Brian Miller Interview – 50 States (Colorado)

Brian Miller – “Colorado also has an epic sense of scale.”

Welcome to the third instalment of Creative Chair 50 States series. This week we’re in Colorado talking to illustrator Brian Miller.

Brian has a really engaging visual style, and we highly recommend that you check out his website, which features many of his projects but also shows some of his process.

Tell us a little bit more about yourself and what you do.

My name is Brian Edward Miller, and I’m the owner and illustrator behind Orlin Culture Shop based in Erie, Colorado.

I was born and raised in Colorado and moved to California for a spell to attend college at Biola University where I majored in Graphic Design.

After graduating, I spent roughly the next 10 years as a graphic designer doing web & interactive design, art direction, concept art, and more until we found ourselves back in Colorado.

After working a few years in the volatile video game industry here in Colorado, the studio I was working at was shut down. Our family decided we didn’t want to leave Colorado and rather than jumping into another graphic design job, I opted to pursue my lifelong endeavour of drawing full time.

The OCS was founded, and five years later, here I am!

How has your state influenced the work that you do?

Colorado has had a profound influence on my work I’m not sure I’ll ever fully grasp or understand. It wasn’t until I moved away from Colorado that I realised just how big an impact it had on me.

I have had stunning mountains and landscapes as my playground from my childhood all the way up to today where I see them every time I go outside. Aside from the visual inspiration and nourishment Colorado provides, another big influence has been the sense of adventure imparted to me from all my years living here.

I spent countless hours as a kid exploring the outdoors, climbing, building forts, biking, etc. and it left an imprint on my soul. Colorado also has an epic sense of scale, from the mountain ranges to the storms we get during the summer and winter. All of this found its way into my work in some form or another.

Of your own work, what is your favourite project and why?

I don’t know that I have a favourite project simply because I have favourite aspects of every project I’ve done. On some projects, my favourite part was the collaboration with clients. Other projects, I enjoyed the growth I was seeing in my abilities as an illustrator.

Some pieces hold a special place in my memory because of the circumstances that were going on in my life while I was creating them. These pieces became sort of like an artistic photo album where I can look at them and remember exactly what was happening and what I was thinking and feeling when I was creating them.

If you died and got reincarnated as a song, what would that song be?

The Pirates Of The Caribbean soundtrack from A Musical History Of Disneyland.