The Blot has to be honest, I wasn’t familiar with artist Ian Miller’s work before getting my hands on this beautiful oversized hardcover art book The Art of Ian Miller. But wow, was I blown away by just the book’s cover alone! Ian Miller is a fantasy illustrator and writer best known for his quirkily etched gothic style and macabre sensibility, noted for his book and magazine covers and interior illustrations, including SF fiction covers, a host of illustrations for the Realm of Chaos supplement and the first edition of Warhammer 40,000.
What’s really wonderful about The Art of Ian Miller is that the artist himself walks you through the book sharing the history of each piece and his mindset behind its creation. I especially enjoyed reading about his use of circles and what that shape can bring to an image. Miller’s line work is seriously incredible, and I love his use of black to convey emotion. My favorite section in the book is definitely his incredible dragons! You can see Tolkien’s heavy influence in those drawings especially, and his name pops up in multiple places in the book.
While a lot of Ian Miller’s artwork in the book is black and white, when you hit a colored page in this full color book it really pops! I didn’t expect such a big impact from his subtle use of watercolor washes. Thankfully the color doesn’t take away from his impeccably detailed artwork. I can’t get over his use of lines and how crazy each page of this book is. You’ve gotta see it to believe it!
Produced by Titan Books, The Art of Ian Miller features 160 pages and over 300 pieces of artwork spanning decades of Ian's career. This collection is a treat for all lovers of great fantasy art, and includes everything from Lovecraft novel covers to Tolkien bestiaries to Warhammer 40,000 concept art, through a veritable trove of gothic humour, fantasy battles, dragons, beasts and a world of nightmarish visions.
The Art of Ian Miller hardcover book measures 12.4”x9.3” and is currently in book stores everywhere! This beautiful oversized coffee table art book has a suggested retail price of $34.95, but you can order it from Amazon for just $25.79 here.