"House Wars: Battle"

My Drawing Board

I've finished the cover art for "Battle" by Michelle West and am turning it in today.  The center character is a master mage named Mairelon, who has risen into the air to fight a demon.  He has magically formed his armor about him and his sword, and since he has a special connection with wind and air, his sword doesn't look like it's made of steel, but of glass and swirls.  The field of sleepers concerns the problem the characters are contending with, which is a mysterious sleeping disease that has fallen upon the city of Averalaan Aramelas.  I hope I spelled everything correctly.  The strange butterflies in the air are the dreams of the sleepers, which if crushed, will kill the dreamers.  I didn't want them to be too pretty, so they are designed with bones, cobwebs, thorns, and points.  The finished painting is surrounded by my color rough, final drawing, and other reference.  I will take off the masking tape in a moment!