Last year I had the pleasure of being commissioned by Shawn Speakman, of Grim Oak Press, for an illustrated revisit on a fantasy classic, The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams.  Some how this novel had not crossed my path before except through the very well known Michael Whelan cover executed for DAW Books.  I am actually quite familiar with ALL the covers Michael has created for Tad Williams, especially To Green Angel Tower (below), one of Michael’s best, hands down.

Needless to say, it was a bit daunting to paint in Michael’s shadow.  One of the saving graces here was that another six interior, full color pieces were commissioned in addition to the cover which allowed me to step away from cover needs and explore many of the other characters found within the narrative.

The cover wrap around was just publicly unveiled this past Friday.  I was luckily enough to have shot a few process jpgs of this image, in part because I did not create my typical detailed preliminary drawing to guide me, and wanted to see how the choices affected the final image resolution.

Rough Concept Drawing- The Dragonbone Chair 11″ x 8.5″

Initial Acrylic Wash- The Dragonbone Chair 18″ x 34″

Second Acrylic Pass – The Dragonbone Chair 18″ x 34″

Beginning of Oils – The Dragonbone Chair 18″ x 34″

Final Cover Art – The Dragonbone Chair 18″ x 34″ Oil on Panel