GALLERY
About
Hello, I'm a freelance illustrator based in the UK.
I was born in London, and started out in illustration with work for fantasy & horror RPG fanzines in the '80s, in particular the H.P. Lovecraft-devoted Dagon. My first professional commissions came from Games Workshop for their magazine White Dwarf, and this began a long relationship with the company, illustrating lots of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay publications and the very first Warhammer 40,000 book, as well as many other GW books and boardgames. I've also done game-related material for other publishers, including covers and internal illustrations for twenty-two (I think) of the Fighting Fantasy series from Puffin Books/Wizard Books, and card art for Magic: The Gathering from Wizards of the Coast.I've also produced artwork for various publishers around the world including Scholastic, Time-Warner, HarperCollins and Oxford University Press, illustrating popular authors such as Anne McCaffrey, Raymond E. Feist and Harry Turtledove, as well as some classics including Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and The Silver Sword. I was fortunate enough to receive the British Fantasy Award for Best Artist.
I illustrated the book accompanying the album release of Misterstourworm & the Kelpie's Gift, an orchestral work based on stories and characters from Scottish legend. My artwork was used as large-scale backdrops for live performances of the work by The Orchestra of Scottish Opera, with narration by Lord of the Rings actor Billy Boyd.
As an author, I've written some books about digital art including Digital Fantasy Painting Workshop and Digital Horror Art, and edited Fantasy Art Now published by Collins. In addition to work in publishing, I do concept and production art for computer games, and film and television productions which have included the BAFTA-nominated The Magician of Samarkand for the BBC, and most recently Gulliver's Travels for 20th Century Fox.
Currently: I'm writing and illustrating a picture book of my own devising which is due for publication Christmas 2010 (all being well). This is with Scholastic. While I'm busy on this I might still be able to accept some illustration commissions, so get in touch!
List of Published Work
List of Clients
Giclee prints at PODgallery
McKenna's Bookshop
Prints & posters at AllPosters.com
Prints & posters at Art.co.uk
CGSociety
ConceptArt
Epilogue
Art de la Fantasy
Fantasy Gallery
Neheriel Art
Wikia
The old martinmckenna.net
News from July 2009
Gulliver's Travels
16 July 2009
At the start of the year I did a little bit of work at Pinewood Studios on the film Gulliver's Travels for 20th Century Fox. I helped out a wee bit with concept art on the costumes for the Lilliputian population. The film will be released in 2010, and stars Jack Black as Gulliver, with Emily Blunt, Billy Connolly, and various other familiar faces, directed by Rob Monsters vs Aliens Letterman.
The Kelpie's Gift, a musical adventure
16 July 2009
I've illustrated the book accompanying the album release of Misterstourworm and the Kelpie's Gift, an orchestral work based on stories and characters from Scottish legend. My pics have been used as large-scale backdrops for spectacular live performances of the work by The Orchestra of Scottish Opera, narrated by Lord of the Rings actor Billy Boyd.
Review on Bachtrack: "Actor Billy Boyd (Pippin in The Lord of the Rings) narrates the tale beautifully, heightening the tension of the fight between good and evil. His words come across clearly, at just the right level to enable listeners to enjoy both the story and the music. The CD first offers the narrative version of the tale, then the music without the words. The book, into which the CD is cleverly fitted, provides the story, beautifully illustrated, so children can read it for themselves while the music is playing."
Buy the book and album here.
Fantasy Art Magazine interview in China
16 July 2009
Latest old news! There's an interview with yours truly in China's Fantasy Art Magazine. Specifically their 'Top Artist' Vol.32, which also features Tim & Greg Hildrebrandt, Alex Horley, Ron Miller, and lots of other fine folk. Anyway I'm in there with some artwork, waffle (god knows what I went on about, probably the Hamishes in Bagpuss), and another gurning mugshot. As you can see that poor old werewolf gets yet another outing.
The Wizard of Rondo
16 July 2009
Here's a gander at the hardback of The Wizard of Rondo by Emily Rodda, follow-up to The Key to Rondo. An Omnibus Book from Scholastic Australia. Again a super-flashy foil dustjacket with my artwork. Can be used as a signal mirror for communication up to 100 miles.
The third book in this trilogy The Battle for Rondo, is out soon with a dragon on it by me. Plus all three are being collected into a slipcase; that'll be pretty.
Fantasy Art Now around the verld
16 July 2009
Fantasy Art Now, the collection of fantasy art goings-on edited by me for Ilex Press, continues to be published in various overseas international countries around the world, globally. Here's a pile. There's a French edition, a Spanish one, and lots of others including editions from Sylvania, Syldavia, Freedonia, San Theodoros, Borduria, Taschist Boduria, and Popolonia. Buy yours here.
I especially enjoy the Italian edition which has removed my name from the cover. Nice one Logos!
The Key to Rondo
16 July 2009
The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda, sporting my cover doodles, is now out in paperback and onto its third reprint in hardback. Published by Scholastic (Omnibus Books). The hardback features dazzling, retina-searing foil effect. The sticker sez that the book's been short-listed by The Children's Book Council of Australia. Go Emily!
Mailing List
BUY STUFF
Prints available at PODgallery:
Books available on Amazon:
Links
