Hungarian descent. He was a member of the writers' group The Scribblies, which included Emma Bull, Pamela Dean, Will Shetterly, Nate Bucklin, Kara Dalkey, and Patricia Wrede; he also belongs to the Pre-Joycean...
's Dragaeran series, which have often been imitated. His most widely circulated effort is a series of space fantasy postage stamps done for the United States Postal Service
United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
.
Hickman has mastered a variety of styles and is known for his versatility. However, his work is especially notable for two features. His use of the possibilities of oil color, in layers both transparent and translucent, is balanced to create subtle moods that can range for the contemplative to the unsettling. Frank Kelly Freas
Frank Kelly Freas
Frank Kelly Freas , called the "Dean of Science Fiction Artists", was a science fiction and fantasy artist with a career spanning more than 50 years.-Early life, education, and personal life:...
said that no one since Rembrandt has mastered the use of gold the way Hickman has.
Another consistent feature of Hickman's work is the intelligence of his characters, especially the women. The faces of Hickman's subjects are fully engaged in thought, sometimes absorbed in a dream, sometimes on the verge of a climactic "aha." This characteristic might best be compared to that of another Dutch painter, Vermeer.
Hickman says the most difficult thing to capture in art is the sublime, likening it to 'catching the gold ring on the artistic carousel'. He strives to create a positive, reassuring effect in his viewers by communicating beauty and elegance. "Besides, the elegant and sublime have a certain shock value in the present age." His style is classically based and often, as he puts it, with "a strong vision quest
Vision quest
A vision quest is a rite of passage in some Native American cultures.In many Native American groups, the vision quest is a turning point in life taken before puberty to find oneself and the intended spiritual and life direction. When an older child is ready, he or she will go on a personal,...
aspect."
In Alexandria, Hickman went to Francis Hammond High School. The art program was directed by Fletcher Proctor, who later was responsible for art in the whole school district. Between regular and summer sessions, Hickman had the equivalent of eight years of training in art from Proctor, what he considered to be all of useful training he had for his profession. After graduating high school, Hickman spent two years at Richmond Professional Institute (now part of Virginia Commonwealth University) where he shared classes with Mike Kaluta and Phil Trumbo.
A turning point for Hickman’s career was when he went to the 1967 NY Comic Convention. There he met Frank Frazetta
Frank Frazetta
Frank Frazetta was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for work in comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers and other media...
and Roy G. Krenkel. He found that both men were thoughtful and helpful. He got advice that included mastering artistic anatomy, with special attention to the skeleton. They advised him to spend the money on decent brushes. The conventional was also eye-opening for him because he got to see original painting after years of only knowing the artists through paperback covers.
Hickman's professional career was launched in 1972 when he got a job creating T-shirt designs for Shirt Explosion in Lanham, MD. In this situation where Hickman was given virtually unlimited artistic freedom, he realized that he could earn a living by doing what he wanted to. His entry into book illustration came in 1974, when Neil Adams of Continuity Studios, NYC, introduced Hickman to Charles Volpe, Art Editor at Ace Books. Volpe bought the printing rights of items from his portfolio, and later commissioning paintings which were used for reprints of Ace Doubles in the Classics of Science-Fiction series. Since then he has been a full-time artist. Some of his work has been collected in The Fantasy Art of Stephen Hickman. He has been honored with a Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
(1993, for Achievement in Science Fiction and Fantasy), five Chesley Awards
Chesley Awards
The Chesley Awards were established in 1985 by the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists to recognize individual artistic works and achievements during a given year. The Chesleys were initially called the ASFA Awards, but were later renamed to honor famed astronomical artist Chesley...
and two gold awards from the Spectrum Anthology.
Hickman has tried his hand at writing and illustrating his own work. His novel, The Lemurian Stone, was published in 1988. In this work, he created the Pharazar Mythos, which has been the basis for several major paintings, including The Lion Pavilion and The Astronomer Prince. His work has also motivated other writers. Most notably, The Diver and Mermaid, done as a private commission, inspired Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
to write "Midnight in the Sunken Cathedral."
External links
- Stephen Hickman, Artist and Illustrator of Science Fiction and Fantasy
- Graphic Classics: Stephen Hickman
- Art Cyclopedia: Stephen Hickman
- Stephen Hickman's Gallery with biography and artbooks on Inside Your ART