Welcome to another edition of Fan Art Friday! This time's theme is ta'veren: Rand, Mat, and Perrin.

Rand al'Thor, Matrim Cauthon, and Perrin Aybara are the three boys with whom the journey in The Eye of the World starts. Through the series they all go through lot of transformations, but they have needed each others' help time and again. This edition features all three of them together.

WoT: Mat, Rand and Perrin by Manweri

Mat with dice to show him as a gambler, Rand with a dragon to show him as the Dragon Reborn, and Perrin with wolves to show him as a Wolfbrother.

Ta'veren by starvnartist

Three of them, ready for battle.

Ta'veren by Lovegrove

Perrin looks like he is not going to let go of his farmer look, Rand has accepted that he is Dragon Reborn, and Mat is mischievous as usual.

Three Taverens finished by Zilverboy86

Prince of the Ravens, the Dragon Reborn with the Dark One's threat, and Perrin with the hawk and falcon on his shoulders.

Ta'veren by mattolsonart

This kind of reminds me of how I imagined the Last Battle.

ta'veren by katya-h

This artwork shows the artist's detail with faces.

Ta'veren by dem888

The background keeps reminding me of Shadar Logoth even though I know that the scene could not have taken place there.

Welcome to a new edition of Fan Art Friday! This week is about The Wheel of Time card teasers by ReddEra, and there's a surprise bonus at the end.

The Wheel of Time card teasers--made for Taveren Tees by artist Ariel Burgess--feature most of the important characters and they are some of the most beautiful artworks of the characters at present. This edition features some of my favorites. You can see others at the Wheel of Time Card Teasers Gallery.

Sammael

He looks like a general ready for a fight.

Moghedien

She sure looks like someone who manipulates from the shadows.

Galad Domodred

No one can mistake Galad for anyone but a Whitecloak.

Berelain Sur Paendrag Paeron

Beautiful! One word says it all.

Aludra

Aludra looks fiery, ready with her dragon.

Now here's a bonus, an interview with artist Ariel Burgess (or ReddEra) herself.

Q: How did you get into art?

 

A: I started drawing at a very young age. Most of my family members are artists so I was introduced to art at an early age. I think when I started when I was four and have not stopped since.

 

Q: How did you get into WoT?

 

A: I was introduced to The Wheel of Time when I was fifteen. My boyfriend at the time begged me to read it. His mother read it to him when he was a child so he had wanted to share. I actually was not interested in the series until book three, The Dragon Reborn. After that I read them like candy. I have just started my first re-read.

 

Q: What do you love to make?

 

A: My most desired medium is Digital painting. After that I really love drawing in pencil and painting in acrylics.

 

Q: If given a paper and pencil, what will you make?

 

A: This is actually the toughest part about drawing. I am often inspired and have no idea what to draw. If I am just going to draw with no reference than I will most likely draw a favorite character.

 

Q: Some of your favorite works done by yourself?

 

A: I am very critical of myself so I do not have too many favorites. I think any favorite would have to be one's where I learned something new and applied it well. Examples would be:

 

Raylan Portrait

A Commissioned Portrait of a WoT fan dressed like Birgitte

Realistic portrait of Sookie Stackhouse

The Aludra Card

The Lyanna Stark portrait (It is unfinished)

 

I have some others but I like these most.

To see more of Ariel's work, here are some links:

Ariel's Website

Ariel's Facebook Page

Wheel of Time Facebook page

Welcome to Fan Art Friday! This week's theme is symbols. Just a note here that many of the artworks used were made as wallpapers.

Symbols are an important part of The Wheel of Time. From the Aes Sedai rings to the Dragon pins; from the servant of all symbol to various flags and chapter icons we see. The most common symbols are the Great Serpent, the Flame of Tar Valon, the Dragon's Fang and the Wheel of Time. Here are some artworks using symbols.

Wheel of Time Wallpaper by Darksider0

Great Serpent with representations of saidar and saidin.

Wheel of Time pile-on by thequiet1k

A lot of symbols. How many can you guess?

The Wheel of Time by Darksider0

Another way of seeing the Wheel with saidar and saidin

The Wheel of Time by ajkareze

Saidar and saidin are in the center of the Wheel of Time with seven spokes for the seven Ages.

The Fires of the Wheel by SakamotoKaito

The Wheel of Time on a background of fire.

Saidin vs Saidar by spiritofthewillow

Saidar with Nynaeve, and saidin with Rand, symbolizing the dual forces of the One Power.

Welcome to another edition of Fan Art Friday! Today's theme is Min.

Elmindreda (Min) Farshaw is probably one of the most loved female characters. She is known for her refusal to wear skirts (except in certain cases) and making breeches a fashion statement among women. She is one of Rand's girls and she can see the future in people's auras.

So here is Min...

Min Farshaw by Yunyin

Min in her rose colored breeches. This image is kind of cute.

Min Farshaw by Ellyka

Min in the classic pose of Randland women. This is what Min would have looked like after she started wearing snug breeches.

Min Farshaw by pollyuranus

Pollyuranus wanted to show Min's coat and breeches in full to give a better look but focused more on her face. Still, this looks good and stays true to the character.

Wheel of Time's Min Farshaw by AimeeCosette

With curls removed to get a better boyish look, Min looks like a fighter with knives ready to face anyone.

Welcome to another edition of Fan Art Friday!

Seanchan are the people from across the Aryth Ocean. Artur Hawkwing sent his son to conquer the Seanchan lands. As time passed, the Seanchan and Luthair Hawkwing's people merged into one. The Seanchan are known for their damane, collard women born with the spark, and sul'dam, who are women who can learn to channel, control the damane. The nobility or Blood are marked by lacquered nails and shaved heads.

Important incidents with the Seanchan include Falme, the capture of Amadicia, and the attack at White Tower, among several others.

This edition brings to you the Empress, may she live forever, damane, the battle at White Tower, Seanchan insect-like armor, and a symbol representative of Seanchan.

Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag by PollyUranus

The Seanchan Raid by Sango1013

Damane by SicilianValkyrie

Seanchan by tjsavolainen

Seanchan by DonXavier

Mazrim Taim by purplefriiday

Taim by merriya

The Wheel of Time: Mazrim by darlinginc

WOT: Mazrim Taim by ReddEra

It's Friday and Fan Art Friday is back. This time the focus is on Logain.

Logain is introduced as a False Dragon. He is gentled and then smuggled out of the White Tower. He is the first person to be Healed from gentling. Min's viewing says he will achieve great glory.

In Black Tower, Logain leads the Asha'man who resist the Shadow and prevents the whole Black Tower from going over to the Shadow.

So here comes Logain...

wheel of time, Logain by Qetzalkoatl

WOT card teasers 2 Logain by ReddEra

Logain's Glory Moment by Cloodsama

Logain by DoodlesandDaydreams

Nynaeve heals Logain by Gala-maia

It's Friday again and Fan Art Friday is back with the last part of the Architecture and Scenery. This time there is more focus on scenery than architecture. This part brings to you scenery from Waygates to Mashadar to the Spine of the World.

The Waygates were made by the male Aes Sedai after the Breaking as a thanksgiving gift for the Ogier who had sheltered them. Gradually the Taint on saidin affected the Ways.  Machin Shin came into existence and devoured most who entered the Ways.

Mashadar was the product of distrust in Aridhol. It changed Aridhol, a great city, to Shadar Logoth or Shadow's Waiting. Mashadar devours most who enter the city. Even Trollocs fear to enter Shadar Logoth because of Mashadar.

The Spine of the World is the great mountain range which separates the main part of the world from the Aiel Waste. It is also called the Dragonwall by the Aiel.

The door of the way by lioucihan

Waygate at Manetheren by robchristainson

Fog suit 6: Mashadar by FalineDrake

Spine of the World by stickersticker

Sorry for not getting an article up for the last few weeks; I ran into a few problems. But now it's Friday again and I will continue on with the Architecture and Scenery feature. This week has artwork from some mysterious and secret places.

Rhuidean is a city shrouded in mystery. For centuries it remained under a dense fog. No man could go into Rhuidean more than once, and no woman more than twice. This was until the weaves over Rhuidean were destroyed in the fight between Rand and Asmodean.

The White Tower is the home of Aes Sedai. Aes Sedai are known for their mysteriousness and secrecy. The image is of the Hall of Sitters.

The last image is of Dragonmount. Dragonmount's peak and upper slopes are places where no one has gone and come out alive to tell of it.

The introductions done, the artworks are...

Rhuidean at Night by kaikonen

Chamber in Rhuidean by kaikonen

Hall of the Sitters by RShara

The slopes of Dragonmount by robchristianson

It is said that the Ogier are great builders. The cities they build seem to have a life of their own. Among the Ogier built cities, Tar Valon is said to be the most beautiful. Tar Valon is followed by Caemlyn in terms of beauty. People of Caemlyn say that Tar Valon could not be more beautiful than Caemlyn, but that is so because they have not seen Tar Valon.

In honor of these two cities, this week's fan art is focused on Caemlyn, Tar Valon, and places in and around them.

The White Tower by humite

Caemlyn from Tar Valon Gate by artguyjoe

Dragonmount by NuttyMonk

That's it for Part 1 of Architecture and Scenery. Part 2 will be here next week, and you are free to guess what will be in store for you.

Trollocs. Fades. Draghkar. Myrddraal. Twisted Ones. Neverborn. The Shadowspawn have names that differ from region to region. They were created by Aginor during the Age of Legends for the fight against the forces of Light. They are the forces of the Dark One whose numbers are so large that the forces of Light cannot compare. They were formed from twisting humans and animals with the True Power.

Every fantasy needs the kinds of creatures it can throw against the good guys (and not mind dozens of them being killed in the process). The Wheel of Time has the Shadowspawn. The Shadowspawn are a varied bunch, including Trollocs, Fades, Draghkar, and gholam.

These creatures have been fascinating for me (or I just chose this topic because I call my brother a Trolloc).

Now, without further ado, I present to you the Shadowspawn.

Goat-horned Trolloc by t-biddy

Myrddraal by BloodRedFullMoon

Draghkar by cadavis3

I suppose my teachers could count as Shadowspawn, but I cannot post pictures of them here since they are not from the Wheel of Time series.  

That's all for today!  

(Artworks have been used with permission.)

Hey, guys! I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this will be my final Fan Art Friday blog post. I've loved sharing all my favorite Wheel of Time art with you, plus I'm going to miss all the perks of being Dragonmount staff. (No, they didn't let me read an advance copy of A Memory of Light, but they did let me interview a personal hero...but more on this later. You haven't quite seen the end of me yet.) Most importantly, I had the honor of getting to know our incomparable Front Page Admin, Dwyn, and all our other awesome front page bloggers.

The engineer in me couldn't resist doing a bit of statistical analysis before waving goodbye, so I'm afraid we'll be ending on a very mathematical note.

It's been a good run, with a total of 30 posts, 191 featured artworks, and 241 comments. Interestingly, there is no correlation between the number of works featured in a given week and the number of comments received (correlation coefficient = 0.056). The average number of works featured has been increasing with time (see trendline in figure below) such that, if I were to keep posting, I could expect to be featuring 26 posts per week by week 100 (though the R² value is only 0.34, so I would not call time a strong predictor...). In case you missed it, this was my most popular post.

Here's a figure mapping comments and works featured over time. As a point of curiosity, the lull in July coincides with Tynaal leaving her post as Rotating Features Blogger and Mashi, Ire, and EP coming on board to fill the void. I guess we're better together!

Now that we're beyond that little bit of silliness, I wanted to wrap up with a shout-out to the Wheel of Time group on deviantART and its awesome founder ~Gorgaidon. If you're craving more Wheel of Time fan art, her group is THE place to go.

And, of course, it wouldn't be Fan Art Friday without some fan art. Here are a whole bunch of artworks that I've collected over the years which, in spite of being awesome, never found their way into a previous post.

The Raven Lord by ~ToranekoStudios

Rhuidean by ~mandersen

Andoran Pride by *fee-absinthe

Birgitte Trahelion by ~livska

Siuan Sanche by ~str4yk1tt3n

Perrin, Rand, and Mat by ~minniearts

Rand and Perrin by *hamdiggy

Balefire by ~Seeshi-suin

Rand al'Thor by ~hevial

WoT: Elayne Trakand by ~Manweri

Escape the Dancing Cartman by ~Forbis

WoT--Rand and Matrim by ~aiconx

(Hey, it's my last week, I'll feature what I want! And what I want is some more Rand/Mat...)

