Spotlight on Eli John

Eli John is an illustrator working from a studio in the Pendle Forest, Witch Country, UK. This melancholy landscape is a worthy setting as John works predominantly within the horror genre, inspired by supernatural and weird fiction, ghost stories and gothic literature, creating dark visions of sublime beauty and unsettling psy­chological landscapes. He has worked for renowned publisher’s worldwide, illustrating work by authors such as Edgar Allan Poe, M.R. James, Arthur Ma­chen, Mark Samuels, Karl Edward Wagner, Grady Hendrix, and now Stephen King.

What was your introduction to working in the field of horror art? What were the influences that drew you in?

I was still at school, around 15 years old, when I got sent on work experience to a design company who made merchandise for metal bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, and Marillion, and it completely blew me away. This was in the early ‘90s, so Photoshop was just starting to be used, but most of the work on the drawing boards was painted by hand. Artwork for Iron Maiden’s Fear of the Dark was up on a drawing board, and there were books everywhere. That’s when I picked up my first book by H.R. Giger, a huge copy of Biomechanics, and the Taschen volume ARH+. I knew right there and then what I wanted to do. Professionally, my first job was for Centipede Press. I pitched my artwork for a specific project and to my amazement they said yes.

Illustration for “A Gentleman from Mexico” by Mark Samuels

Tell us a bit about the process of working on the anniversary edition of Different Seasons by Stephen King.

It has been an incredible trip, and is without doubt the most difficult book I have worked on for a number of reasons. Three of these novellas have been adapted into successful movies, two of which have iconic status – Stand by Me and The Shawshank Redemption. The images from those movies are seared into everyone’s imagination, including my own.

What I have done throughout is to keep return­ing to the text, again and again, to remain true to that, and to try to push the film versions from my mind. The differences between King’s text and the adaptations are significant, especially regarding Shawshank. The images are all sent to King for approval, so there is really no better validation. I enjoyed ‘‘The Breathing Method’’ the most, as I had total freedom, and it’s the only real ‘‘horror’’ story of the lot (as in super­natural horror).

Illustration for ‘‘The Body’’
by Stephen King

What does your workflow look like from concept to realization and do you use digital media? Any unusual techniques?

I sketch everything by hand first, to get ideas flowing, and keep playing with composi­tion and light and ideas until I have the image I’m happy with. For Different Seasons, the publisher wanted four dif­ferent styles to complement the stories. Some are painted in gouache or watercolour, some are drawn by hand using various techniques and then digitally coloured in Procreate, and some have elements of digital collage. I don’t like drawing digitally – for me, it has to be done by hand.

Is there one thing you wish you could have learned early on about making art or working as a commercial artist, from someone who was experienced in the field, that you would like to share with other artists?

My absolute hero, and the illustrator who has in­fluenced my work more than any other, is Dave McKean. When I was starting out, I would fill sketchbooks with notes and ideas and concepts, doing little thumbnail sketches, but when it came to getting on with the final piece, I froze. I didn’t think I was good enough technically, and looked at other people’s work too much – it was crippling. I finally started to get out of my own way, out of this imposter syndrome trance, and make the marks. You just have to make the marks on the paper. Start it and finish it. That was Dave’s advice – start things, finish things. I also heard on an interview he still gets the fear he can’t do it, and that made everything in my head okay.

Illustration for “A Gentleman from Mexico” by Mark Samuels

Is there something about what you do as an artist working in the SF/F field, or an upcoming project, that you’d like to tell our readers about?

Sure! I’m currently working on a book for Grady Hendrix which I love, called How to Sell a Haunted House, and I’m starting soon on a lifelong dream to il­lustrate Poe. There have been many illustrated editions of Poe, but the very best of those, like Harry Clarke and Gustave Doré, were done over a hundred years ago. I am obsessed with Poe, actually, and know the stories intimately. I can’t wait to get started.




Locus Magazine, Science Fiction FantasyCover and interview art and design by Stephen H. Segal

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