The Art of Ian Miller

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**reds8n**

One for the old gi...err..... I mean distinguished veterans amongst our brethren.

http://io9.com/the-bitchin-fantasy-artist-you-didnt-know-you-already-a-1561887019

You may not know Ian Miller's name, but you've definitely marveled at his ornate, harrowing art before. His work has adorned everything from H.P. Lovecraft book covers to Warhammer 40K concept art. And at last, 300 of his best pieces are being collected in a book, The Art of Ian Miller. We've got an exclusive peek, with artist commentary.

Top image: Terror of the Lichemaster, Warhammer 40,000 ---- WFB actually but hey -ho

Image 1 - The Darkening plain

I developed this album cover for the London based band :Transmaniacon by first drawing a set of body parts then having scanned them into the computer– arranged and constructed a variant selection of figures. These in turn I then mixed digitally with a landscape created in much the same way. This method of working allowed me to offer the band several alternative covers. I describe this process as working with 'elements', different components brought together to create the final figure or image.

Image 2 - Dragon circle

A pattern making exercise

Coloured ink / technical pens on illustration board. I think the pattern-making process involved in the –creation of this image was the most interesting aspect of the work. The dragon provides the perfect coat hanger for any pattern maker. This was loosely based on Smaug the dragon from The Hobbit

Image 3 - Nurgel Chaos God

A Games Workshop image from the 80's– dip/technical pens with pencil elements on paper. Happy days. Free interpretation. It took rather longer to do than I would have liked, but it worked out well in the end and everybody seemed happy.

Image 4 - Khorne Chaos God

Another Games Workshop image from the 80's – dip pen and brush on paper. One of a whole series of images created for Realms of Chaos.

Image 5 - The City Graphic novel

This is a development drawings for the Graphic novel entitled: The City– based on a story by the writer James Herbert and published by Pan book in the 90's. Dip pen / ink and brush on paper. I endeavored to establish the look of the The City with these development drawings, along side a rough story boarding of the whole novel.

Image 6 - Green Ents

This was a private commission for an American patron.

Pen / ink / watercolor /on illustration board The brief; "Anything with Ents in" Back in the 70's I contributed to a book called : A Tolkien Bestiary. And it was then that I got my first stab at drawing walking trees. Strange to say, I've never stopped drawing them.

Image 7 Wizards castle –Courtesy of Ralph Bakshi Productions

Created in the 70's for Ralph Bakshi's animated feature : Wizards. This was one of numerous backgrounds created for this ground breaking animation. I was given immense creative freedom in the way I interpreted the brief, and for the most part it seemed to work out very well.

WAAYY back in the day GW released : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ratspike-John-Blanche/dp/1872372007

**BrookM**

I remember those, not sure from where, but one or two may have been featured in Inquis Exterminatus. Will be one to look out for though.

**Paradigm**

Awesome, I'll have to look this guy up in more detail. I've seen stuff before in the Tolkien Bestiary and old 40k, never put a name to it. Cheers for the heads up

**Pilau Rice**

I remember a lot of his work from the Fighting Fantasy books and of course, Realm of Chaos.

Didn't realise he did stuff for Bakshi.

**Bomster**

Excellent! I loved his big full-page plates in Slaves To Darkness - I actually prefer StD to LatD, mainly because I preferred the artwork in the first Realm of Chaos book.

Great news that there's a recent artbook - now I won't have to trawl ebay for old editions of Ratspike anymore.

**Fifty**

Ian Miller is my absolute favourite of all the old GW artists.

I own two copies of StD - one of them is a battered old copy I picked up second hand that I plan to one day cut out the Ian Miller full page plates and frame them for my (future) game room.

**Talking Banana**

I own a couple of his chaos pen-and-ink sword drawings from Realms of Chaos. Beautiful, intricate work. Easily my favorite of the old GW artists as well.

His "Death on the Reik" art for GW is my favorite.

**Erasoketa**

I don't know this artist, but I believe I'm recognising his style from artwork in Tolkien's Bestiary.

