#Tag · bonfire.cafe

DRAGONSDAWN (1987)
Acrylic on Watercolor Board - 25” x 36”

This was the first cover in the Dragonriders of Pern series to feature the beloved fire lizards and I really enjoyed painting them. 1/5

#sciencefiction #illustration #bookcover #pern #annemccaffrey #delreybooks

A redheaded woman in a yellow jumpsuit emerges from a cave. She stands with arms outstretched in a T shape. A tiny dragon perches on each forearm. She's framed by the entrance of the cave, which is set in a hillside on a small island. Water washes up the sand in front of her. Bare alien trees extend upward from the hillside. The trunks are tan and segmented like bamboo. Some trunks are thicker, combining many thick shoots into their mass. Leafless branches project out sharply. More islands can be seen in distance on the left side of the painting along with two moons hanging in a gold and pastel sky glowing as the sun rises out of view.

Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 4 days ago

DRAGONSDAWN (1987)
Acrylic on Watercolor Board - 25” x 36”

This was the first cover in the Dragonriders of Pern series to feature the beloved fire lizards and I really enjoyed painting them. 1/5

#sciencefiction #illustration #bookcover #pern #annemccaffrey #delreybooks

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Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 2 weeks ago

THE CHESSMEN OF MARS (1979)
Acrylic - 20” x 25”

“As Gahan entered his square, U-dor leaped toward him with drawn sword with such fury as might have overborne a less skilled and powerful swordsman.” 1/4

#sciencefiction #illustration #edgarriceburroughs #johncarter #barsoom #delreybooks

A man in sweeping red cloak assaults a warrior draped in black, who pivots toward him as if caught by surprise. Face etched with rage, the aggressor draws back his sword arm as he dwarfs his opponent in size and ferocity. His advance is aggressive with his limbs aligned all in diagonals. Knees bent and both feet off the ground, he springs into his attack. The sweeping arc of his ornate handguard echoes the delicate filigree of his headpiece. In the background, men wearing feathered plumes on their heads—either red or black—stand among the orange and black checkered squares of the Martian stadium floor as if they are chess pieces on a board. One warrior takes a knee while another is bent at the waist, trying to catch his breath, propping himself on his sword with point in the ground. The bodies of defeated chessmen crumple where they fell as all attention turns to the main combatants.

Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 2 weeks ago

THE CHESSMEN OF MARS (1979)
Acrylic - 20” x 25”

“As Gahan entered his square, U-dor leaped toward him with drawn sword with such fury as might have overborne a less skilled and powerful swordsman.” 1/4

#sciencefiction #illustration #edgarriceburroughs #johncarter #barsoom #delreybooks

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Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 3 weeks ago

MYM (1986)
Oil on Panel - 32” x 20”

My fourth cover for Incarnations of Immortality by Piers Anthony. Following the formula of the other books, a mortal is called upon to serve as a supernatural force. 1/3

#sciencefiction #fantasy #illustration #piersanthony #incarnationsofimmortality #delreybooks

With white cloak wrapped closely around him, the incarnation of War holds up a glowing red sword against a backdrop of angry black and crimson sky. His hair and goatee are jet black and his skin olive toned. His foot rests on a helmed head, which seems to be made of stone, resting at the edge of a cliff. Behind him a tan horse with white mane turns its head to the audience. On its forehead, the sign of Mars—a circle with single arrow—points downward toward its nose.

Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 3 weeks ago

MYM (1986)
Oil on Panel - 32” x 20”

My fourth cover for Incarnations of Immortality by Piers Anthony. Following the formula of the other books, a mortal is called upon to serve as a supernatural force. 1/3

#sciencefiction #fantasy #illustration #piersanthony #incarnationsofimmortality #delreybooks

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Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 4 weeks ago

THUVIA, MAID OF MARS (1979)
Acrylic and Gouache on Illustration Board - 20” x 25”

Here was another one of the Barsoomian beasts that was basically an Earthly one with more legs. 1/5

#sciencefiction #illustration #edgarriceburroughs #barsoom #delreybooks

Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 4 weeks ago

THUVIA, MAID OF MARS (1979)
Acrylic and Gouache on Illustration Board - 20” x 25”

Here was another one of the Barsoomian beasts that was basically an Earthly one with more legs. 1/5

#sciencefiction #illustration #edgarriceburroughs #barsoom #delreybooks

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Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 4 weeks ago

CRYSTAL SINGER (1981)
Acrylic - 20" x 30"

Most of my sketches for this cover dealt with the interrelationship between the protagonist Killashandra and the black crystals she has a special affinity for. 1/4

#sciencefiction #illustration #annemccaffrey #delreybooks

A raven haired woman in brown jumpsuit and knee-high boots holds out a crystal, black at its base but transparent at the faceted edges. It shows through magenta against a pale pink sky. Her knees are bent, her back arched, straining in an awkward pose. Her eyes are pressed closed overcome with ecstasy. A large moon frames her head and one shoulder. A high-tech gauntlet covers her right hand up to her wrist, projecting outward in a slender needle with a bubble forming at its tip. The rock upon which she stands is covered with green alien lichen. Cool jagged mountains fill the low background with crystalline peaks pointing in chaotic directions—up and at diagonals to frame a sun burning intense yellow surrounded by orange haze. A second smaller moon rises higher with a similar crescent glow.

Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 4 weeks ago

CRYSTAL SINGER (1981)
Acrylic - 20" x 30"

Most of my sketches for this cover dealt with the interrelationship between the protagonist Killashandra and the black crystals she has a special affinity for. 1/4

#sciencefiction #illustration #annemccaffrey #delreybooks

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Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · last month

PERIWINKLE (1988)
Acrylic on canvas - 34" x 21"

Patricia A. McKillip is a terrific writer, very inspiring. 1/4

#fantasy #illustration #patriciamckillip #delreybooks

Illuminated by the warm light of a lantern, a girl with tousled blonde hair sits at the edge of the sea with arms crossed over her knees. Carefully tied in a bow at the back, her white nightgown is tattered at the hem. Beside her, propped in the bare branches of a tiny sapling, two branches circled and strung like dreamcatchers suspend various baubles, shells, and a fish skull separated from the rest of its bones. The night sky is chill blue marred only by wispy clouds. The full moon looms large, illuminating in silhouette a monstrous creature wading in from the depths. Its eyes glow as if the moonlight shines through. Spotted wings curl out at shoulder height. The outline of strands—perhaps seaweed draping over its body—can be seen in outline. A bank of fog rolls in with its approach, but the girl doesn't seem to notice her head is turned toward the audience.

Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · last month

PERIWINKLE (1988)
Acrylic on canvas - 34" x 21"

Patricia A. McKillip is a terrific writer, very inspiring. 1/4

#fantasy #illustration #patriciamckillip #delreybooks

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Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 2 months ago

THE MULE (1985)
Acrylic on Canvas 32” x 20”

For book two of the Foundation series, there was once again a clear choice for the central subject.

Outwardly a buffoon, the Mule is the greatest concentration of power in a single individual in the Galaxy, the one variable Seldon overlooked in his massive plan. 1/3

#sciencefiction #scifi #scifiart #sff #illustration #foundation #isaacasimov #delreybooks

A once grand planetary metropolis falls into ruin as massive pillars crash in every direction. Standing casually in the wreckage, an emaciated figure in harlequin garb leans back with knee raised as he plays a futuristic string instrument. A ridiculous ruffled collar makes him look clownish as does the clashing pattern of stars on his shirt and checker board pants, all white on red satin. A tattered pink handkerchief is tied about his calf, but his boots sparkle. His short blonde hair is tussled over a brow raised in question. With his head tilted, his eyes catch the viewer in a knowing glance. His lips are curled in an almost smile.

Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 2 months ago

THE MULE (1985)
Acrylic on Canvas 32” x 20”

For book two of the Foundation series, there was once again a clear choice for the central subject.

Outwardly a buffoon, the Mule is the greatest concentration of power in a single individual in the Galaxy, the one variable Seldon overlooked in his massive plan. 1/3

#sciencefiction #scifi #scifiart #sff #illustration #foundation #isaacasimov #delreybooks

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Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 2 months ago

PEGASUS IN FLIGHT (1990)
Acrylic on Watercolor Board - 29” x 20”

This was a rare instance, especially with Anne’s books, when Del Rey dictated what they wanted on the cover. I didn’t get to read the manuscript. Instead I worked with a brief overview. 1/3

#sciencefiction #scifi #scifiart #sff #illustration #annemccaffrey #delreybooks

Above an empty swivel chair, a young man floats weightless in front of a bank of mainframe computers. One leg dangles down while the other is folded in front of him. His elbow rests there, propping his head in his cupped hand. His eyes roll as if lost in thought. The lights of equipment behind him give way to stars and the cloudy surface of a blue planet. Framing him—as if imagined or visualized—a spaceship resembling the space shuttle rendered dark gray and black intersects the glowing blue halo of the planet while its wings below become semi-transparent.

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Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 2 months ago

A PRINCESS OF MARS (1978)
Acrylic on Illustration Board - 24” x 28”

I have a special fondness for The Martian Tales by Edgar Rice Burroughs, ever since I first read them in my early teens. 1/4

#sciencefiction #edgarriceburroughs #johncarter #dejahthoris #barsoom #delreybooks