{"id":498350,"date":"2026-06-27T14:51:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T14:51:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/498350\/"},"modified":"2026-06-27T14:51:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T14:51:15","slug":"this-star-wars-eclipse-artist-shares-the-creative-habit-that-changed-how-he-sees-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/498350\/","title":{"rendered":"This Star Wars Eclipse artist shares the creative habit that changed how he sees the world"},"content":{"rendered":"

Iranian illustrator and senior concept artist Amir Zand has spent more than 15 years creating worlds across books, personal projects and AAA game development, creating over 75 book covers and contributing to the visual look of Star Wars Eclipse<\/a> for six years. Alongside his commercial work, he continues to develop Anomaly, an ambitious personal universe that reflects his passion for storytelling through image-making.<\/p>\n

Zand\u2019s career began with a commission from an indie author who discovered his work on DeviantArt, a project that would unexpectedly open doors to high-profile opportunities including Mortal Engines and Warhammer 40,000<\/a>. From there, he\u2019s steadily sought to blend cinematic atmosphere and graphic design to spark original worlds, something that comes together in his own Dreamer series.<\/p>\n

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In our interview below, Zand discusses how he finds inspiration, why selection matters, and the importance of persistence in a creative art career. If you\u2019re inspired, read our guides to the best drawing tablets<\/a> and best digital art software<\/a> and start your own art journey.<\/p>\n

Visit Amir Zand’s portfolio site<\/a> for more details. <\/p>\n

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\"Illustrations\n<\/p>\n

SOUVERAIN: \u201cRose from the quiet Depths, bearing heart carved from Light, not to rule, but to reveal the forgotten kingdom of Love…\u201d (Image credit: Amir Zand)CB: What is your main source of inspiration for your work?<\/p>\n

Amir Zand: I don\u2019t have a single, defined source of inspiration. I think one of the most powerful tools we already have is our eyes. Being an artist, for me, is not only about what I produce or my technical ability, but about how I see the world around me. I believe it\u2019s about finding beauty in places others might overlook or often pass unnoticed.<\/p>\n

It can come from anywhere: real\u2011life experiences, emotions, other art forms like films, music, paintings, conversations, poetry, dreams, or simply from life as it happens. At the same time, I\u2019m very mindful of what I consume. Too much visual input can create noise, so I try to be selective.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If I were to suggest something to readers, it would be to build a taste beyond what feels familiar. Look into poetry, fashion, other art movements, photography, explore things that are not directly related to your field, and see what you can translate back into your own work.<\/p>\n

CB: Tell us about your first paid commission, and does it stand as a representation of your talent?<\/p>\n

Amir Zand: My first commission came through DeviantArt, where I used to post my\u00a0work. At the time, I was already creating my own imaginary posters\u00a0and book covers, vertical compositions with titles and graphic\u00a0elements, because I always loved that format.<\/p>\n

An indie author reached out for a cover for the Nysta series, and I remember how meaningful that moment was. I was around 20, and it felt like something quietly began. What mattered was that someone trusted me to create his cover, and that meant a lot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

We ended up working together on several of his books. Years later, I was approached to work on The Illustrated World of Mortal Engines, and they specifically referenced the work I had done for Nysta. Then later, Black Library reached out after seeing my work on Mortal Engines, which led to covers for the Warhammer 40K Crime series.<\/p>\n

Looking back, that first piece wasn\u2019t the best representation of my abilities, but it was the beginning.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

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\"Illustrations\n<\/p>\n

Le Passage: Another work from Amir\u2019s Dreamer series: \u201cThe only way\u00a0is\u00a0Through.\u201d (Image credit: Amir Zand)CB: What\u2019s the most recent piece of artwork that you\u2019ve\u00a0finished?<\/p>\n

Amir Zand: The last piece that I completed is part of my Dreamer Series, titled Quiet Below. It\u2019s a very personal and\u00a0emotional work.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After years of developing this series, I reached a point where I felt\u00a0the need to close a chapter. In\u00a0this piece, and in the ones that\u00a0came\u00a0before it, the Dreamer falls and eventually dies or maybe\u00a0just rests (drama\u2026 haha). It\u00a0reflects a period of emotional intensity in my\u00a0life.<\/p>\n

At the same time, it introduces the emergence of a new character, \u2018Reclaimer\u2019, suggesting a shift toward something different.\u00a0<\/p>\n

CB: If you were starting out now, what\u00a0words of wisdom would you most appreciate?<\/p>\n

Amir Zand: I would say, dare to dream, and be patient and persistent. For me, creative fields have always been connected to the heart. Before anything technical, it starts with a decision, an inner clarity that this is what you want to do. Once you accept that, the path becomes something you fully commit to.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I remember feeling unseen, and there was a point where I decided to create for myself, to print my work, to hang it on my wall or share it on socials, to live with it, until the right people would come and resonate with it. That stayed with me.<\/p>\n

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Sign up to Creative Bloq’s daily newsletter, which brings you the latest news and inspiration from the worlds of art, design and technology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Iranian illustrator and senior concept artist Amir Zand has spent more than 15 years creating worlds across books,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":498351,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[156,409,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-498350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-entertainment","tag-movies","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/498350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=498350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/498350\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/498351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=498350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=498350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=498350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}