Richard A. Kirk is an Canadian artist, based in Ontario,[1] who created the illustrations for the Earthling Publications edition of Dune. Kirk was born in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire in 1968 and moved to Ontario, Canada in 1968.[1]
When illustrating Dune, Kirk chose to use graphite and carbon pencils for his 12 interior illustrations[2] to capture the vast landscapes of the novel while maintaining a sense of drama. He specifically avoided watching Dune Part One to avoid the film's aesthetic influencing his work.[3] Kirk created illustrations of Vladimir Harkonnen[4] and Gaius Helen Mohiam[5] in preparation for the project.