Brian Edward Miller

Happenstance

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:29:00 +0000

Hiking up a hill early this morning with my dog, I happened upon a scene much like this. I love the light of early morning winter here in Colorado because it draws dramatic attention to objects which summer's light would render mundane.

Hope the New Year is treating you right.

Alone In The Wilderness

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:32:00 +0000

"It was good to be back in the wilderness again, where everything seems at peace. I was alone, just me and the animals. It was a great feeling - free once more to plan and do as I please. Beyond was all around me. My dream was a dream no longer. I suppose I was here because this was something I had to do - not just dream about it but do it.

I suppose too I was here to test myself, not that I had never done it before, but this time it was to be a more thorough and lasting examination. What was I capable of that I didn't know yet? Could I truly enjoy my own company for an entire year? And was I equal to everything this wild land could throw at me?

I had seen its moods in late spring, summer, and early fall... but what about the winter? Would I love the isolation then? With its bone-stabbing cold, its ghostly silence? At age 51, I intended to find out."

-Dick Proenneke

Decisions Made

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:04:00 +0000

We finally made the decision.

Its been a crazy month since the studio I was working at closed down. I've been on a number of interviews, done a ton of thinking, praying, and discussing with my wife and close friends - all in an effort to figure out what my next career move would be.

After it was all said and done, it turned out that the best and most exciting option for us was for me to start my own business.

I got my start in graphic design and 7-8 years into it, fell in love with illustration. I made a conscious decision to pursue illustration as much as possible within the boundaries of providing for my family - but design was always the means to be able to do that. I spent a lot of time pondering the conflict I felt between doing design and illustration, especially when it seemed as if they were diametrically opposed. What amazes me about this whole thing is, with my new company, I'm essentially going to get to use all the skills I've developed over the years. Graphic design, Illustration, concept art, typography and font design, writing - you name it! Its as if all the separate ingredients that I'd been developing over the years finally came together in a single dish.

Things ramped up quickly once we decided to pull the trigger and go with this decision. Projects have been lining up, opportunities have been presenting themselves, and I now have a viable way to provide for my family in a way that excites me creatively. Win win win.

I'll do my best to keep you all up to date on what's happening. As an added treat, here's a screenshot of some of the branding I'm working on between client projects. Hand made fonts are one of my secret passions (not so secret if you know me as a designer).

Meet Baby Bear

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:55:00 +0000

I finished this illustration up not too long ago for my friend Justin. He's going to be using this as the header image for his blog. Sure was a fun one to work on!

In other news, my tenure with the LEGO Group came to an end a few weeks ago when they shut down the studio I was working for here in Colorado. It was surprising news as we were all preparing for the work that was to come the next year, but I understand why Lego did it. Its sad I won't get to work with the team I was on anymore, but ultimately I'm excited about the opportunities in front of me. Sometimes forced change can be a blessing in disguise.

I've been talking with a number of game shops in California and Seattle as well as considering the notion of starting my own boutique shop. Its strange having to consider all these kinds of decisions now that my wife and I have 2 kids... definitely ads more weight to the choices I make, but in a very good way. Having kids makes me focus on how my skills can serve others as opposed to figuring out how they'll serve me (I've heard that's the difference between commercial art vs fine art). Its a strange thing - but its helpful.

I'll keep ya posted on what ends up happening!

Robots

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:22:00 +0000

Just fartin around.

Concept 2

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:59:00 +0000

Here is the 2nd of 3 comps I did for an illustration project for a friend. This one was a quick iteration on the forest scene - but I wanted to have a cave with shafts of light and streams of water helping to create the most idealistic version I could.

Concept 1

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:43:00 +0000

This was a rough paint concept I put together for a project for a friend this weekend. I ended up doing 3 concepts to give him options and he chose 1 of them on Sunday. I can't wait to get to work on the final image - its a fun idea and the challenge of executing it well is helping me to grow.

I find that one of the ways I learn to do things is by actually doing them for someone else. When I'm left to draw on my own, I typically gravitate to the same topics, the same poses, and even the same drawings over and over and over again. With client work, however, I'm forced to draw things I've never drawn in angles I've never attempted with color combinations I've never used. Its amazing for growth!

Anyway, here's the first of 2 comps that weren't selected.

Cold

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:22:00 +0000

Mood study this morning. We cold!

Cave

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:48:00 +0000

Another iPad painting using Procreate. I have a project on the side that entails me potentially drawing a cave in a forest... filled with bears. Yum.