Wheel of Time by ~nattfrost

And that's all, folks! See you around the forums!

The world of the Wheel is as much defined by objects, symbols, and clothing as it is by characters. Unfortunately for you all, I'm a pretty poor craftsman. This inability to create decent crafts has convinced me that I probably can't tell good crafts from bad crafts, and that I probably shouldn't try. So, I've been avoiding them.

This week, I hope to fix that. My goal today is to show the best of the best--craftsmanship so lovely that even I couldn't mistake it for anything other than the product of exceptional talent and painstaking effort.

The first half of the post is dedicated to objects and depictions of objects, while the second half is dedicated to cosplay and costuming. (I know, I know, depictions of objects are really works of art, not craft, and cosplay really deserves its own week. The theme today is a little tangled. Somehow, I think we'll muddle through.)

Dagger from Shadar Logoth by peregrine al thor

This is a beautifully detailed replica of one of the most interesting objects in Randland, done by a Dragonmount member with (if I do say so myself) exquisite taste in Internet handles. Check out his Dragonmount gallery for more Wheel of Time woodwork, including Mat's ashandarei!

Wheel of Time Map by Dragonmount member SuperScotty's wife, Janna

Oh my gosh, it's a giant oil painting of Randland. There is really no limit to the awesomeness and creativity of Wheel of Time fans, is there?

Great Serpent Ring by Corella Studios (deviantART gallery, personal site)

Corella Studios creates amazing 3-D art (including a lot more great Wheel of Time art). It's worth checking out their gallery if you have time. They are currently open for commissions.

Tarmon Gai'don 14 by ^Elandria

This is a stock image. To the best of my knowledge, this means it was created as a reference for other digital artists, traditional artists, and photomanipulators. I think it stands beautifully on its own. (I don't recognize the flag. I think this was inspired by The Wheel of Time, rather than directly adapted from it.)

Wheel of Time--Lily and Boar (Elayne and Gawyn) by ~DreaminBlood

Models: ~DreaminBlood and her twin (?) sister ~Wany-Waldnymphe. Photography by *chiisaiSaku.

A rare combination (for The Wheel of Time, at least) of beautiful cosplay and beautiful photography.

Star Wars meets WoT by ~more2lookfwd2 (Alex Molk)

Okay, I admit it. I'm not sharing this one because the costuming is awesome, even though it is, and I'm not sharing it just because it's a fun crossover. I'm sharing it because this guy looks exactly like the version of Mat in my head. Maybe it's because of his resemblance to versions of Mat drawn by ~Forbis and ~solitarium, which for me have always defined the character. What do you think?

Lanfear: Look to the Stars by ~TnSabregirl

Not being a cosplayer myself, I have not to date paid nearly enough attention to ~TnSabregirl's beautiful costumery. This dress is my favorite of her Wheel of Time costumes. The detail is just incredible.

I'm not very good at hiding my inner fantasy geek, but I haven't yet felt the overwhelming urge to permanently ink my skin with a declaration of my undying love for Mat Cauthon or The Wheel of Time. That's not to say I haven't thought about it. Probably the only thing saving me from just such an uncontrollable urge in the future is the fact that I've sworn off getting any more tattoos. (Three and a half hours of tattoo-machine-on-spine was my lifetime pain limit. I've had more fun skiing on a bone fracture.)

Even though I won't be getting any more tattoos, I still love looking at them. Luckily, there are some amazing Wheel of Time tattoos out there. Here are some of my favorites.

Unless I use full names below, I'm using Dragonmount handles. Also, there's a whole Dragonmount forum thread on this here. Jenn dedicated an old Fan Art Friday to this, too.

Marcus Allen Adams has a lot of Wheel of Time tattoos! The Andoran lion in the bottom right corner is a work in progress.

flafro got this amazing half sleeve tattoo done a while back...

...which inspired Bandenjamin to get this half sleeve.

(These are my favorites. I'm not ashamed to admit I'm staggered by the sheer awesomeness of flafro's and Bandenjamin's arms.)

FizzLiz posted this insanely adorable picture in the forums of her husband holding their baby girl Nynaeve.

Continuing the half sleeve theme, we've got Windstrider's awesome wheel-and-serpent tattoo...

