#Tag · bonfire.cafe

hypebot and 1 other boosted

Michael Whelan

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 days 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 · last week

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 · last week

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 · 3 weeks ago

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 · 3 weeks ago

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 · last month

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 · last month

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 · last month

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

John Carter stands over the body of a green Martian with a rapier plunged into its chest. In his arms, he carries Dejah Thoris who lays a hand across her chest covering one breast. She wears no clothes but accents of gold jewelry and chains cover her arm and waist. An angry mob of green Martians gathers behind the raised dais as John Carter looks for an escape. The wall behind them is open in an onion style arch revealing brilliant blue sky and a large craggy moon. The surrounding pillars are marbleized metallic green swirling against smooth sand-colored stone. An elegant laser pistol lies on the floor in the immediate foreground.

Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · last month

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

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Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 2 months ago

GISKARD (1984)
Acrylic on Watercolor Board - 28” x 18”

What makes someone human? Can a robot be murdered? What is the future of human relationships and what is the ultimate destiny for the human race? 1/5

#bookcover #illustration #sciencefiction #isaacasimov #robots #delreybooks

A robot stands with one hip slightly cocked and hands clasped over its forehead as if shielding its eyes. Sunlight reflects off its metallic body. Behind and slightly below him, A thick-trunked alien tree spreads its canopy wide and flat, mirroring the form of the robot's arms, elbows pointed out. From the top down, the sky is a lime to lemon gradient that bleeds to orange and purple haze at the horizon. The mound of dirt in the foreground is sparsely covered with leaves and berries, framing a human face.

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

Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 2 months ago

GISKARD (1984)
Acrylic on Watercolor Board - 28” x 18”

What makes someone human? Can a robot be murdered? What is the future of human relationships and what is the ultimate destiny for the human race? 1/5

#bookcover #illustration #sciencefiction #isaacasimov #robots #delreybooks

der.hans and 2 others boosted

Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 5 months ago

THE WHITE DRAGON (1978)
Acrylic on Masonite - 20" X 30"

Although this is the third book in the series, it was my first Pern cover and I was determined to create the dragons as faithfully to Anne McCaffrey's description as possible. 1/5

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

Ruth, a pearl white dragon with green eyes, poses regally with wings spread against a cliff face. Her rider Jaxom rears back, saddle-mounted just above her wings. A foreclaw grips rock as the other releases, flexing like fingers. Ruth's tail, marked with a parallel ridges of short spikes and ending in a spade-shaped tip, curls forward around her back leg. A tiny dragon grasps Jaxom's finger, perching like a bird. Across the misty valley, a group of dragons take flight, soaring past the Red Star which hangs in deep blue sky like a bloody moon just above the jagged spine of mountains.

Michael Whelan

@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art · 5 months ago

THE WHITE DRAGON (1978)
Acrylic on Masonite - 20" X 30"

Although this is the third book in the series, it was my first Pern cover and I was determined to create the dragons as faithfully to Anne McCaffrey's description as possible. 1/5

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