Snow Day

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:49:00 +0000

One of the perks of living in Colorado is the ever blessed snow day: a day off from work thanks to father winter's smite. I painted this one in Procreate on my iPad as a warmup, inspired by our backyard view, as I sip coffee with a smile in the comfort of my home. Its gonna be a good day!

iPad Sketches

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:08:00 +0000

Found a new app for the iPad that makes painting fun! Its called Procreate.

These were the first tests I did. The first one started off with me saying "What does this brush do?" followed by "That looks like a tree... How about a hill? And how about a road? And how about a castle?" Before I knew it, I had a quick painting done.

The values are all over the place - but it got me really excited about the app! Its my favorite option for painting on the iPad, but it may just be I was approaching the whole idea of painting incorrectly with the other apps. I kept trying to take a lineart approach when it seems like the app is better suited for value studies and full paints.

Paper Wings

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:28:00 +0000

This is my last 'text only' post, I promise (for a while at least). I listened to a podcast today and jotted down notes that I thought were extremely helpful. Give it a listen - you won't regret it.

http://www.paperwingspodcast.com/2011/09/pwp-14-how-to-pick-your-next-personal-project/

My Notes:

Choosing Your Dream Project

· Choose the project that most closely represents your dream goal. If you dream of being an animator on a cartoon network kid's show, then don't pursue goals that take you away from that (like writing and drawing a horror comic or adult fiction).

· People hire you based on your last completed project. If you've done a number of horror comics, don't expect to get work as a children's book illustrator.

· Flip through your sketchbook to see what kinds of things you're naturally drawn to. Chances are you're already drawing the things you're interested in.

· Ask yourself if this project is truly a personal desire or simply a reaction to life's circumstances. A person who is deeply passionate about a project vs someone who is doing the project simply because they're trying to work themselves toward success looks very different. Don't play wack-a-mole with your projects!

· Be intentional about the length of your project as well as clear about your intentions. If you're doing an animation demo to get a job in the animation industry, don't create a 2 hour feature length film - it'll take you forever and it won't move you toward your goal!

Look at your ideas and figure out which one has the greatest success potential.

· What are you trying to accomplish with your idea? Are you trying to get work? Are you trying to break in? Define success and determine which one has the greatest success potential.

· Is there already an audience out there for your project? If there is, there's a greater chance for success. Now look at which medium this audience generally uses as your guide for format.

· What unique opportunities and resources are available to you right now that can help the project be more successful? For example, if you're already doing web design / flash animation, then making a book app would be a breeze for you. Are you time rich and money poor? Go for the cheaper alternatives.

· Is what you have an actual story? Which of your ideas is the most unlike anything you've seen before? Which one is original? Which one is unique? What are you going to do to stand out with your work? What is it that you can offer and contribute to the world with your story? Why would someone want to read this one as opposed to the countless other stories out there?

Big Question

What am I trying to accomplish with my goal?

Reading List: Updated

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:15:00 +0000

My updated reading list for this year.

I just started The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and I am absolutely starstruck. I'm about 25 chapters in and this book already has the potential to be my favorite fantasy series of all time. I'm listening to the audio version (because I really don't have a lot of time to sit down and read) while driving to work, running, or spending time on the white throne. Its been amazing so far (the reading, not the throne time).

The War of Art, by Stephen Pressfield
Firstborn, by Brandon Sanderson
Sometimes The Magic Works: Lessons From a Writing Life, by Terry Brooks
On Writing, by Stephen King
The Shining, by Stephen King
The Sword of Shannara, by Terry Brooks
Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy, by Orson Scott Card
Elements of Fiction Writing: Characters & Viewpoint, by Orson Scott Card
Mistborn: The Final Empire, by Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn: The Well of Ascension, by Brandon Sanderson
Mistborn: The Hero of Ages, by Brandon Sanderson
The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkein
Different Seasons, by Stephen King
The Goonies, by James Kahn
The Wheel of Time: The Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan

New Layout and Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:05:00 +0000

I'm trying out some of the newest features Blogger has to offer as a means of better delivering content. Pretty impressive stuff they've been rolling out! You'll most likely see some changes in this blog over the coming weeks as I experiment with what Blogger has to offer.

I came across artist Chris Oatley's blog and found it very inspirational. He's got boat loads of content on his blog and for any aspiring or professional creative, its pure gold.

http://chrisoatley.com

These are some of the notes I jotted down while reading his posts - hopefully they inspire you as much as they inspire me.

· Take at least 1 challenging course per year to facilitate growth and learning

· Establish a routine, whether its working in the morning or at night at the same time, every day, without fail.

· Establish tangible goals. Goals such as "I want to get better" are no good because they focus on the negative and they are intangible. Goals such as "I want to write and draw a 10 page comic in 3 months" focuses on the end product and gives measurable results.

