Battle at the Embassy & the Inspiration

Scene breakdown:

The painting features a scene near the climax of Book Two, Remembering: Battle at the Pellarian Embassy.

Rowan, stunned by an explosion created by the enemy Magus, Ilyason, is struggling in vain to rise. The Brotherhood Assassins have stormed t

he Embassy grounds, and in order to protect her from multiple assailants, Torrin unleashes his Guardian magic.

Embassy Battle, oil on panel, work in progress

Painting Notes:

Here are photos of the piece so far. Still a lot to do...

Detail: Embassy Battle, oil on panel, work in progress

I used the torso and angle from the drawing of Torrin below. The biggest challenge is getting the expression of rage on his face right. It is a lot harder than creating repose or thoughtfulness. I still have some refinement to do on him even though he may look finished.

Instead of canvas, for these newer illustration paintings, I am working on Gesso Board, which has a much smoother surface and allows for greater detail.

Close Detail: Embassy Battle, oil on panel, work in progress

I haven't painted or drawn a lot of people, mostly animals. As a result, I have been spending time practicing, sketching and researching facial features and anatomy. Although I am not super happy with some of my earlier pieces, it is very gratifying to see the work getting better and more realistic in terms of lifelikeness. The characters are gradually becoming less wooden with more nuances to their expressions. I am actually quite excited to see where this painting goes as I continue to work on it.

One piece leads to the next!

I have been working on finishing this illustration of Torrin holding his sword... interestingly enough, this drawing has become source material for the above painting...

Torrin Holding his Sword

Until next time....

Best regards,

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See the Post for the drawing above

TORRIN HOLDING HIS SWORD