Mountain Study

Here's a quick'n'dirty sketch I did as an initial style test for a really fun client project I'll be working on next week.  I decided to take a 20 minute nap yesterday afternoon and when I woke up, this was the image which was in my head.  Funny how taking a quick break from your projects can actually increase productivity!

I built a new brush in photoshop yesterday which is an absolute joy to paint with. Sometimes changing up my tools helps the process to feel much smoother. I'm not big on using hundreds of different brushes. In fact, I probably only use 3-5 in any given illustration. However, one of the brushes I use the most tends to really slow down my machine if I'm working at a big size. The brush I created yesterday seems like it doesn't weigh down the computer as much - and the texture it produces holds up even at a large scale (win win win!).

Totes Adorebots

Here are some robots I designed called the "Totes Adorebots!". I did a set of heroes (at the bottom) and villains (at the top).  Hope you like!

 

How It All Started

My name is Brian Edward Miller and I'm an illustrator working out of Erie, Colorado.

I have been drawing as long as I can remember. As a child of the 80's,  my 'Top Gun' induced dream of being a fighter pilot ended fairly early at which point I had aspirations of becoming a comic book artist.  I had piles of comics which served as my instructors in drawing, writing, and world building. However, when I reached highschool, a teacher told me there was no money as a comic book artist and the only way I could make art a viable profession was to enter the field of Graphic Design.

Throughout my 10+ year career as a graphic designer, I kept drawing and eventually rediscovered my love for illustration and stories. I'd practice drawing before and after work and eventually landed jobs which afforded me the opportunity to draw as much as I was designing. A few studio closures and layoffs later, I decided it was time to launch into this crazy endeavor of becoming a full time illustrator.

My working method is one born out of practicality. I tried all sorts of tools and materials to see which ones I liked working with best. Ultimately, my career as a graphic designer gave me a high level of comfort working digitally, a method I've kept to this day.  I work 100% digitally in Photoshop using a Wacom Cintiq.  I still enjoy traditional materials (pencil, paper, brush + ink), though they haven't found their way into my professional illustrations yet...

I tend to favor vintage themes and stylings in my work though my overall goal is to create pieces which elicit nostalgic feelings from viewers. I consider the piece successful if people smile when they see it, or say, "I wish I was there..." because often that's what I had in mind while creating the work.

Venturing out on my own as an illustrator has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences I've had so far.  Every day brings a new surprises and I smile knowing that I'm doing what I've wanted to do since I was a kid (minus the whole Top Gun thing...).