MUTANT HUNTER: THE SLICKS (2012) by Michael Whelan, cover for the book by Stephen R. Cox
I found not only the cover illustration for THE SLICKS in the studio but also a few studies as well. Here we get a good shot of the protagonist Leon Miller in a figure study and in a detail from the finished painting.
Functioning aircraft are rare in the world of Mutant Hunter. The Screamer was originally built as a weapons platform that could also haul troops and cargo. The author imagined it as a cross between a V-22 and an A-10.
Interesting, the aircraft was added in digitally?
I must have been on autopilot when I posted this yesterday. I didn’t notice the Screamer wasn’t in the final painting! Checking with Michael for further details.