John Blanche
| John Blanche | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Blanche |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Illustration, modeling, miniature painting |
| Movement | Fantasy, science fiction |
| Awards | Master Painter, Games Day 1987 |
John Blanche is a British fantasy and science fiction illustrator and modeler known for his work for Games Workshop's White Dwarf magazine, Warhammer Fantasy Battle, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and Warhammer 40,000 games and his role as art director for the company, including his work in the field of fantasy miniature painting, and for illustrations for various game book and Fighting Fantasy publications.
Blanche was born into a working-class family in post-war England, and grew up on a Council estate during the 1950s, a period he describes as 'grey and flat', and lacking in the visual richness available to modern youth. Instead he took early inspiration from cinema, his collections of toy soldiers, and producing drawings of historic warriors on the backs of old rolls of wallpaper.
During the 1960s Blanche was exposed to art and art movements, eventually attending art college, where he entered a course on the strength of his drawings and paintings of battle scenes and prehistoric conflicts, and where he recounts that he was told he "had a romantic spirit, but it would never earn me a living, so there was no point in doing it".
After leaving college, Blanche spent time working as an assistant to a taxidermist in a Georgian manor-house, and worked on model building, drawing wildlife and painting fantastic scenes in his spare time.
After discovering published examples of fantasy art prevalent at the time, Blanche began preparing work for publication, eventually relocating to London and approaching artist and publisher Roger Dean. Dean provided him with the opportunity for freelance illustration work, and Blanche subsequently spent the late 70s and early 80s producing book covers and interior illustrations, including five illustrations for David Day's compendium, A Tolkien Bestiary.
Also at around this time, during the late 1970s, Blanche became an avid collector of metal miniatures, and eventually of fantasy miniatures as these became available. In later years he would go on to contribute numerous articles to White Dwarf on the hobby, as well as contributing to and overseeing designs for miniatures, and receiving the Master Painter award for one of his own miniature pieces at the UK Games Day convention in 1987.
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