**Paradigm**

Erasoketa wrote:
I don't know this artist, but I believe I'm recognising his style from artwork in Tolkien's Bestiary.

Yep, he did quite a bit of stuff in there. It's a very unique and nice style.

**OrlandotheTechnicoloured**

I bought Ratspike when it first came out, so I'll certainly keep an eye out for this new volume,

I really like the sharp angular look he can give things

**farmersboy**

Love his work from back in the day.

If you're familiar with his work you'll know 'Trolley Dog Shag'...

**bubber**

I'm thinking of getting one of his designs from Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness or Lost & Damned tattooed on my arm. One of the symbols, either Khorne or Nurgle.

**Fenrir Kitsune**

Love Millers work and style. Saw the Lichemaster piece at the Oldhammer day last year and just saoked it up

**djphranq**

I totally dig Ian's stuff... great thread!

**bubber**

I remember his work on those Fighting Fantasy (IIRC) adventure books too! His stuff also features in Ravening Hordes, the first army book from GW.

**Alpharius**

Loved his stuff back when I first saw it in the Realms of Chaos and WFRP 1E stuff!

I will certainly be picking up this book - thanks for the heads up reds8n!

**Jehan-reznor**

love his stuff also got the Tolkien bestiarium with lots of his art.

(Look john Blanche this is how you that!)

**Bomster**

Jehan-reznor wrote:
love his stuff also got the Tolkien bestiarium with lots of his art.

(Look john Blanche this is how you that!)

Well, Ratspike was a combined Ian Miller/John Blanche artbook, and looking at Blanche's older work (which I like), it's easy to see why they published it that way - their approach and sensibilities aren't that dissimilar (even though I myself prefer Millers style I quite like what Blanche did and still does).

Edit: Oops, should've added the link to this interesting Blanche gallery: http://www.fantasyartoriginals.com/

**Jehan-reznor**

The problem with JB is IMHO is that he considers sketches finished works and Ian Miller considers it sketches.

**Asherian Command**

Quite beautiful

**Azreal13**

Was planning on posting something cheeky about how I'm surprised that all you old fethers have the marbles to remember back that far, then I got to the third image and realised I remember a bunch too....

**Asherian Command**

azreal13 wrote:
Was planning on posting something cheeky about how I'm surprised that all you old fethers have the marbles to remember back that far, then I got to the third image and realised I remember a bunch too....

I have some of the older white dwarfs so I remember seeing them in books and such. yet I am only 20 years old.

**Magos Explorator**

I've had his new book for a little while and love it, it's great. Would recommend it to any fans of his stuff. A lot of GW pieces in there, and a lot of his other work too.

**Azreal13**

Asherian Command wrote:
azreal13 wrote:
Was planning on posting something cheeky about how I'm surprised that all you old fethers have the marbles to remember back that far, then I got to the third image and realised I remember a bunch too....

I have some of the older white dwarfs so I remember seeing them in books and such. yet I am only 20 years old.

I'm not.

**Azazelx**

I've got Ratspike at home, and now that I know this is a thing that exists, I'll be picking it up as well shortly.

Slightly tangential, if anyone here is a big fan of Mark Gibbons, there's a ton of his work in The Art of Blizzard Entertainment.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Blizzard-Entertainment-Nick-Carpenter/dp/1608870278

**Moopy**

Erasoketa wrote:
I don't know this artist, but I believe I'm recognising his style from artwork in Tolkien's Bestiary.

YEP! First time I saw him was there.

**judgedoug**

Holy gak I love Ian Miller.

I too own Ratspike, signed by Blanche (when he came to Games Day... 1997? or so) - I've always wanted to get Miller to sign it too.

I'm buying this.

**spiralingcadaver**

Oh man, I'm always happy when something about Ian Miller pops up- he's a pretty special weird.

For anyone interested in weird, dark graphic novels, I can't recommend The Luck in the Head more highly. It's out of print (for some time), but not too hard to find second hand, these days.

**Col. Tartleton**

His line work has a very dark age feeling, that sort of Norse Saxon intricacy of flowing details.

**reds8n**

My copy of this arrived today, very nice it is too