Back in April of this year, I was interviewed by Fantasy Art Magazine out of China. The team, especially Diana Tsai, over at the magazine were a pleasure to work with and asked some really good questions. Since the magazine is only available in China, and therefore in Chinese, I thought I’d include the interview here in English for those who are interested.

First of all, introduce yourself to the audience. And, how do you like people call you, artist? Or illustrator?

Hello Fantasy Art fans in China! My name is Jeff Miracola and I am an illustrator. I have been working as a professional illustrator since 1993. Some of my first work was for the TCG Magic: The Gathering back in 1993. I have been creating art for the game ever since. I have also done work for many other fantasy game companies, as well as video game companies, book publishers and magazines.

I like people to call me an illustrator because I am in the business of illustrating things. Someday when I decide to do art for just myself, I will then just be an artist.

Why do you prefer to be a professional artist rather than be an office worker?

Some days I think it might be better if I were a regular office worker. It is often just as stressful being a freelance artist as it is working in an office for a big company. You have to constantly try to find work to put food on your table and care for your family. At least office workers always know where the money is coming from… unless they get fired, ofcourse.

It seems that all kinds of people could find their favorite works among your wonderful paintings, cause your works have much affinity. What’s the reason for your various styles and large number of commissions? Or is it just your willingness of try new styles?

It is my willingness and creative spirit that moves me to try new styles. I have been doing so much more digital work nowadays, so my style is starting to change quite a bit. I never wanted to mimic my traditional painting style in a digital way. Many artists do that, but I have always wanted to create a new look for myself in digital media.

Some people think that an artist should keep a fixed theme and a fixed style in order to develop a “brand.” How do you feel about that?

For the most part, I agree with that. It can be very confusing for an editor or art director if they are not sure of what they will get from an illustrator. I am in a transitional stage with my art. My digital art is more exciting to me right now and companies have been responding well to it. I may get to the point where all I do is digital art.

Talk about your own artistic style, do you think that you have found the best way of expression?

For now, I have found the best way to express my art. I am always learning and always growing as an artist. So I can’t say what the future holds for me. But for now, I am happy with the style I have.

Some of your paintings have a strong decorative style. Could you please talk about the reasons?

I love decorative arts. I especially enjoy tribal Africa art, American and Mexican Folk art, as well as Chinese textile work. I plan to use a lot more of it in my work in the future. I am fascinated with primitive art and its patterns and symbolism.

Which art genres have mainly impact you?

Fantasy art and artists like Frank Frazetta, Brom, Jeff Jones, Bernie Wrightson, Boris Vallejo, and Michael Whelan were a huge inspiration to me early in my career. I have always admired the work of traditionalist William-Adolphe Bouguereau and pre-raphaelites such as Dante Gabriel Rosseti and John William Waterhouse. The classical art genre and folk art genres are my biggest influences.

Please talk about you ideation, such as the posture of the figure, etc.

I use a lot of central or triangular compositions because they are powerful compositions. But also because I am a product of the trading card industry where a strong, central figure is often required to make a card stand out. I haven’t had the opportunity to do very complex compositions with multiple figures. That is something I want to do more of in the future.

You works are always with very bright colors and cool ideas. How did that come to your mind? And, how do you turn those images into paintings?

I love color. I have to force myself to paint a dark, colorless picture when I am asked to do it. And I always have to keep myself from putting more color into a dark painting. With illustration, I always want my work to stand out and grab your attention. I think that is why I use so much color. So much of the fantasy art out there is dark in subject matter and in execution. I am a happy person and find it difficult to make dark, disturbing pictures now. I guess that is why I do so much colorful, digital art. People respond really well to colorful art. Children especially love bright colors.

Different ideas need different expression. How do you find the best way in practice?

That is why I have two styles of art. My paintings are good for client projects such as Magic: the Gathering or World of Warcraft because they require a certain look that is dark and painterly. But when I work on a children’s book like the one I am currently working on, it requires very bright and colorful art. I create images digitally that I would never attempt with paint. Likewise, I do paintings of subjects I would not want to do in a digital format. Finding the proper medium to express my art is not that difficult because I have two very different styles of art, one for dark fantasy work, one for bright, children’s style work.

In people’s mind, fantasy art is always beyond the daily life. But art cannot divorced from life, in your opinion, how should their relationship be?

I believe fantasy art should be an escape from your reality, whatever that may be. Fantasy art is a way for you to see worlds you could never see or meet people and creatures you could never meet. But all of the most successful fantasy art is true to it’s own reality. That is, it cannot be divorced entirely from the life it creates. The viewer needs to connect with the fantasy art and relate to it somehow. Fantasy art should be a window to new worlds as much as it is a mirror of our lives.

How do you get the inspiration from the daily life?

Inspiration can come from something someone says or does. It can come from an animal I see or a texture on a wall. Daily life feeds my imagination in more ways than I can mention. From nature to man-made technology, I find inspiration in so many ways.

How can you create a prominent figure when you draw a small picture like TCG?

