Jim Burns

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Jim Burns is an artist born in Cardiff, South Wales in 1948. In 1966 he joined the Royal Air Force seemingly on a quest to become a pilot. Due to standards he was unable to meet he was, however, forced to leave the Air Force in search of another direction in life. He signed up at the Newport School of Art for a year's foundation course.

He was accepted and went on to complete a 3-year Diploma in Art and Design course at St. Martin's School of Art in London. When he left St Martins he had already been signed up by the recently established illustration agency, Young Artists (1972). He has been with this agency, later re-named 'Arena' ever since.

He is today a contemporary British Science Fiction illustrator. His works mostly deals with science fiction with erotic overtones. His paintings are generally intricate photo-realistic works of beautiful women set against advanced machines and space ships. While his preparatory sketches are more erotically focussed, his final works and published book covers have a more academic tone portraying far off and imaginary worlds.

Apart from book and game covers, Burns worked with Ridley Scott on Blade Runner. He has also had books of his own works published: Lightship, Planet Story (written by Harry Harrison), Mechanismo, Transluminal and many others.

Jim Burns has won the Hugo award for Best Professional Artist three times - the only non-American ever to have won it - and has also picked up 12 BSFA awards.