· Stay positive - abandon complaining. Complaining is doing nothing but focusing my time and energy on garnering sympathy where its undeserved. I have a good life. I have goals. There's work to be done to meet those goals. That's that.

· Do not be frustrated by the weak areas of your illustration game. Be thankful that you can see the areas that need to be improved!

· You have to really want it. "Wanting" = "Working" (not wishing)

· My work is a living logo. The more I create, the more I publish, the more people will see it. Once the quality level hits where it needs to, opportunities are bound to arise.

· Projects are the new resumes. -Seth Godin

Assignment 2: Jekyll & Hyde

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:19:00 +0000

Two posts in one day? Two posts in one week? Two posts in one month? What's going on here!?!?!

This is my entry for our second assignment, which was to do sillohette studies of a new take on Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde. You know I went for robots - why would that even be in question?

Assignment 1: Walter Chipwitther

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 15:16:00 +0000

The company I work for has been kind enough to put any interested employee through the online Character Design classes by Stephen Silver! Our group gets together every Wednesday at lunch to watch the video, eat, and draw. Its been a great experience so far - and we even have weekly homework assignments which have been really fun. You can follow our work at http://playwellartists.blogspot.com

Our first assignment was to design a character named Walter Chipwitther. This is what I came up with:

Influence Map

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:48:00 +0000

These things came out a while back (couple years ago) but I never took the time to fill one out until today. I tried limiting it to current influences but that list is giant so I just picked the heavy hitters.

I'm sure there will be artists I'll think of throughout the day and think "How could I have forgotten to include that one!?" Two I can think of are Disney and Chiptune / Video game music. Oh well.

So on this list I have (and I think it goes without saying, but all the artwork you see there is theirs, not mine):

Lesean Thomas
Capcom & Alvin Lee
Mike Mignola
Gurren Lagann (or anything Gainax)
The Goonies
Robotech (a staple of my youth)
Samurai Champloo
Hayao Miyazaki (/bow)
Takeshe Koike
Hethe Srodawa

All wizards in their own right, and all having a profound influence on me. Anyway, fill one of these out yourself by grabbing the original template here: http://fox-orian.deviantart.com/art/Influence-Map-Template-174550753

Sketches

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 04:19:00 +0000

Just some sketches I've been playin with. Nothin more, nothin less.

Beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 03:37:00 +0000

Updated Reading List

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Sun, 15 May 2011 01:04:00 +0000

Got a few more books under my belt as I continue my leisurely reading. Give some of these a try - I'm sure you'll find some good ones on the list. And if you have any suggestions on books you love, send them my way via the comments section - I'd love to check them out!

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
Firstborn: A Tor.Com Original
Ender's Game
How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy
Elements of Fiction Writing - Characters & Viewpoint
Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set

The War of Art
I'll probably do an entire blog post with quotes from this book. The quotes will do a better job of selling this read than anything I have to say.

This was a very quick and inspirational read suggested to me by my friend Matt Curtis. I purchased it and read it in one sitting and had mixed reactions while reading it. I'd say the first half of the book is the most helpful. Steven Pressfield is extremely acute in his diagnosis on why many of us (myself included) fail at the creative endeavors we dream of. We're writers who don't write, painters who don't paint, and many of us fall victim to vices that derail our productivity as we willingly give ourselves over to them.

Pressfield is great about pointing these things out and his solutions are simple and practical. Writers, you need to write. Painters, you need to paint. Creators, you need to create. He goes into some practical analysis of why we say we want to do these things but never follow through. Its very poignant.

I was a turned off by the 'spiritual stew' approach to the 2nd half of the book. It felt very much like a postmodernist approach to solving age old problems dealing with human nature. There were also some ideologies put forth that seemed like he was saying 'creativity and pursuit of craft at all costs'.

I know these complaints sound nitpicky, but I would have enjoyed more practical application for the second half, or even more anecdotes from his journey as a writer (the few examples he did have in there were great).

Firstborn
You can actually read this short story for free on Tor's website I believe. I didn't know that until I'd purchased the digital version for a dollar. I honestly didn't lament the purchase even after finding out I could have read it for free. I love supporting good creators, and this short story by Brandon Sanderson was well worth the price and the read.

Its a quick sci-fi story that has some great twists and an interesting ending. I'm always impressed when a writer can tell a captivating story in short form. Ever tried it? Its hard!