...and a work in progress that Plazmuh is getting (has gotten? I'd love to see an update!)

In true Wheel of Time spirit, kanekaspar got this tattoo of a dragon wrapped around his forearm.

Emma Wardle got this along her ribs. I love the design and am in awe of her pain tolerance.

And these guys (C. Charles Lovat-Fraser on the left and Mark Johnston on the right) just made me laugh. Their tattoos are cool, too.

Last but not least, here's Dragonmount's illustrious founder, Jason Denzel, with his amazing dragon tattoo.

Last week, I introduced the amazing art on the Facebook page "Screw you all, I love Wheel of Time." Assuming you weren't so inspired by my post that you looked up the rest of the art yourself, I'm featuring another handful of favorites from the page this week.

Art by Cyndi Crews

1. Rand al'Thor by Madeleine Gusdal (Epilogue gallery, Elfwood gallery)

2. Selene by Madeleine Gusdal

3. Tinker Women by Cicely Combs

Cicely Combs' unique and fascinating style has become more sophisticated in the years since she painted these pieces. I highly recommend checking out her professional gallery!

4. The Rebel Amyrlin by Cicely Combs

5. Tinker Woman Dancing the Tiganza by Jon Foster

According to the Wheel of Time Wiki, this was created for the Wheel of Time roleplaying game. Jon Foster is an incredible professional artist with impressive vision--please check out his gallery if you have time. You won't regret it!

6. Rand by Meghan Waters

I love this one! I've never seen it anywhere else!

7. Rand al'Thor Pumpkin, Light Version by =joh-wee (pattern by ~TamIsMyFather)

Happy Halloween!

A while back, my friend Sam pointed me to the Facebook page "Screw you all, I love Wheel of Time." Besides being another great place to get your daily Wheel of Time fix (if Dragonmount just isn't enough for you), it also has a diverse and impressive collection of art I haven't seen anywhere else.* Here are some of my favorite fan works from the page. Tune in next week for more!

Art by Cyndi Crews

1. Book Jackets by Tim Cottrell

Go here to see the full project. Here are his covers for books 4-11.

2. Cold Rocks Hold by Jared Magneson (~lordstormdragon)

3. False Rose (Liandrin) by Lipták László

4. Rand al'Thor by Hamilton Cline (*hamdiggy)

5. al'Lan Mandragoran by Hamilton Cline

*Unfortunately, a lot of the art posted to the Facebook page is uncredited. I can't tell you how common it is to see uncredited fan art, or how disappointing. We fan artists put a lot of heart into our art, and we love to share it with you. If you value our work, please do us the honor of giving us credit for it!

In case you don't know, this is the etiquette for sharing art: Ask permission before reposting, if possible. You should also inform the artist that you have reposted their work and provide them a link to the page (again, if possible). At the very least, provide the artist's name when you repost and include a link to their gallery page, if they have one.

Silly me. I expended all my creativity and energy on a presentation for my PhD qualifying exams this week, and now I've got none left over for Fan Art Friday. Well, here are three mind-blowing recent Wheel of Time fan works to hold you over until I get my groove back.

Verin Mathwin in Emond's Field by ~Jieroque (Benjamin Roque)

To Dance with Jack of the Shadows by ~KaylaWoodside

Heartlines by ~unefleur

In other news (warning: shameless self-promotion), I did actually finish that sketch of Eldrene I posted a while back for the staff feature. I thought I'd share, in case anyone was interested.

Ten years ago, fan art of Fortuona was few and far between. Now that she's the Empress and Mat "I am not a bloody lord" Cauthon is First Prince of the Ravens, she's finally gotten her share of the spotlight. Who am I to deny her more?

Daughter of the Nine Moons by *Astriex

Empress Fortuona Athaem Devi Paendrag (formerly High Lady Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag, Daughter of the Nine Moons) is the second daughter of the late Empress Radhanan. As heiress to the Crystal Throne, she was in charge of leading the Return. She declared herself Empress after Semirhage slaughtered her entire family, and has since established Altara as the seat of Seanchan power in the Westlands. Her homeland is now mired in civil war.

Tuon Athaem Kore Paendrag by ~StarOfAstaroth (Noah Sheldon)

(Pointillism! This took 40 hours of work.)

