An untitled promotional piece by Michael Whelan created for the first Worldcon hosted in Japan (Nippon 2007).

This is a study that appears in a digital reworking of “Terminus” for the Yokohama WorldCon. Michael scanned it and used one of the rockets for the final image.

Sorry for the low resolution image of the souvenir book. It’s the best I could find on the internet. Michael may have better in his files, but he’s deep in preparation for his exhibition in Lucca, Italy.

Source: michaelwhelan.com

THE WAR OF THE FLOWERS (2003) by Michael Whelan, cover for the book by Tad Williams

I remember this stand alone novel quite fondly. Tad released it directly after finishing the epic science fiction series Otherland and right before he launched into his next fantasy series Shadowmarch. For the cover, Michael put together a fiery homage to the art of Hieronymous Bosch.

Source: michaelwhelan.com

TREKMASTER (1987) by Michael Whelan, cover for the book by James B. Johnson

The great thing about getting high resolution shots of paintings in the studio is that it gives us a glimpse of tight detail. Here you can see the interesting design of the hilt and the ornamentation on the scabbard.

Source: michaelwhelan.com

ESCAPE by Michael Whelan. This unpublished painting was for a line of science fiction books Harlequin was planning to launch in the mid 80s, but the project never got off the ground.

Oddly the empty space on this wraparound cover was designated to fall on the right. I asked Michael about the unconventional layout and he explained that they planned to use the spaceship on the back covers, fading into a unique front cover for each volume.

Looking back, it’s not surprising the project never saw the light of day. As Michael described it, the art direction read like a marketing calculation, ideas formulated by committee that sounded as cynical and formulaic as the Monkees.

He did finish this painting, a few proposed logos, and was struggling with a cover when mercifully word came down that the project was canned.

Source: michaelwhelan.com

RIDER (1990) by Michael Whelan, cover for The Singers of Time by Frederick Pohl and Jack Williamson.

As you can see from the original, this is another large acrylic painting on watercolor board. Michael gives us some nice architectural detail and stone texture here. And, of course, aliens!

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

An early self portrait of Michael Whelan. I didn’t shoot many photos of framed art hanging on the walls, but I did snap a few curiosities I hadn’t seen before. This one was on the way back to the studio.

Thematically, it reminds me of THE MAD POET with a brooding artist under supernatural influence. Perhaps we’re witnessing a Faustian deal made all those years ago…

Source: michaelwhelan.com

BLUE ARCHWAY (1978) by Michael Whelan

This painting served as the title page of Michael’s first art book Wonderworks. It was interesting to find the original almost 40 years later. Additionally, there were a few B&W interior illos from the book that I’ll be featuring here soon.

Source: michaelwhelan.com

CHILDREN OF THE THUNDER (1988) by Michael Whelan, cover for the book by John Brunner

There’s a delicate transition of color in the sky here that I didn’t appreciate until I saw the painting in person. These blends are a subtle mark of Michael’s skill that I observed frequently while sorting through originals in the studio.

Someday I’ll have to chart the surfaces Michael used by year. I’m fairly certain there was a point in the 80s when he started to use watercolor boards frequently. I’m willing to bet those dates correlate to his most productive years when he leaned on his mastery with the airbrush to keep up with a busy schedule.

Source: michaelwhelan.com

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