Spiral of Tharizdun

Scar

Acrylic on Board,

Approx 14" x 17"

Original Artwork For Sale

Copyright Wizards of the Coast

I mentioned previously about my commission to produce packaging for the Dungeons and Dragons Feywild Fortune Cards, well I must have done something right as I was subsequently asked to produce a further piece of art for another set. This time around though I was dealing with Scar, a meaty half-orc with some magic skills as well as a hefty axe.

Once again I needed to keep the focus on the top part of the image, so that the important features wouldn't be lost in the packaging. The Spiral of Tharizdun's fire helped by providing a very useful device with which to bring focus and round out the figure with some strong rim lighting.

This is how the painting appears on the packaging:

This was the initial line sketch:

Deatils of the Fortune Cards set can be found here.

Arise

Arise

Wildborn Series.©Ralph Horsley.

Acrylic, Approx 11" x 15"

Original artwork for sale: $400
Image available for license.

I have been very gratified by the response to my first set of 'Wildborn' paintings, and this has spurred my efforts to try and fit in some more  paintings for the series.

I have always been inspired by Mountains, I guess helped by growing up in  a very hilly part of England - The Lake District, especially the effect light can have on them. This piece proved great fun in exploring that.

Here is a walkthrough of my process.

Facebook page; http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ralph-Horsley/270339214891

Book of Vile Darkness

The Book of Vile Darkness was a very popular book for the 3.5 edition of D&D. and quickly acquired a cult following because of  its subject matter, which dealt with the darker side of the gameworld.

You can then imagine how thrilled I was to be asked to work on the new publication for 4th edition D&D, and better still that I was offered two chapters starts; lovely double page spreads that I could really go to town on.

This was especially true of the first, which was the opening chapter in the book, and needed to show the legendary Liche Vecna using the book to unleash the forces of evil upon the world  in all their chaotic bloodthirsty fury.

Evil Unearthed

Approx 21" x 19"

Acrylic on board.

Original SOLD

Copyright Wizards of the Coast

As I wanted to show a vast broiling battlefield I deliberately chose a restricted palette with a sickly colour range, whilst reserving the blue light to pinpoint Vecna.

The composition needed to fit within a strict template which effectively bisected the image into a left-hand third, and right-hand two thirds. This is how the mock-up looked:

The second illustration was equally enjoyable, allowing me to really sock it to one of the good guys - a Gold Dragon in it's own temple - ouch!

Smitten

Approx 21" x 19"

Acrylic on board.

Original SOLD

Copyright Wizards of the Coast

and the mock-up: