EMPIRE OF GRASS (2018) by Michael Whelan This illustration for the book by Tad Williams was an instant fan favorite with the cover reveal, but Michael has since made some changes to the original painting. The book is out today and the print...
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EMPIRE OF GRASS (2018) by Michael Whelan

This illustration for the book by Tad Williams was an instant fan favorite with the cover reveal, but Michael has since made some changes to the original painting.

The book is out today and the print (available in two sizes) is now available for pre-order in our shop. Pre-orders ship the week of 5/20/19.

https://www.michaelwhelan.com/shop/empire-of-grass/

Source: michaelwhelan.com

From our in the studio feature from last summer

GREEN ANGEL TOWER (1993) by Michael Whelan, cover art for the book by Tad Williams

Michael knows I’m a huge fan of the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series. I’ve asked him a number of times for the paintings of the original swords that decorate the spines only to be disappointed time and again.

After my first dive through the studio recently, Michael subtlely inquired whether I’d found anything from the series in storage. It wasn’t until my second day that I found what he was hinting at.

I had no idea the swords were part of the jacket art. I always figured they were separate paintings. It was quite a surprise when I stumbled across these designs.

As you can see from the scan of the dustjacket, DAW offered a couple different versions of the cover. Mine is flopped with the Sithi on the front and Simon and Miriamele on the back.

(via theartofmichaelwhelan)

Source: michaelwhelan.com

From our in the studio feature from last summer.

IN DAI CHIKIZA (1988) by Michael Whelan, cover art for The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams.

The jacket art for the first volume of the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy features Jingizu (the Sithi word for “Sorrow”), a blade forged by the Storm King.

I’ve always loved Tad’s description of the sword, and he painted it so ominously in just a few passages:

“…in a sheath at [King Elias’] side was the sword with the strange crossed hilt…there was something queer and unsettling about the blade…[It] had a strange double guard, the cross pieces making; with the hilt, a sort of five pointed star.”

…[the blade] was no mere weapon, but a blasphemy against the earth that had yielded both iron and witchwood. It was a hole in the tapestry of creation, and life leaked away through it.

Don’t you think Michael channeled the text perfectly in capturing Sorrow? I doubt he changed anything from his original design when he painted it again for the recent DAW reissues of the trilogy.

(via theartofmichaelwhelan)

Source: michaelwhelan.com

Illustrations by Michael Whelan for The Heart of What Was Lost by Tad Williams.

When you peel back the layers of the cover, you’ll see faded in the background is a winter landscape. I found that illustration while digging around in the studio, and I had no idea what it was until Michael clued me in.

The updated editions of the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy featured the legandary swords (newly painted!) set against backgrounds from their original cover illustrations. DAW Books carried that style forward with the novella that would bridge the original books with the new trilogy. Since there wasn’t an existing cover, Michael painted a landscape in full at 16" x 22".

I didn’t see THE HEART DAGGER (2016) in studio, but I’m including it here because it’s the focal point of the cover. The wraparound is a digital mockup provided by the publisher before release.

Source: michaelwhelan.com

IN DAI CHIKIZA (1988) by Michael Whelan, cover art for The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams.

The jacket art for the first volume of the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy features Jingizu (the Sithi word for “Sorrow”), a blade forged by the Storm King.

I’ve always loved Tad’s description of the sword, and he painted it so ominously in just a few passages:

“…in a sheath at [King Elias’] side was the sword with the strange crossed hilt…there was something queer and unsettling about the blade…[It] had a strange double guard, the cross pieces making; with the hilt, a sort of five pointed star.“

…[the blade] was no mere weapon, but a blasphemy against the earth that had yielded both iron and witchwood. It was a hole in the tapestry of creation, and life leaked away through it.

Don’t you think Michael channeled the text perfectly in capturing Sorrow? I doubt he changed anything from his original design when he painted it again for the recent DAW reissues of the trilogy.

In case you missed it, we previously posted the jacket art for To Green Angel Tower which featured the sword Minneyar (Memory). I have yet to unearth the jacket art for Stone of Farewell which features the last sword Thorn. I still have 2 ½ rooms and an attic to sort through in the studio, so we’ll see if I can find it on my next visit.

Source: michaelwhelan.com

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