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Michael Whelan
@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago

DARKNESS OVER HAYHOLT (2016)
Acrylic on Gessobord - 24” x 36”

When DAW contacted me 35 years ago about illustrating the cover for a high fantasy novel by Tad Williams, an amazing relationship began with THE DRAGONBONE CHAIR. 1/5

#fantasy #fantasyart #sff #illustration #tadwilliams #ostenard #dawbooks

Constrained view of a castle courtyard as seen at night through a stone archway lit from behind the viewer. On the right, the Tower of Hjeldin rises with wide narrow, barred slits at the top glowing red. The statue of an angel stands on the left with one arm raised. Tall bushes obscure the entrance through an inner wall leading to the keep. Above is a mix of starry dark sky and layers of clouds illuminated by a glowing crescent moon.
Constrained view of a castle courtyard as seen at night through a stone archway lit from behind the viewer. On the right, the Tower of Hjeldin rises with wide narrow, barred slits at the top glowing red. The statue of an angel stands on the left with one arm raised. Tall bushes obscure the entrance through an inner wall leading to the keep. Above is a mix of starry dark sky and layers of clouds illuminated by a glowing crescent moon.
Constrained view of a castle courtyard as seen at night through a stone archway lit from behind the viewer. On the right, the Tower of Hjeldin rises with wide narrow, barred slits at the top glowing red. The statue of an angel stands on the left with one arm raised. Tall bushes obscure the entrance through an inner wall leading to the keep. Above is a mix of starry dark sky and layers of clouds illuminated by a glowing crescent moon.
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Michael Whelan
@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago

Tad’s work continued to inspire epic covers from Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn to the sequel series The Last King of Osten Ard, which began with this commission for The Witchwood Crown. 2/5

THE ANGEL OF HAYHOLT (2016), Acrylic and Pastel on Paper - 14” x 10”. A painted study that reverses the position of the angel statuefrom the final painting so the figure is facing left.
THE ANGEL OF HAYHOLT (2016), Acrylic and Pastel on Paper - 14” x 10”. A painted study that reverses the position of the angel statuefrom the final painting so the figure is facing left.
THE ANGEL OF HAYHOLT (2016), Acrylic and Pastel on Paper - 14” x 10”. A painted study that reverses the position of the angel statuefrom the final painting so the figure is facing left.
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Michael Whelan
@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago

For this book, I explored several motifs for the witchwood trees, which readers of the original trilogy might recall were combined with iron in “a blasphemy against the earth” to forge the sword Jingizu. 3/5

Study for DARKNESS OVER HAYHOLT featuring a witchwood tree against a gray background. The wood is opalescent where the bark has peeled off. The trunk and roots are twist and curl at the bottom while the shock of foliage at the top of the tree radiates outward.
Study for DARKNESS OVER HAYHOLT featuring a witchwood tree against a gray background. The wood is opalescent where the bark has peeled off. The trunk and roots are twist and curl at the bottom while the shock of foliage at the top of the tree radiates outward.
Study for DARKNESS OVER HAYHOLT featuring a witchwood tree against a gray background. The wood is opalescent where the bark has peeled off. The trunk and roots are twist and curl at the bottom while the shock of foliage at the top of the tree radiates outward.
Study for DARKNESS OVER HAYHOLT featuring a witchwood tree set against a black background. The tree has a more tropical appearance with papery tan bark peeling to reveal coffee brown wood underneath. The leaves are literally shaped like swords.
Study for DARKNESS OVER HAYHOLT featuring a witchwood tree set against a black background. The tree has a more tropical appearance with papery tan bark peeling to reveal coffee brown wood underneath. The leaves are literally shaped like swords.
Study for DARKNESS OVER HAYHOLT featuring a witchwood tree set against a black background. The tree has a more tropical appearance with papery tan bark peeling to reveal coffee brown wood underneath. The leaves are literally shaped like swords.
SORROW (2016), a runed blade reflecting odd patterns of light. It has a double crossguard with the side facing the grip shorter and thicker. The grip itself is wrapped in black leather and studded.
SORROW (2016), a runed blade reflecting odd patterns of light. It has a double crossguard with the side facing the grip shorter and thicker. The grip itself is wrapped in black leather and studded.
SORROW (2016), a runed blade reflecting odd patterns of light. It has a double crossguard with the side facing the grip shorter and thicker. The grip itself is wrapped in black leather and studded.
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Michael Whelan
@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago

This time around, the publisher preferred a more mysterious approach without the main characters—it’s the red menace in the windows of the Tower of Hjeldin that takes center stage. 4/5

Detail from DARKNESS OVER HAYHOLT featuring the Tower of Hjeldin which is markedly different in construction than the buildings on the left. It looks more ancient and chaotic, built of stones that are not uniform size and shape. At the top of the tower, a pair of wide narrow slits glow red through bars.
Detail from DARKNESS OVER HAYHOLT featuring the Tower of Hjeldin which is markedly different in construction than the buildings on the left. It looks more ancient and chaotic, built of stones that are not uniform size and shape. At the top of the tower, a pair of wide narrow slits glow red through bars.
Detail from DARKNESS OVER HAYHOLT featuring the Tower of Hjeldin which is markedly different in construction than the buildings on the left. It looks more ancient and chaotic, built of stones that are not uniform size and shape. At the top of the tower, a pair of wide narrow slits glow red through bars.
Detail from DARKNESS OVER HAYHOLT featuring the left side of the painting where the castle structures match in uniform style with wide crenelated towers. A statue of an angel with one arm raised is in the lower right.
Detail from DARKNESS OVER HAYHOLT featuring the left side of the painting where the castle structures match in uniform style with wide crenelated towers. A statue of an angel with one arm raised is in the lower right.
Detail from DARKNESS OVER HAYHOLT featuring the left side of the painting where the castle structures match in uniform style with wide crenelated towers. A statue of an angel with one arm raised is in the lower right.
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Michael Whelan
@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago

Cover illustration for THE WITCHWOOD CROWN by Tad Williams (DAW) 5/5

https://www.michaelwhelan.com/galleries/darkness-over-hayholt/

Book cover for THE WITCHWOOD CROWN by Tad Williams, published by DAW Books.
Book cover for THE WITCHWOOD CROWN by Tad Williams, published by DAW Books.
Book cover for THE WITCHWOOD CROWN by Tad Williams, published by DAW Books.
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