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Këjser Öccÿlt
Joined: 07 Apr 2011
Posts: 137
Location: Finland
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 Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 4:31 am Post subject: Art of Ian Miller |
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Ian Miller is my all-time favorite fantasy illustrator and artist. He has illustrated Tolkien, Lovecraft, Warhammer etc. and has a definitely unique style and superb imagination (the latter far surpassing well-known Fantasy/Sci-fi artists like Frazetta or Frank Kelly Freas IMO).
To me he is the only illustrator who has been able to capture the real spirit of Lovecraftian horror. The shapeless beings and worlds yet filled with horrifying geometry.
Still I have very rarely (if ever) seen his works in records while more "childish" artists like John Bauer (Mortiis, Inflabitan) are used quite frequently. This surprises me as his dark and gothic style would seem perfect for album-covers.
Any examples of Miller's art used in (metal) records?
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Valgrinder
Joined: 27 Sep 2008
Posts: 869
Location: Finland
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| Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 4:37 am Post subject: |
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Isnt this from his pencil;
EDIT.
Also this;
He surely like those orcs
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Speerhead
Joined: 04 Nov 2009
Posts: 1178
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| Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 4:59 am Post subject: |
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I remember this guy from when I used to read Fighting Fantasy books as a kid.
Dave Carson is another artist who captures the Lovecraft vibe perfectly. |
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The_Elite
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Posts: 2734
Location: London
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| Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 5:17 am Post subject: |
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multiple bands have ripped off Millers art (without giving him any cash or credit)
Warloghe demo, Paysage D'Hiver demos....
He is also one of my favourite artists in terms of his fantasy stuff, his science fiction/steam punk type stuff not so much. I have a couple of his artbooks at home- Green Dog trumpet, and a Games Workshop one called Ratspike. Games Workshop (during their glory years) is where I got to know his art, so it was kind of cool when I started seeing bands using it later on- like that Abigor cover. |
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Demoniarch
Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 6145
Location: Edmonton
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| Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 8:11 am Post subject: |
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There is a simple and logical reason if one gives it a moment of consideration as to why this artist may not be used officially or given proper dues by those that have used his works or by those that would use an inferior artists 'copy' of style over this individuals work...
Price. $$$
Giger. Amazing artist, how often is his work on any black metal artists album cover (officially)?
Beksinski. Same question.
Numerous other amazing and wicked artists... same deal.
Why is the perfection of Gustave Dore used so frequently then? The guys been dead forever and all that art is free public domain.
These current living artists that are amazing, they probably have quite a nice little price tag attached to using their work officially that is out of reach of the typical underground metal band.
Game Shops and authors and publishers to that realm of marketing have a larger budget I am willing to assume and a much larger profit margin when using such artists work due to a much larger consumer market interested in buying the product.
$$$
Simple answer to why so many great artists that fit the metal realm are never used officially by the metal realm.  |
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Këjser Öccÿlt
Joined: 07 Apr 2011
Posts: 137
Location: Finland
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| Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 8:45 am Post subject: |
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| Demoniarch wrote: |
$$$
Simple answer to why so many great artists that fit the metal realm are never used officially by the metal realm. |
Yeah I was mostly referring to bands ripping off the artist. I know the Giegers witch-hunt against bands using his works without permission but don't know if most of the artists know or care what some Goatworshipping kids or grownups are using their pieces for.
Of course I'm not saying that it's right to use someones art without permission, especially the one like Miller who nowadays seem to be shunned and largely forgotten by the art community to the eternal dungeons of comic-cons and such where he is confronted only by the few nerds who still remember the first editions of Warhammer.
PS. That Warloghe-demo showcases a total lack of aesthetic-sense. Can't understand how someone can crop the original "Death on the Reik" pic so badly... |
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SoundsOfDecay
Joined: 03 Jun 2011
Posts: 1254
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| Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 9:14 am Post subject: |
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Beksinski is dead too since 2005? How long does it typically take for art to become public domain the same way as Dore's stuff?
