Michael Whelan
Fine artist of Imaginative Realism. Retired illustrator of Science Fiction and Fantasy. Winner of 15 Hugo Awards. Inducted into the SF Hall of Fame in 2009.
- AT THE EDGE OF MADNESS (2024) Acrylic - 14” x 11” Although interiors weren’t originally part of the commission from Centipede Press, I was so swept up in the process that I finished additional pieces. 1/3 www.michaelwhelan.com/shop/at-the-...
- While I experimented with the wild, loose background, I really honed in on the details of the story in the face and star stone. The anguish of the Antarctic explorer in the grip of the star relic hints at the cosmic horror that awaits. 2/3
- This original interior illustration for AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS by H.P. Lovecraft is available in our shop while it lasts: www.michaelwhelan.com/shop/origina... 3/3
- That’s fun! It’s like my STORMBRINGER story in reverse: when I was beginning to work on that cover I was searching for a pose I thought would work for the painting by taking a pole and swinging it at tall weeds in the backyard. 1/2
- When I held the pole up over my head I could feel how the pose would look. So, though I wasn’t in costume I was acting the Elric part too. 2/2
- ICYMI like I did, the @locusmag.bsky.social 2025 fundraiser is happening now. Locus has been an important pillar in the SFF community, dating back to 1968. Help offset rising costs and maybe pick up some cool swag: www.indiegogo.com/projects/loc...
- No, I use a size 000! It’s best to simulate detail whenever possible, but there are often times when I can’t avoid using a small detail brush…usually on small paintings with a lot of detail. This one took a lot of patience, but I was driven.
- Sorry, I can’t remember how long it took for me to do the painting, though I’m sure it wasn’t any “weekend work“ 😉 That’s why so many of these tightly detailed paintings are so small. 1/3
- I’m not trying to dodge the question; it’s just that [as noted elsewhere] I usually have at least two works going on at the same time, so I don’t do a good job of tracking how many hours or days are spent on any one piece. 2/3
- I’m sure it’s not good “business practice”, but the only way I know how to be creative is to I work on a piece until it seems finished to me. As Norman Rockwell said about his own work, “Some come easy, some come hard.” If I goof up it’s on my time to correct the error. 3/3
