Few things are harder to capture than the future. Whether that be through predictions or the musings of artistic minds, visualizing tomorrow has never been easy. But artist Sam Weber certainly makes it look that way given the prolificacy of his illustrations.
Despite being a seer with his brush, the Canadian is humbly surprised whenever he receives praise. If that’s the secret to success, then it has served him well: the artist’s work can be seen in the lavishly illustrated Folio Society editions of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” and Gene Wolfe’s “Book of the New Sun.” If his passion for art and down-to-earth demeanor are any indication, he has a heck of a career ahead of him.
“Students should also not be afraid or take things too seriously. Sometimes the stakes feel really high and it’s good to remember that if we’re not ready to take advantage of opportunities, other ones will come our way”
– Sam Weber
“I like to think my interests are eclectic,” Weber said when speaking about inspiration. “Growing up in the 80s and 90s you could not avoid all the science fiction and fantasy that was on TV at the time. He-Man, Transformers, stuff like that. Over the years I also became interested in fine art, art history, and other things. Those interests have all had a big impact on me.”
Those influences can be seen in his work. Intergalactic tapestries, drama stretching across time, an appreciation for form- Weber’s artistic mélange has helped him visually translate some of the most complex speculative imagery.
“Step one is to start with what you’re skilled at doing, then after that it’s kind of a feeling forward sort of process. There’s a lot of pencil sketching, drawing, and thumbnails to kind of brainstorm what it I’m trying to make. For me it’s about iterating a lot of ideas and then looking at them as a group and picking what I think is cool. The hope is that readers will like it.”
His illustrations for the Folio Society show a dedication to craft and final product that justify his approach.
Weber’s depiction of Severian is the most expressive and lavish since the character’s introduction. Photo Credit: Sam Weber
“It’s a challenge of course but it is the job to some extent,” he says when asked how difficult it is to work on such legendary stories. “Dune was hard to some extent because I’m not really into landscapes or vehicles. I’m much more interested in portraits and people, so it was a challenge to find my way in.”
Wolfe’s genre-bending magnum opus has a deserved reputation for its complexity. Multiple meanings reveal themselves during re-reads. How then, does one begin to interpret such multi-layered prose visually?
“The Book of the New Sun was tough because it’s a bit of a strange book, there is just so much going on. The trick there was trying less to get things right and more not getting them wrong. Wolfe is so astute with how his talent for description, subtext, and specificity. You don’t want to mislead the reader, as an illustrator you want to support the reading experience or improve it in the best-case scenario.”
While not one to gloat, Weber’s rendition of Severian and Arrakis’ many players have been met with praise. And they are far from his only commercial efforts to have done so. Covers for Joe Abercrombie’s “Age of Madness”, Stephen King’s “Bill Hodges Trilogy”, and a new edition of sci-fi classic “Ender’s Game” remain highly prized by collectors.
Just like with his more personal contemporary pieces, there’s a focus on humanity that is clear even when only objects are depicted. This can be seen with even greater clarity on his official website, where many paintings of focus on women.
“I think in some instances they symbolize myself. The idea that an artist draws themselves into their work really resonates with me,” Weber said in reference to what they represent.
“Sometimes I think they are stand-ins for other women I know. My mother, my sister, and my partner for instance,” Weber said.
Weber’s work on Wolfe’s classic was seen by the author before his death. Photo Credit: Sam Weber
Weber understands the need to honor women and approach their depiction carefully. It is something he reflects on often given the long history of objectification women have endured. Self-analysis and reflection are important aspects of any art student, a label the illustrator is happy with.
It’s also well-earned. Despite his success in the commercial arena, Weber has set his sights on a new target: the world of fine art and galleries.
“These days I am teaching at the School of Visual Arts in New York as well as an online class anyone can take. I’m hoping to have my own gallery show within the next two years. But that’s its own world separate world form illustration with its own players and ways of being. It has taken me some time to navigate that,” he said.
Physically the work is also very different from what he was used to. As he explains, his commercial works were typically small, around 12-14 inches. Figuring out how to create larger pieces also took time.
“It is intimidating and exciting. There’s a lot to learn but I’m the type of person that loves learning things and I like meeting new people to some extent,” he said. “I remember this feeling after I went to grad. At the time I was really into my work, basically only eating, sleeping, and creating. When my illustration career took off I began a more normal working routine with regular hours.
“The key is to keep making things and remember that the art game is a long one. It’s about patience and staying true yourself”
– Sam Weber
“But these past couple years I feel exactly like a student again, with a crazy student schedule. I’m up all-night working, kind of just sleeping, eating, and making my paintings. It’s probably not sustainable for the next 20 years, eventually I would probably keel over but I’m enjoying it right now. I’m a 42-year-old student and it’s a pretty cool feeling,” Weber said.
That hasn’t stopped him from sharing key tips with his fellow creatives when he can. Years of experience has taught him the importance of several things he hopes they keep in mind.
“I’ll pass on some good advice that I got as a student which is just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean you have to do it. It’s been a great relief of mine over the years to just let go of things I’m good at but done with whether it be a project or method of working. Students should also not be afraid or take things too seriously. Sometimes the stakes feel really high and it’s good to remember that if we’re not ready to take advantage of opportunities other ones will come our way,” said Weber.
“The key is to keep making things and remember that the art game is a long one. It’s about patience and staying true yourself,” he said.
With Weber’s dreams of exhibiting his creations in galleries coming closer to reality, fans of his commercial work should know they are not being left in the cold. Prints of Weber’s illustrations can be purchased on his personal website where much of his work can also be seen. He’d also be more than happy to enter the commercial art world again, especially if a particular poet is involved.
“I’ve always wanted to do some sort of illustrated Shakespeare, the covers to his plays, or some other big Shakespearean project. That’s sort of a dream job I would jump on,” he said.
“I love Shakespeare, he’s a linguistic and thematic genius. His work offers visual artist so much room to maneuver it’s kind of like a playground. There’s all this history and culture attached to it, it’s sort of the best of both worlds,” Weber said.
Let’s hope The Folio Society or some other publisher is listening. Regardless, Weber’s future is full of chapters that promise more art for the world to gawk at again and again.
Ismael David Mujahid, Executive Editor
(Featured Image from Ace Books)