Ender's Game
How have I not heard of this book when its been out since 1985? I must have been living under a rock. I found out about this book the way I find out about most books: by first reading the author's book on writing, liking their approach, and then reading the work they produced using their methods. This book, as far as I've read, has been rated one of the best scifi stories by fans of the genre. I'm about halfway through it and so far, its been a great read. Very fun ideas, great character development, and an interesting plot line that has me thoroughly enjoying the ride.

How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy
Orson Scott Card has a lot to say about writing in the scifi / fantasy genre. So far, I'd say this is one of the most practical books I've read on the topic. He delves into lots of specifics that are crucial for aspiring authors to understand. Card spends a good amount of time articulating the definitions and differences between the 2 genres which I found very helpful.

Elements of Fiction Writing: Characters & Viewpoint
Another very practical book from Orson Scott Card. In this book, Card talks about how to write strong characters, character arcs, and fills it with enough detail to make you an expert in theory. The viewpoint aspect of the book was also very interesting to read about.

Mistborn Trilogy
Brandon Sanderson is a very interesting writer. He was named as the author to continue and finish the Wheel of Time series after Robert Jordan's passing. I've only just begun reading the first Mistborn book, but so far its great! I love the premise of it too: Ocean's 11 meets a world in which the ultimate evil rules. Imagine if Frodo failed to destroy the ring or if Harry Potter was killed by Voldemort. What would those world look like after the bad guy wins? That's the type of setting Sanderson uses for his Mistborn series. Its a great twist on the fantasy genre and it keeps his work feeling fresh when so many authors at best manage to be derivative.

April Reading List

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 14:18:00 +0000

I'm hoping my schedule will settle down a bit so I can start posting on this blog with more regularity. For those of you who inquired, I'm officially working for the LEGO Group now! Its a really fun company so far and I'm slowly becoming addicted to building (when they hand you a set of LEGO to play with during meetings, its hard not to!).

This year, as I push forward with my new avocation at home, part of it entails me reading as much as I possibly can. My reading list so far includes:

The Two Towers (Tolkien)
Sometimes The Magic Works: Lessons From A Writing Life (Terry Brooks)
On Writing (Stephen King)
The Shining (Stephen King)
The Sword of Shannara (Terry Brooks)
The Dark Tower (Stephen King)
A Game of Thrones (George R. R. Martin)

The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien
I've been impressed by this series so far. I was first introduced to the Tolkien world through the animated versions of these books way back in the day. The most current film versions of the series have taken up more playtime on my ps3 than any other movie. When I finally forced myself to take the plunge and start reading them, I was enamored. Yes, Tolkien can be long winded and yes, they are very meaty books. But when I get home and am in need of something relaxing, I head straight for these books.

Tolkien has a writing style that enchants me. Everything in his book has this feeling of magic and splendor, from the rich history of the races down to the rocks, trees, and environments he describes. Everything feels alive! One thing I love about him is that he doesn't use physical descriptions for his environments so much as he uses feelings and impressions so that you know exactly how you'd feel walking into a room. Often those feelings are so romanticized and full of splendor, you can't help but wish you were there. That's when his details become a feast of words you never tire of consuming.

Sometimes The Magic Works: Lessons From a Writing Life, by Terry Brooks
I think I've read this book 4 times now. Its inspiring for anyone with aspirations of writing, no matter what the medium. Terry Brooks has been a favorite author since high-school and the man knows fantasy. In this book he gives you his biography and how he got into writing in the first place. He talks about inspiration, motivation, perspiration, process, brainstorming, world building, etc. He gets very specific and practical without being overly wordy. After reading the book, if you have any aspirations of creating / writing, you'll be motivated to create. Great read!

On Writing, by Stephen King
This is where things get interesting for me. Stephen King is an excellent writer and his book on writing is absolutely worth the read. What amazes me is how starkly different his approach to writing is when compared with Terry Brooks. Brooks is a planner. He details out the process he uses to write and it entails a lot of thinking, a lot of dreaming, and very basic (but practical) methods for outlining. King does the opposite.

King starts off by coming up with a simple premise, usually stated as a, "What if..." question (i.e. what if a hotel were haunted, what if a car was possessed, what if a teenage girl possessed telekinetic powers, etc.). He comes up with a brief character sketch, detailing a bit about the characters past (usually in only a few paragraphs) and then BOOM! He starts writing. This 'free writing' approach means that he rarely knows how the story is going to end. He throws situations at his character and imagines how they'd respond. He talks about his writing process being more of a reporter or that of a paleontologist who is slowly discovering a buried skeleton.

Miyazaki uses this approach in his storytelling, often citing that he's merely a tool the story itself uses to record. Sounds wishy washy to me - but I've tried it a handful of times and its surprising how your story will take on a life of its own when you let it.

