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Michael Whelan
Michael Whelan
@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art  ·  activity timestamp 2 days ago

DESCENT (1989)
Acrylic on Canvas - 28” x48”

When I was asked to do a new cover for Ray Bradbury's classic THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES, I reread it and found I was deeply moved by the sense of inevitable tragedy that permeates the first half of the book. 1/4

#sciencefiction #illustration #raybradbury #bookcover

A comet streaks across the Martian sky over a distant city and descending past a massive rectangular horned arch. Mountains run along the horizon like irregular plates jutting from its spine. The familiar red-orange of Martian regolith is broken by deep blue canals that wind through the landscape. In the immediate foreground, a trio of domed towers, each unique, dwarf tall slender pyramids clustered just beyond. Set above all that to the foreground right, a raised pool reflects the sky in a gray-blue gradient. A pair of bronze skinned humans sit next to it on an ivory overhang dotted with amber beads. The surface is elegantly patterned ending in a lace-like edging. One man holds an ornate mask over his face, casting a distinctly alien gaze at the viewer. In contrast, his companion cups his mask in his hand, exposing slightly elongated features in profile, as he gazes up at the contrail that crosses the sky.
A comet streaks across the Martian sky over a distant city and descending past a massive rectangular horned arch. Mountains run along the horizon like irregular plates jutting from its spine. The familiar red-orange of Martian regolith is broken by deep blue canals that wind through the landscape. In the immediate foreground, a trio of domed towers, each unique, dwarf tall slender pyramids clustered just beyond. Set above all that to the foreground right, a raised pool reflects the sky in a gray-blue gradient. A pair of bronze skinned humans sit next to it on an ivory overhang dotted with amber beads. The surface is elegantly patterned ending in a lace-like edging. One man holds an ornate mask over his face, casting a distinctly alien gaze at the viewer. In contrast, his companion cups his mask in his hand, exposing slightly elongated features in profile, as he gazes up at the contrail that crosses the sky.
A comet streaks across the Martian sky over a distant city and descending past a massive rectangular horned arch. Mountains run along the horizon like irregular plates jutting from its spine. The familiar red-orange of Martian regolith is broken by deep blue canals that wind through the landscape. In the immediate foreground, a trio of domed towers, each unique, dwarf tall slender pyramids clustered just beyond. Set above all that to the foreground right, a raised pool reflects the sky in a gray-blue gradient. A pair of bronze skinned humans sit next to it on an ivory overhang dotted with amber beads. The surface is elegantly patterned ending in a lace-like edging. One man holds an ornate mask over his face, casting a distinctly alien gaze at the viewer. In contrast, his companion cups his mask in his hand, exposing slightly elongated features in profile, as he gazes up at the contrail that crosses the sky.
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Michael Whelan
Michael Whelan
@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 days ago

I was also struck by the weirdness of the Martian culture and noted that the cities were said to be like bones. I liked the metaphor enough to use bone and coral-like forms for the architecture. 2/4

2 media
Preliminary concept for THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES featuring a solitary figure wearing an ornate mask with hands resting on their lap as they sit cross-legged on a raised dune. A contrail arcs overhead toward two towers. In the immediate background a plain is marked with paths of intersecting arcs. On the horizon, a futuristic city rises in elegant towers. A large moon is mostly obscured while a smaller circle hovers in the nearby sky.
Preliminary concept for THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES featuring a solitary figure wearing an ornate mask with hands resting on their lap as they sit cross-legged on a raised dune. A contrail arcs overhead toward two towers. In the immediate background a plain is marked with paths of intersecting arcs. On the horizon, a futuristic city rises in elegant towers. A large moon is mostly obscured while a smaller circle hovers in the nearby sky.
Preliminary concept for THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES featuring a solitary figure wearing an ornate mask with hands resting on their lap as they sit cross-legged on a raised dune. A contrail arcs overhead toward two towers. In the immediate background a plain is marked with paths of intersecting arcs. On the horizon, a futuristic city rises in elegant towers. A large moon is mostly obscured while a smaller circle hovers in the nearby sky.
ARRIVAL (1989), Acrylics on Watercolor Board. Preliminary concept for THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES featuring a solitary figure wearing an ornate mask holding a scepter as they sit cross-legged in the foreground right. The hint of a contrail descends above.
ARRIVAL (1989), Acrylics on Watercolor Board. Preliminary concept for THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES featuring a solitary figure wearing an ornate mask holding a scepter as they sit cross-legged in the foreground right. The hint of a contrail descends above.
ARRIVAL (1989), Acrylics on Watercolor Board. Preliminary concept for THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES featuring a solitary figure wearing an ornate mask holding a scepter as they sit cross-legged in the foreground right. The hint of a contrail descends above.
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Michael Whelan
Michael Whelan
@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 days ago

Harkening back to legends of comets being harbingers of doom, the trail of the descending craft from Earth became the chief symbolic element in the painting. 3/4

Preliminary concept for THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES featuring a man in spacesuit holding a rifle in one hand and an alien mask in another. A tall rectangular arch rises in the background followed by a range of mountains that partially obscure the sun.
Preliminary concept for THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES featuring a man in spacesuit holding a rifle in one hand and an alien mask in another. A tall rectangular arch rises in the background followed by a range of mountains that partially obscure the sun.
Preliminary concept for THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES featuring a man in spacesuit holding a rifle in one hand and an alien mask in another. A tall rectangular arch rises in the background followed by a range of mountains that partially obscure the sun.
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Michael Whelan
Michael Whelan
@MichaelWhelan@mastodon.art replied  ·  activity timestamp 2 days ago

Book cover for THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES by Ray Bradbury (Bantam Spectra) 4/4

https://www.michaelwhelan.com/galleries/descent/

3 media
Book cover for THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES by Ray Bradbury, published by Bantam Spectra
Book cover for THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES by Ray Bradbury, published by Bantam Spectra
Book cover for THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES by Ray Bradbury, published by Bantam Spectra
Close detail of the pair of Martian men in the foreground seated next to a pool of water reflecting the sky. The comet descends in the far distance positioned over their heads.
Close detail of the pair of Martian men in the foreground seated next to a pool of water reflecting the sky. The comet descends in the far distance positioned over their heads.
Close detail of the pair of Martian men in the foreground seated next to a pool of water reflecting the sky. The comet descends in the far distance positioned over their heads.
Close detail of the trio of domed towers in the foreground of DESCENT. In the far distance behind, a Martian city is nestled on a rise with a dramatic sweep of mountain angling upward as a backdrop.
Close detail of the trio of domed towers in the foreground of DESCENT. In the far distance behind, a Martian city is nestled on a rise with a dramatic sweep of mountain angling upward as a backdrop.
Close detail of the trio of domed towers in the foreground of DESCENT. In the far distance behind, a Martian city is nestled on a rise with a dramatic sweep of mountain angling upward as a backdrop.
The Art of Michael Whelan

DESCENT

When Michael was asked to do a new cover for Ray Bradbury’s classic THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES, he reread it and found he was deeply moved by the sense of inevitable tragedy that permeates the fi…
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