"There, in the chords and melodies, is everything I want to say. The words just jolly it along. It's always been my way of expressing what for me is inexpressible by any other means." — David Bowie
Ziggy Stardust anniversary illustration by Oktopolis: The Art of Brian Miller
When I was approached to create an illustration for the anniversary of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars I knew I wanted to draw something that honored the legacy of David Bowie. I focused on drawing the main portrait using Adobe Draw on iPad Pro with Apple Pencil. This allows me to work very much like painting with ink on paper while capturing the brush strokes digitally. I also wanted to include nods to David Bowie, Starman, as well as Major Tom's space capsule with rocket trails that might remind one of musical bars or guitar strings.
For the typography the goal was to infuse the theatrical vibe of Bowie's glam rock with something that could also feel like a vintage gig poster. I also knew I wanted the type to be easy to ready from a distance to ensure the finished illustration honors the anniversary of the tour and film.
David Bowie fans and collectors were able to purchase limited edition collectable fine art prints from the Dark Ink Art imprint of licensee Acme Archives. The print was offered in the original blue and red color palette as well as a psychedelic variant edition and a glow in the dark variant edition.
The illustration was also used for editorial purposes as the cover art for an issue of London Business School Review.
illustration by Brian Miller © Oktopolis. All rights reserved. This artwork may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without the prior written permission of Oktopolis. All characters and names © & ™ their respective owners. Illustration © Oktopolis.