As an illustrator for trading card games, I need to keep in mind that my art will be seen in a very small format. Thus is it very important to have a strong focal point in my painting. A single figure is always best, but there are times when I have to create multiple figures in one painting. Then I try to focus on one of the figures by using composition, lighting or color to make that figure or object stand out from the rest. For me, color is the most important tool for making my art stand out on a small trading card.

What are your normal painting tools? What are the brands and type?

For traditional painting, I use both Windsor & Newton acrylic and oil paints. I use Windsor & Newton and Loew-Cornell brushes. I do almost all of my paintings on masonite or wood and Crescent 100 or 110 cold press illustration board. I prepare the surface with 3 to 4 coats of white gesso to give me a good painting surface.

Can you talk about the different ways you using the digital tools and traditional hand-painted tools?

My digital work and my traditional painted work are done in two entirely different ways. My digital art is created entirely in Adobe Photoshop using the pen tool, brushes and vector shapes. I do regular pencil sketches on paper first, then scan those into the computer and work over them in Photoshop.

My traditional paintings take much longer and require a lot more preparation. I have to cut the wood to the size I need. I then sand the wood and apply 3 to 4 coats of white gesso. I sand the surface between each coat of gesso. Once my painting surface is prepared, I transfer my drawing to it and then start painting. A painting can take anywhere from 8 hours to two weeks to complete depending on how big or complex the work is.

Clearly, digital art is much faster and therefore more logical for an illustrator that is trying to pay the bills

Talk about your studio, is it a large one? and, is there anything you cherish in it? What?

My studio is not very large. Mainly because I have so many paintings and painting supplies in my way. I have many paintings hanging on the walls of my studio, some of my work and work from other artists like Frank Frazetta, Brom, Mike Sutfin, and Glen Angus. My most cherished item in my studio is an original drawing from fellow fantasy artist, Glen Angus, who passed away in July of 2007.

Do you often stay up and work late? Generally, how often do you have a rest in the long time working? How do you get yourself into work psychosis soon?

I always work late into the night. I don’t get a lot of sleep. It is difficult to put down the brush or get away from the computer when I am working on my art. I do have to step away from my work just to get re-energized and also spend time with my family. But it is hard to turn off the creative spirit in me. I find myself working a lot longer and harder than I think I should. I know it’s bad for me to get so little sleep.

What the first thing should new illustrators do when they get a chance?

Develop a very strong portfolio of work. Only put your best work in your portfolio and never stop learning. Always try new techniques and use new tools. You never know what possibilities will open up for you if you try new things.

How do you think about the illustration industry of decades?

I think the illustration industry is as strong as ever. More and more illustrators are showing up every day and creating some amazing work. Because we live in such a global society, Americans are being exposed to more international artists from China and other countries. There is a lot more competition, but that just pushes everyone to make their art even better than before. I am inspired by the fantasy art coming from artists in China, the Phillipines, Japan and Iran. There is a lot of good stuff out there and I think it only makes the illustration industry better.

Do you think that there is a standard of judging a good illustrator in the consumer groups?

If there is a standard of judging what makes a good illustrator, then I’d say illustrators such as James Jean, Kristian Olsen, Boris Vallejo or Paul Bonner are the ones to be judged against. They are consistently good at illustrating what they set out to illustrate. That is, they find new and inspiring ways to explore the emotional content of a subject and present it to the world in a meaningful and beautiful way.

Among your cover works, which one is the most successful on effect? Please tell us the process of creation.

I did a painting for the cover of Duelist Magazine years ago that featured a Magic: The Gathering character, named Squee, being attacked by a bunch of little pink creatures, later named Beebles. All of the little pink creatures were trying to steal Squee’s toy. After I did the painting, the team at Wizards of the Coast liked the little pink creatures so much that they made them characters in the Magic universe. They became the Beebles and can be seen on cards such as Bouncing Beebles, Bubbling Beebles, Donate and more. The painting really captured what the art director wanted and it obviously was a big hit with the art team for Magic: The Gathering. So it was one of my more successful covers.

Video Game industries have sprung up everywhere, attracting many outstanding artists, Do you plan to do any of that?

I did a project for Electronic Arts. It was a mini-golf game for the Apple iPod. They were fun, colorful illustrations. I’d love to do more work like that. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

Talk about your family. How does your family support you? How do you keep a balance between the art creation and your family?

I have a wife and three children that I spend all of my time with. My kids are a huge inspiration for me because they have such wild and inventive imaginations. They will often work on their own paintings right next to me as I paint or work at the computer. They enjoy monsters and fantasy art, so it is always fun to talk about my ideas with them. My kids are nice to me and think I am the best artist in the world. I try to tell them that I am not, but they don’t believe me ☺

My family is everything to me and even comes before my art. I will always make time for my children. I can play with them during the day and do my artwork at night while they sleep. Being a well-known and successful artist doesn’t mean anything to me if I don’t have a great family to share it with. My wife and children are the ones that keep me grounded, otherwise I’d always have my head in the clouds.

Thanks for the interview!

A special thanks to you and all of your readers!
Jeff Miracola