SPHERE II | The Art of Michael Whelan

OTHER WORKS

Acrylic on watercolor board - 12" x 24"
1992

SPHERE II

Date

© 1992

Details

Acrylic on watercolor board

Size

12" x 24"

Personal Visions

greenangeltower

A man in chain armor and tattered cloak with a bandage wrapping his head holds out a sword at waist height. Flame licks the blade as his right hand ignites in blue green fire. A red and gold dragon perches just behind him with its massive aquiline head poised just over his shoulder as it's swings spread wide. It's left foreclaw grips the rock on which he stands while it's other claw extends around the man to envelop him in its defense. The dragon's eyes are vertical slits against a fiery glow. Behind them a blue crystalline lake leads to a castle topped with wide bronze domes on the opposite shore. Haze streaks the top of a moon hanging low and golden just above the horizon. Three pearlescent moons glow blue in the sky above, framed by the dragon's wings and billowing clouds.

wayofkings

eaglesarecoming

Winds swirl about a Serra Angel as she swoops down from the sky with wings spread and sword poised to strike. A Hurloon Minotaur grabs her ankle and raises its fist in counter attack. Rendered huge against the bluest sky, the sun puts a spotlight on the deadly exchange.

zworld

wellofshiuan

SAILOR ON THE SEAS OF FATE

A man in a cowboy hat and tattered leather duster steps through an open doorway that hovers impossibly a foot off the ground. A gun is holstered on his left hip. On close examination, the index and middle finger of his right hand are shortened to stubs. At his feet lies a thicket of vibrant red roses littered with human skulls. Straddling the doorway, the Gunslinger stands in awe of a massive, asymmetrical tower so tall that it blocks the sun. Traces of cloud sweep across the field of view and up the height of the tower, creating a hazy atmospheric effect that obscures the detail of the tower. Ravens circle the field just about the horizon.

Framed by a full moon rising over hilltop, a female warrior poses triumphantly with her foot on the corpse of a defeated foe. Her heavy armor is a combination of segmented plate and exposed chainmail. Pauldrons flare wing-like, as does the bottom of her helm which is topped with a high tassel. Unrestrained wispy blonde hair is caught by the breeze. She holds a long spear with ribbons also stirring. A heavy mace hangs on her opposite hip while a sword with thin curving blade and crescent ornament on the grip hangs low on her back. A black steed cranes its neck ever so slightly to see around her.

amazons2

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.

orb

swordsandicemagic

A solitary figure sits atop a throne made entirely of skulls. His hands are the only features not obscured by shadow or the flowing crimson of his hooded cloak, which spills down the raised dais. Candles set on each arm of the throne melt over the inset skulls. A wisp of smoke trails from one. On the floor lie several bodies. One man died grabbing at his throat. A woman in a white gown lies awkwardly on one hip while her arm extends behind her where she fell. An empty chalice lies on its side.

Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, stares contemplatively across the sea as waves gently lap the shore. Footprints can be seen in the damp sand leading to where he sits, pistol unstrapped at his hip and bedroll at his side. The sun hangs low but intense, blazing a line of orange across the horizon. Over a low stretch of wispy clouds, the silhouette of an asymmetrical tower rises dream-like in the sky. Odd projections mark the sides while spires of varying height sit atop the peak like chaotic crenelations.

lordprotector

stronghold

Wearing a tan cloak with red trim, a woman with long brown hair stands next to a scaly green dragon. Perched on the rocky seashore, it curls its long slender tail and spreads its wings over her. A spiky conch-like shell hovers over her outstretched palm, casting a radial aura that illuminates them both. Reverently, her other hand is held to her chest as her eyes are cast up. Behind them, an outcrop of dark rock projects up on diagonals that mirror the the shore they stand on. The backdrop mostly blocks out a night sky painted in a gradient of blue to purple. Two crescent moons spaced far apart are visible in the break between the rocks.

spellweavers

stoneoffarewell

chronos

runesoftheearth

tarrantsrealm

Framed by an arched buttress and castle wall, a boy kneels next to a white bearded man who rests a hand upon his head. Saturated blue with the background, a castle keep rises with mountain peaks visible farther in the distance. The boy wraps his arms around a dog. The man wears white robes and holds a candlestick. The wax is melted nearly down to its base. A book lies fanned on the ground, and a ferret emerges from the tent of its pages. On the left, obscured from their view by the castle wall, a hand emerges with a finger raised (perhaps in caution or rebuke). The fabric on the exposed arm is a motley checkered pattern.

A dark haired, tan skinned woman hovers in the air in front of a wall made of uneven stone. White steps materialize beneath her feet in a tight spiral arch. Her left hand reaches out for a Shardblade. The pearlescent sword is longer than she is tall. It has an asymmetrical guard with one quillon curving up and the other down. Midway down the slender blade, the sword ripples as it is taking shape. Projecting from her right hand is a line of golden metal flowing like liquid to fill a massive breach in the wall. Through the gap beyond, a Thunderclast—a giant made of stone—can be seen in the distance. The figure is so large it's head and shoulders extend out of frame.

A man wearing the skull of a deer clasps the long tube of a telescope tightly to him. One sleeve of his tattered white garments is rolled up past the elbow. Ridges of veins are raised in the tense grips of his hands. Red orbs fill the sockets of the skull while green ribbon twists around the bone until loosely draping over antlers. Filaments sprout, oddly feathery, from the curling rack. On the dingy shelves behind, a small assortment of hardbound books lean with more stacked haphazardly on the long shelf below. Charts tacked to the wall curl with age. Points of light, more like street lamps than stars, gleam in the cracked glass of a many-paned window.

crownofshadows

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