Fortuona's childhood was sad and difficult. She saw her mother only twice a year before her sixteenth naming day (Winter's Heart, Chapter 14). We know only that her father "died of a bad wager" (Crossroads of Twilight, Chapter 28), ostensibly in one of the deadly plots she and her siblings were forced to execute to prove themselves worthy of one day ruling the Empire (a struggle in which two of her siblings were made da'covale, and in which she herself had a brother and a sister killed). She is a skilled fighter and wrestler, in spite of her tiny stature. She has survived many assassination attempts, the earliest of which occurred the year she was born. Twice, she has intentionally vanished and been presumed dead, down to the arrangement of her funeral rites (Crossroads of Twilight, Chapter 4). Her closest companion is her bodyguard, Voice, and Truthspeaker Selucia, who is also the closest thing to a mother she has ever known. Although hardened by the events of her childhood, she has a good heart and a deep-rooted sense of justice (albeit a Seanchan sense of justice). For this, she has earned the undying loyalty and love of those who serve and protect her.

Tuon by ~vild (Anna Ekman)

In many ways, she is as hard as Rand. I am still struck by the scene in Knife of Dreams (Chapter 11), in which she casually drives a blade into the chest of an assassin that Mat (haunted by memories of Melindhra, Tylin, and Renna) shows clemency. But the ultimate proof of her willpower is her ability to defy Rand's will.

The Gathering Storm

Chapter 35, "A Halo of Blackness"

 

His expression was grim. Despite the afternoon light, his face was shadowed, far more so than everything else beneath the pavilion. He held her eyes still, and her breaths came quick and short. In the corners of her vision, she thought she saw something around him. A dark haze, a halo of blackness, emanating from him. It warped the air like a great heat. Her throat constricted, and words were forming. Yes. Yes. I will do as you ask. Yes. I must. I must.

 

"No," she said, the world barely a whisper.

 

His expression grew darker, and she saw fury in the way he pressed his hand down, fingers trembling with the force. The way he clenched his jaw. The way his eyes opened wider. Such intensity.

 

"I need--" he began.

 

"No," she repeated, confidence growing. "You will bow before me, Rand al'Thor. It will not happen the other way around."

 

Tuon by J. Seamas Gallagher (blog)

Fortuona has the ability to learn to channel. Although she chooses not to learn, she is trained as a sul'dam and takes great pleasure in training both damane and horses. Early on in her relationship with Mat, she views him as property as well--in their very first encounter, she tries to buy him from Tylin (Winter's Heart, Chapter 17). Soon after he kidnaps her, she expresses an interest in taking him on as a cupbearer. Even shortly before she completes the marriage ceremony, she still isn't entirely convinced she doesn't want to break him.

Knife of Dreams

Chapter 26, "As If the World Were Fog"

 

She wondered about the scar he took such pains to hide. That he did was understandable. Why had he been hanged, and how had he survived? She could not ask. She did not mind lowering his eyes a little--in fact, it was enjoyable making him writhe; it took so little effort--but she did not want to destroy him. At least, not for the moment.

 

Above: WoT Doodles by *RoseMuse

Below: Reasons for Kissing--Tuon by ~Evil-is-Relative

Her feelings for him have clearly deepened since. Although their odd relationship is endearing and funny, I find their partnership unsettling. Mat's mercilessness as a military commander and his role in sparking the invention (or reinvention) of firearms pair strangely with Tuon's determination to conquer the Westlands. They may be an odd couple, but underestimating either of them is likely to be the last thing their enemies ever do.

WoT--card teasers 1 by Ariel Burgess (deviantART, personal website, Facebook page for the Wheel of Time poker deck)

(In the interest of fitting with the theme, I didn't include Olver. The full version is a triptych and can be found here.)

For the last couple weeks, the Fan Art Friday focus has been on those Wheel of Time fan artists on the fringe of the fandom, those fiendishly flighty fellows who fashioned only one or a few phenomenal Wheel of Time works before flitting off to fairer feats.

For part 3 of the series, I'm finishing with flair.

(I know, the alliteration is shameless. Don't judge me. It's been a long day.)

