Aaron B Miller | Illustration Portfolio

Yule Ram | oil on panel | 5" x 5" | ©Aaron Miller

Every Christmas as a kid we had one of these funny looking straw goats around the tree. It was something I always loved but never actually knew what it meant. While on a shopping trip to Ikea i spotted the Yule Ram and had that feeling of reminiscence flood over me. I just had to have one for our tree this year. Since it reminded me so much of Mom, I painted it as a little gift for her since she’s in Denver and I’m not able to make it out there.

The interesting thing about painting or drawing something is the amount of time you spend with the subject. Part of that study can sometimes be it’s history and other things that effect it or have been affected by it. For my illustration work I really enjoy this process. I try to understand the subject from as many angles available figuratively as well as literally.

Yule is the much older holiday celebrating the winter solstice. During this time it is thought that the last cuts of the harvest contain the corn-spirit, in the form of the goat or ram and sometimes boar. This Yule straw is made up into a goat or ram. And in the spring this animal effigy is mixed with the seed before planting for a good harvest. During the dancing at Christmas (or in the past during Yule) the straw animal is thrown around to one another, simulating a prancing goat.*

*Source “The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion, Volume 8″
By Sir James George Frazer

Merry Christmas Everyone! God Jul!

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ImagineFX Magazine | 078 | page 29 | January 2012

My Figurative Illustration Workshop highlighted in the January 2012 issue of the amazing ImagineFX magazine. I just really wanted to thanks all the folks who come out to the workshop and to Platform Studios whom hosts us and of course all the models too!

Clicking the image should link to the hi-res one for better readability.

For more info on the workshop please visit the site:
http://figurativeillustrationworkshop.blogspot.com/

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Savage Claws from the Ballad of Santa Claus | Oil on panel | 24" x 24" | ©Aaron Miller

A project that I’ve been working on finally has been released. A fun spin on Santa Claus and filled with little illustrations along the way. And it’s only 99¢! So..get one!

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Nick the Zombie | ©Aaron Miller

The latest release from Awesome Horse Studios is Episode 4 with the zombie demo. One of our regulars, Nick Rageteli, sent in a reference for us. He really did a great job on short notice for us and really got into the zombie mood. We also do an environment crit with a paintover.

You can find the download here:

S1:E4 ZOMBIE PAINTING DEMO

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At my Figurative Illustration Workshop we drew and painted zombies. I had two great SFX makeup artists come in to work on the model, Scott Mitchell and Justine Losoya. They did a tag team makeup application and made one heck of an awesome zombie with the short time they had to work. A full house of talent showed up as well! I couldn’t have been happier. More photos will be posted on the FIW website.

These paintings will be part of a group show at the First Annual Maleficium Dark Art Exhibition hosted by Kosar Effects Studios & Gallery. The show opens on Saturday october 29. Follow the link below for more details or purchase information. I’m excited to be showing with some amazing artists.

Zombie Portrait | ©Aaron Miller | oil on panel | 6x6in

Zombie Feeding | ©Aaron Miller | oil on panel | 12x9in

A fine selection of links follows:

Kosar Effects Studios & Gallery

Figurative Illustration Workshop

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I was asked to do a live demo at the Kenosha Public Museum. Exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. I tried to give as many good tips as I could while working. Trying to remember to talk while I was painting wasn’t easy. But I always made a point to say a few things when I would step back from my work and when the model was on break.

Thanks to the museum (Rachel) for having me out and to those that showed up to watch. I would loved to have painted longer.

Holly by Aaron Miller

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awesomehorsestudios.com

A small groups of illustrators and I have teamed up to create Awesome Horse Studios. We wanted to be able to connect with the community in an instructive and helpful way while still working together as professional illustrators. Weekly, we will be streaming live doing demos, critiques, industry discussion, interviews, and more. It’s our way of “Painting it Forward.”

Check the schedule and join Cynthia Sheppard, Noah Bradley, Marc Scheff, and myself and join in on the show. If you can’t make the show we will be making each episode available in our downloads section.

Links!

Awesome Horse Studios
Schedule
Episodes

The 4 Horsemen

Cynthia
Noah
Marc

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I’ll be in a halloween show this month. The Maleficium: Dark Art Exhibition opening will be on October 29th. There are going to be some amazing artists there, some I can’t wait to meet myself.

I’m planning on having some brand new pieces at the show. I really hope you can make it. Anthony Kosar has also put the event on facebook of you use that for your calendar.

Next up to discuss but happens the Friday night the week before is the Figurative Illustration Workshop. This month we’ll take it back to some more traditional life drawing, with a twist of course. We’ll be getting out model all zombied up. You don’t want to miss this one.

The date for the October workshop is Friday, October 21st. 6-9:30pm.

And one more event to mention. I should be doing a painting demo at the Kenosha Public Museum on Saturday, October 15th. They are having a Fantastic “Fandom Fun” Expo from 10am – 4pm. My demo should be about 3 hours or so. I hope to be painting a pirate portrait.

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