SPYS | The Art of Michael Whelan

OTHER WORKS

1996

SPYS

Date

© 1996

Details

Size

Spys / Behind Enemy Lines
Spys

Other Works

she

stronghold

In a scene lit only by muzzle flash, a disfigured green humanoid grabs the leg of a boy threatening to pull him off a platform. As the boy Jake turns back, his face is etched in horror. Roland, the last Gunslinger, grabs his arm while simultaneously firing his big revolver. Roland's weight is shifted back so the lines of his arms and legs all parallel drawn out on diagonals to add to the sense of motion. From the set of his square jaw and snarl on his lips to his brow pinched in concentration, Roland's expression is pure grit and determination. His eyes are drawn to murderous beads taking aim at the slack jawed, drooling Slow Mutant.

zworld

spellforchameleon

Light slants across the mist hanging over an Asian-style water garden. Lost in meditation, a monk sits with legs crossed, levitating a few feet off the ground. On either side of him, two banner hang from a pergola with wide overhanging eaves like a pagoda. Set on blue, an simple overlapping flower crest reflect Japanese iconography while on red an ornate dragon evokes Chinese style. On an arched bridge over peaceful green-blue waters, a band of warriors gather looking toward the solitary monk.

darktower

wayofkings

At the base of a spiral staircase, Elric stands over a green scaled demon. He draws back the long blade of Stormbringer in a two-handed grip. A black trail of motion can be seen at the end of the blade as it begins to sweep overhead and down for a killing blow. His clothes are torn to shreds and blood trails down the pure white skin of his chest and thigh. The demon bears its fans and it's fore claws grip Elric's leg

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.

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.

Grass and ivy have overgrown ancient ruins, but the delicate artistry of the Sithi can be see in the still standing pillars and arches bathed in the golden light of sunset. A solitary statue kneels among the ruins. She holds a bow one-handed with an arrow knocked. In the other, she lightly grips a long spear with the tip angled down. In the foreground left, stairs wind up to another level of the ruins. A long sword and shield lay discarded there. Another skull and a dagger rest on the step above. Clearly, the remains are non-human based on the central ridge of spikes along the crown and the wing like projections from either edge of the skull.

With face etched in concern, a red-haired young man emerges through a circular archway into ancient ruins. In his arms, he cradles a small man with an arrow piercing his stomach. The man is slight in stature and has a youthful face—he could be mistaken for a child. Trailing behind is another figure outfit in wilderness garb and pack. The architecture has a distinctly elven feel, slightly overgrown. In the foreground left, a wolf howls as if acknowledging their approach. Deeper int he background, a series of ornate pillars obscure a larger facade, hinting at the depth of the ruins.

tarrantsrealm

nightsdaughter

stoneoffarewell

wildmagic

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.

A menacing figure stands on the husk of a dead alien tree in a bleak wasteland. He's dressed in ornate purple and black robes with hood drawn up. His gloved hands reach out to the bone white limbs that frame him. The ground is black and strewn with human bones. The sky is a mix of acidic orange and gray-purple.

eaglesarecoming

orb

On a grassy hilltop, Elric kneels over a defeated foe. Both hands grip Stormbringer as he sinks the long black rune blade deep. With lips parted and eyes pressed closed, Elric seems lost into the throes of ecstasy as purple tendrils of arcane energy draw forth another soul. Demonic faces, stretched and distorted, appear in the orange background above him.

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.

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.

darktowerlongroad

wordsofradiance

goldenkey

A woman in an elegant black dress with diagonal pinstripes sits measuring a

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