The Way of Kings (cover art) by Michael Whelan:
This piece by Michael Whelan is cover art for the book: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. Michael Whelan is a professional illustrator and made this using acrylics. The size is 24" by 40". Some elements of design being used are line, space, proportion, and forms. The main line I see is an implied line going from warrior to warrior, through their line of sight. Proportion from how the guy closest to us is bigger and how small the second guy is shows us how far away he is. Form from how the ridges form pyramidal forms. Value is also being used in the shading of the cliffs and the darkening in the distance. I chose this piece because it is what drew me to reading the book. A lot of books have cheesy artwork, no artwork at all, or just a picture of an actor. I liked this piece, decided to read the book, and liked the book. I know the saying goes that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but it happens whether or not I want it to and a book with a cool cover encourages me to read the book.
