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

GATE OF IVREL (1975)
Acrylic and Oil on Canvas Board - 17" x 18"

The context for this commission—quite possibly lost in the long arc of our careers—was as C.J. Cherryh’s debut novel. It was a unique assignment coming in the first year of my career when I was almost exclusively paired with well established authors. 1/4

#fantasy #illustration #morgaine #cjcherryh #dawbooks

White-haired Morgaine stands triumphantly with arms stretched overhead as she draws a gleaming sword from sheath. A gate frame her from behind. The central portal is filled with a field of stars and the outer edge of the gate is patterned with futuristic circuitry. On one knee before Morgaine, a warrior grips the handle and crossguard of a curved sword with the tip of the blade planted in the ground.
White-haired Morgaine stands triumphantly with arms stretched overhead as she draws a gleaming sword from sheath. A gate frame her from behind. The central portal is filled with a field of stars and the outer edge of the gate is patterned with futuristic circuitry. On one knee before Morgaine, a warrior grips the handle and crossguard of a curved sword with the tip of the blade planted in the ground.
White-haired Morgaine stands triumphantly with arms stretched overhead as she draws a gleaming sword from sheath. A gate frame her from behind. The central portal is filled with a field of stars and the outer edge of the gate is patterned with futuristic circuitry. On one knee before Morgaine, a warrior grips the handle and crossguard of a curved sword with the tip of the blade planted in the ground.
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GhostOnTheHalfShell
@GhostOnTheHalfShell@masto.ai replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago

@MichaelWhelan

Imma always a sucker for this stuff. Always was a Franzetta fan and this particular style recalls him.

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Dizzy
@BubblegumYeti@mastodon.social replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago

@MichaelWhelan Now you remind me I still have to read that series. Great cover!

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Mastodon Migration
@mastodonmigration@mastodon.online replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago

@BubblegumYeti @MichaelWhelan

It's a wonderful series. You are in for a treat.

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

From the very first Morgaine book, it had been my intention to mirror the author’s handling of gender roles in opposition to old fantasy tropes. 2/4

Figure detail from GATE OF IVREL featuring a warrior kneeling in front of Morgaine. He's down on one knee as he grips the handle and crossguard of a curving sword with the tip of the blade planted in the ground. His eyes appear cast down or closed reverently.
Figure detail from GATE OF IVREL featuring a warrior kneeling in front of Morgaine. He's down on one knee as he grips the handle and crossguard of a curving sword with the tip of the blade planted in the ground. His eyes appear cast down or closed reverently.
Figure detail from GATE OF IVREL featuring a warrior kneeling in front of Morgaine. He's down on one knee as he grips the handle and crossguard of a curving sword with the tip of the blade planted in the ground. His eyes appear cast down or closed reverently.
Figure detail from GATE OF IVREL featuring Morgaine with long white hair and sweeping cloak. She is minimally clad in a white bikini top, leather belt, and a skirt that resembles a draping loin cloth. Her hands are similarly gloved in white as she holds a sword overhead. The blade gleams as it slides from the sheath.
Figure detail from GATE OF IVREL featuring Morgaine with long white hair and sweeping cloak. She is minimally clad in a white bikini top, leather belt, and a skirt that resembles a draping loin cloth. Her hands are similarly gloved in white as she holds a sword overhead. The blade gleams as it slides from the sheath.
Figure detail from GATE OF IVREL featuring Morgaine with long white hair and sweeping cloak. She is minimally clad in a white bikini top, leather belt, and a skirt that resembles a draping loin cloth. Her hands are similarly gloved in white as she holds a sword overhead. The blade gleams as it slides from the sheath.
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Michael Whelan
@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago

I reversed the positioning seen on the Frank Frazetta Conan The Barbarian cover with the woman at the feet of the warrior. 3/4

CONAN THE ADVENTURER by Frank Frazetta. A well-muscled, bare chested barbarian stands atop a mound with a naked damsel draped over one slope. His sword is planted in the ground with his fingers grasping the pommel. The scabbard slung low behind him is empty. The background is an abstract combination of a skull in the upper left and another hooded skull over a mountaintop castle on the right. A wall of flames rises on the horizon.
CONAN THE ADVENTURER by Frank Frazetta. A well-muscled, bare chested barbarian stands atop a mound with a naked damsel draped over one slope. His sword is planted in the ground with his fingers grasping the pommel. The scabbard slung low behind him is empty. The background is an abstract combination of a skull in the upper left and another hooded skull over a mountaintop castle on the right. A wall of flames rises on the horizon.
CONAN THE ADVENTURER by Frank Frazetta. A well-muscled, bare chested barbarian stands atop a mound with a naked damsel draped over one slope. His sword is planted in the ground with his fingers grasping the pommel. The scabbard slung low behind him is empty. The background is an abstract combination of a skull in the upper left and another hooded skull over a mountaintop castle on the right. A wall of flames rises on the horizon.
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Michael Whelan
@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art replied  ·  activity timestamp 3 days ago

Cover illustration for the book by C.J. Cherryh (DAW) 4/4

https://www.michaelwhelan.com/galleries/gate-of-ivrel/

The Art of Michael Whelan

GATE OF IVREL

Visit the post for more.
Book cover for GATE OF IVREL by C.J. Cherryh, published by DAW Books
Book cover for GATE OF IVREL by C.J. Cherryh, published by DAW Books
Book cover for GATE OF IVREL by C.J. Cherryh, published by DAW Books
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