Mark Wilkinson (born 3 October 1952) is an English illustrator. He is best known for the detailed surrealistic cover art he created for a number of British bands.

Wilkinson's breakthrough came through his association with the neo-prog band Marillion in the 1980s. He went on to design art for the subsequent solo career of their lead singer, Fish, as well as bands such as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. Though versed in a number of techniques, he is considered to be a master of the airbrush.

In 2012, his sleeve for the 1984 Marillion album Fugazi was chosen by Gigwise as the 29th greatest album artwork of all time. In 2015, Wilkinson designed the artwork for the Tya Brewery in Øvre Årdal, Norway.

Biography

Wilkinson was inspired by 1960s artists such as Hapshash and the Coloured Coat (a collaboration between Michael English and Nigel Waymouth) and Rick Griffin.

Wilkinson's break came with his designs for Marillion in the 1980s, who were then second only to Iron Maiden in terms of their sales of T-shirts and merchandise. Wilkinson will likely always be most closely identified with Fish and Marillion (in a similar fashion to Roger Dean's association with Yes or Paul Whitehead's association with Genesis).

Wilkinson's work for Marillion gained attention and led to him designing Monsters of Rock posters. This in turn brought him to the attention of heavy metal band Judas Priest. He has designed miscellaneous pieces for Bon Jovi, Jimmy Page, the Who and Kylie Minogue. Outside of the music community, he has also done numerous book covers, advertisements, comic art (including a 1993 Judge Anderson episode in the Judge Dredd Megazine) and commissioned pieces.

Partial list of works

Album covers

Marillion

  • Script for a Jester's Tear
  • Fugazi
  • Real to Reel
  • Misplaced Childhood
  • Clutching at Straws
  • The Thieving Magpie

Fish

  • Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors
  • Internal Exile
  • Suits
  • Sunsets on Empire
  • Raingods with Zippos
  • Fellini Days
  • Field of Crows
  • 13th Star
  • A Feast of Consequences
  • Weltschmerz

Judas Priest

  • Ram It Down
  • Painkiller
  • Jugulator
  • Angel of Retribution
  • Nostradamus
  • Redeemer of Souls
  • Invincible Shield

Iron Maiden

  • Live at Donington (1998 remastered version)
  • Best of the 'B' Sides (2002 compilation)
  • The Book of Souls
  • Senjutsu

Comics

  • Judge Anderson: "Voyage of the Seeker" (with Alan Grant, in Judge Dredd Megazine, 2.37, 1993)

Comics covers

  • Judge Dredd Megazine #2.10, 2.15, 2.20, 2.27, 2.30, 2.32, 2.37, 2.48, 2.50, 2.63, 3.04 (1992–1995)

References

  • Mark Wilkinson at 2000 AD online