The biographical information included in King's book is interesting as well. I always enjoy finding out where artists come from, what they're background is, and why they do what they do. I think if you read it, you'll come away with the same inspired feelings I had when I finished it.

The Shining, by Stephen King
The first book I read by Stephen King was his book on writing. Everyone who read it had glowing reviews. After reading it, I decided to download the first few chapters of The Shining as a sample through iBooks on my phone. I read the sample in one sitting and couldn't help but buy the book (curse you marketing - you got me again!).

I really enjoyed The Shining. King's pragmatic approach to writing had me captivated. It felt like I was reading a book with the literary qualities of some of the great American works of fiction with a dash of sci-fi and horror mixed in. The relationships he wrestles with in his writing were stunning, guttural and real.

I'm not going to talk at all about what happens in the book - go read it for yourself. I will say that I watched the movie afterward and was sad at how little was translated to the film. If you've only seen the film, you've only seen a shell of a story, or as King describes it, you've seen a beautiful Cadillac with no engine and no functional parts.

The Sword of Shannara, by Terry Brooks
This was the first fantasy story I read (or can remember reading) as a kid. I loved it then, I still love it today. If you like Lord of the Rings and serial adventure stories like Indiana Jones, you'll enjoy TSoS (The Sword of Shannara). Brooks is very good at creating a world with a rich history while maintaining an interesting pace. His stories don't often drag and the action can be really fun. I think my main motivation for reading this book is it sets up the foundation for his sequel, a book that is in my all time favorites list, The Elfstones of Shannara (holy smokes, that book is fantastic).

The Dark Tower, by Stephen King
I'm only a few chapters into this book. Spaghetti western meets Lord of The Rings? Yes please.

A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin
I've been told this series is our generation's definitive work of fantasy. I'm about 100 pages in and so far, its decent. I'm having trouble keeping track of the sheer volume of characters he's introduced in the first few chapters - but I'm hoping once I start tracking, I'll enjoy it more. His writing style is similar to King's in that they're both very straight forward writers, something I definitely appreciate.

So now I ask you... what are some fiction books (preferably Fantasy - but I'm open to others) that you'd rank as your absolute favorites? I'm a reading machine right now, hungry to get my eyes on as many good works as I can.

Pro Advice: Skottie Young

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:03:00 +0000

Great advice from Skottie Young regarding style (taken from his twitter feed):

"An email question I get a lot "How did you find your style?" It's a great question but it's so tough to answer. I'll share a few thoughts.

I feel that when drawing starts to feel effortless, then you've probably "found" your style because you're not struggling to force anything. A lot of artists-me included-start by trying to do their version of their favorite artists. This is a tricky area to play in for too long... You may think that no one will notice or compare you if you tweak it enough, but they do. It becomes hard to shake that connection. I tried many times to do Bachalo but I paled in comparison and the reactions reflected that. And drawing always felt labored because of this. It's ok to be influenced but if you are trying to "do" another artist chances are you'll get lost in their shadow. There's already 1 of them.

I knew I was getting somewhere when I stopped needing 50 books by my favorite artists laying on my desk at all times (yes, I had those too).

The only secret to finding your own style is drawing A TON. Put away all the books and just fill up sketchbooks with lines and shapes. Soon you'll start to notice that you'll see less of Mignola, Charest, Bachalo, Mad, Ramos, and more of yourself. It just takes time. Drawing will feel less labored, but still be hard work because you're drawing naturally and not forcing yourself to copy others. That's the best way I can explain how to "find" your style. Oddly enough, it's already there, you just need to stop hiding it behind others."

Pwnd.

Compare Your Life To Pixar

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 04:58:00 +0000

Phew, taking a quick break from 2 hours of anatomy studies. I've been hitting the anatomy books hard for the past 2 weeks. My plan is to fill up a sketchbook between each short comic I do and to focus on the things I'm weak at. I've been flying through the pages of my sketchbook and have about 10 to go until its finished. Then I'll start my next story - which is already written, 10 pages, and fuuuuuuun! You're gonna like it, trust me.

Until then, let this video serve as inspiration as you continue to keep your nose to the grindstone.

Reference Studies

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 19:23:00 +0000

Did these 2 based off 2 photos I found on google of Marlon Brando. Old school black and white photos of actors and actresses are great to study for inking. I'm still trying to figure out what style I want to use to spot blacks within the figure...

Lifting Weights

noreply@blogger.com (Brian Miller) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 05:22:00 +0000

This is what it looks like to lift weights with ink. Just put on a good album, and start pullin and throwin those lines!