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In Solitude
Joined: 10 Sep 2008
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Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 9:19 am Post subject: |
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This thread has introduced two names that were previously unknown to me. I appreciate it, as more Lovecraft related things are always good.
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The_Elite
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Posts: 2734
Location: London
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| Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 9:25 am Post subject: |
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| Këjser Öccÿlt wrote: |
PS. That Warloghe-demo showcases a total lack of aesthetic-sense. Can't understand how someone can crop the original "Death on the Reik" pic so badly... |
yep.
Got my Death On The Reik sitting on my shelf!  |
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Twilight Command
Joined: 26 Mar 2013
Posts: 333
Location: Baltimore, MD, USA
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| Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 9:44 am Post subject: |
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| SoundsOfDecay wrote: | | Beksinski is dead too since 2005? How long does it typically take for art to become public domain the same way as Dore's stuff? |
Depends on the country.
Here in the USA, it's currently close to a century. Exprect that period to lengthen when Mickey Mouse is next set to enter the public domain and Disney showers Congress with money.
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Demoniarch
Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 6145
Location: Edmonton
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| Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 11:21 am Post subject: |
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| Twilight Command wrote: | | SoundsOfDecay wrote: | | Beksinski is dead too since 2005? How long does it typically take for art to become public domain the same way as Dore's stuff? |
Depends on the country.
Here in the USA, it's currently close to a century. Exprect that period to lengthen when Mickey Mouse is next set to enter the public domain and Disney showers Congress with money. |
Hard to say these days when art is considered serious property and can be owned (the rights) by the family of the artist after the artists passing (especially I suppose in regards to those artists whom were popular and generate income from their work)... how long that ownership can last I have absolutely no idea.
Gustave Dore came and went long before such monetary concepts were in place I suppose and maybe no one knows where his lineage ends if it ended with him or did he have offspring? Although I am surprised the church does not lever some manner of ownership over the imagery to generate income or control who and how the art is used. |
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Heirophant.326.AV
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
Posts: 1384
Location: inside the preserved Moose
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| Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2013 5:18 pm Post subject: |
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That's interesting. I had a few books with his illustrations when I was a kid (Fighting fantasy etc and an art book IIRC), but as the years went by I came to think that his stuff was early John Blanche illustration (the head art designer from Games Workshop).
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Iron Lord
Joined: 13 Aug 2009
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Location: Termight
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| Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 12:57 am Post subject: |
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| Heirophant.326.AV wrote: | | John Blanche |
His early illustration and painting are fantastic. Not so keen on his later stuff but the detail included is mind blowing.
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Këjser Öccÿlt
Joined: 07 Apr 2011
Posts: 137
Location: Finland
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| Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 2:25 am Post subject: |
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| Iron Lord wrote: | | Heirophant.326.AV wrote: | | John Blanche |
His early illustration and painting are fantastic. Not so keen on his later stuff but the detail included is mind blowing. |
I've always thought that from late 70's to early 80's Blanche was mostly copying (or at least very very much influenced by) the works of Miller (both working on David Day's Tolkien Bestiary and later at GW).
Attention to the details and the details themselves (especially some of the mountains) are very similar. Techniques too, they both use pen and ink and then multiple layers of ink washes. The dark and spiky gothic elements makes it sometimes hard to even recognize and separate the works of the two artists (The giveaway sign is usually Millers signature trees and circles). I think that Blanche was more skilled with the use of colour where Miller far surpassed him in the use of line and geometric shapes.
Later on Blanche moved from the richly detailed miniature-paintings (If you've ever seen the originals you'd be surprised how small they really are, mostly under A4 in size. This too applies to works of Miller) and ink washes to that more "impressionist" garbage made by acrylic and photoshop which nowadays stains the books and magazines of GW. It's sad how every aspect of Warhammer world has gone downhill. |
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The_Elite
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Posts: 2734
Location: London
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| Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 2:54 am Post subject: |
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| Këjser Öccÿlt wrote: | | It's sad how every aspect of Warhammer world has gone downhill. |
Amen. |
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