ART FROM JORDANCON
When visiting the Glass Onion Graphics booth at SFF conventions, a highlight is the opportunity to see Michael Whelan’s paintings in person.
Of course his art looks fantastic on dust jackets in the bookstore—and even reproduced on our website—but there is no substituting the wow factor of staring at his original paintings up close.
And then there’s the opportunity to speak with the artist himself. When Michael isn’t busy participating in panel discussions, he can usually be found at our booth.
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THE MAKING OF A MEMORY OF LIGHT
My approach to A MEMORY OF LIGHT was dictated by unfamiliarity with the series. Not having read The Wheel of Time books, I focused on the scene provided and the characters therein while also keeping in mind that this book was the culmination of many years of reading for devoted fans.
It seemed best to start with the focus of the painting: Rand himself.
My initial sketches explored the pose he might adopt as he entered the dark confines of the cave. I attached light sticks to a wooden bokken and descended a flight of stairs with the lights off, trying to get a feel for how he would be holding the sword to light his way into darkness. (Since early in my career, I’ve found a kinesthetic sense of the figure’s pose is helpful before attempting to recreate it in it’s variations.)
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A MEMORY OF LIGHT BOUND
A VISUAL TOUR ON TOR.COM
Are you a fan of the late Robert Jordan? A bibliophile? Or are you just obsessed with how things are made?
Head over to TOR.com for Irene Gallo’s tour of Quad Graphics, the book bindery where she documented the assembly of A MEMORY OF LIGHT, the last volume in the epic Wheel of Time series. Irene previously ran a feature on printing the sales proof of the cover. Both are fascinating articles and not to be missed.
And as the excitement builds for the release of A MEMORY OF LIGHT on January 8, 2013, we will be announcing a print of the cover illustration by Michael Whelan. Stay tuned for that as well as the addition of AMoL original art concepts in our shop!
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TOR.COM REVEALS WHELAN COVER ART
A MEMORY OF LIGHT COVER REVEAL
TOR.com: “We are very excited to reveal the cover to A Memory of Light, the final volume of Robert Jordan’s epic fantasy series The Wheel of Time. The artwork for this final edition is by, arguably, one of today’s most beloved illustrators, Michael Whelan.
“The task of jumping into a 14 volume series on its last installment must have been a daunting one but Michael rose to the occasion. Harriet McDougal, Jordan’s editor and widow remarked, “that is the Rand I have waited to see for twenty years.” when she saw the image. And while the artwork clearly has all the earmarks of a Whelan painting, it’s theme and coloration make it a fitting heir to Darrell K. Sweet’s series of Wheel of Time covers.”
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A MEMORY OF LIGHT
WHEEL OF TIME COVER ART
Michael has just finished the cover art for A MEMORY OF LIGHT, the 14th and final book in the classic Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and now Brandon Sanderson.
The first book was published in 1990 and over the years has garnered a huge fan following. Sadly, Robert Jordan died in 2007 after the 11th book, but he had mapped out the rest of the series and author Brandon Sanderson is finishing the epic.
Noted illustrator Darrell K. Sweet did the covers for all the other books, but he passed away unexpectedly late last year. Michael Whelan is honored to be a part of this enduring project and Tor Books will be releasing more news soon.
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THE WAY OF KINGS
NEW WHELAN COVER ART
Debuting today on Tor Books’ website is the first Michael Whelan cover in a long time. #1 best-selling author Brandon Sanderson’s THE WAY OF KINGS will be released late this summer, but you can see the front cover and the work in progress.
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