1. *artsangel (Sarah Ellerton)

Above (Wheel of Time): Morgase Trakand (Her work is probably quite well known to those of you who were following Wheel of Time fan art a decade ago. This is probably her most famous, but it could be this one instead.)

Below (original work for her completed webcomic, Inverloch, which can be purchased here): Summon

2. ~Madarivian (Emily Doyle)

Above (Wheel of Time): Rand al'Thor

Below (original work): Meredith

3. ~dem888 (Eric de Mander)

Above (Wheel of Time): Tarmon Gai'don (This painting has probably broken some sort of record for "most comments on a Wheel of Time fan work." Clearly, calling ~dem888 an unknown in the Wheel of Time fan community would just be silly. Once again, the awesomeness of his original works has prompted me to ignore my own theme.)

Below (original work): White Rabbit

4. *caananwhite (Caanan White)

Above (Wheel of Time): The Dragon Reborn

Below (original work): Steel Inquisitor 2 (from Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy!)

5. *AdamMasterman (Adam Masterman)

Above (Wheel of Time): Lan and Mandarb

Below (original fan art of the X-Men by Marvel): Astonishing X-Men

Although many Wheel of Time fan artists are dedicated solely to the Wheel of Time fandom, many more either don't have the time or don't have the inclination to dedicate countless unpaid hours to the continued production of Wheel of Time art. For this three week series, the Fan Art Friday spotlight is on those lesser-known Wheel of Time fan artists who nonetheless demonstrated such impressive talent that I was compelled to hunt down their galleries and dig through their non-Wheel of Time works.

Just a quick note: This week, most of the Wheel of Time fan art I'm featuring falls more on the "inspired by" side of things. I apologize to all you hardcore fans of canon. The art next week will be truer to the series, and then we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming.

1. ~aphostol

Above (In memory of Robert Jordan): The Wheel of Time

Below (original photomanipulation): True Romance

2. *medders

Above (Wheel of Time): Moiraine

Below (original work for Cyberpunk Co-op Action RPG Project Lodus by Leviathan Interactive): Project Lodus Underground City 3

3. Miles Collins (~NMEZero)

Above (Wheel of Time): Some Wheel of Time Character

Below (original work for the comic Mortifera): Mortifera

4. Krista A. Leemhuis (*krazykrista)

Above (inspired by The Path of Daggers): The Rider

Below (original work): The Wisdom of the Forest

5. ~leilasedai

Above (I've featured this one before, but it's her only Wheel of Time art and I really like it!): Red Ajah

Below (original work for The Pantheon Project, written by Erik Taylor): Pantheon Project Issue 01 Cover

I struggled to come up with a topic for Fan Art Friday this week. I spent a long time flipping through my art collection, mulling over all the ideas tucked away in the back of my mind, but nothing I could think of sat right with me. Finally, I realized my problem--no matter what topic I picked, I always found myself falling back on the same artists. My undying love of ~solitarium, *fee-absinthe, ~Forbis, *RoseMuse, and the many other cornerstones of the Wheel of Time fan art community aside (some of whom I've featured many times before, some of whom are still waiting in the wings), I finally had to face my fear that the world of Wheel of Time fan art just wasn't big enough to warrant a weekly post.

Discomfited, I did what any self-respecting scientist would do. I went looking for evidence that I was wrong. I looked past the most well known and prolific Wheel of Time artists, focusing my attention instead on the nomads of the fan art world, the devious denizens of the doodle-and-dash.

For the next three weeks, I've decided to push the boundaries of my role as a curator of Wheel of TIme art in order to demonstrate the surprising breadth and staggering talent of the Wheel of Time art community. For each artist, works on the top are inspired by Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. Works below are original works (or fan works for other series) by the same artist. I hope you are as amazed by this hidden wealth of talent as I was.

Note that, while many of these artists are professionals, none of them (to the best of my knowledge) are officially licensed Wheel of Time artists.

1. ~Mudora

Above (Wheel of Time): Rand and Mat Sketches

Below (original work): We Are the Secret Books

2. Paul Duffield (deviantART gallery: ~spoonbard, online portfolio)

(This week he posted a beautiful painting of Rand and the girls called "Distractions Outside the Void." It's rated R for full frontal nudity though. Consider yourself warned!)

Above (Wheel of Time): Twice, the Heron

Below (commission for a multi-media fiction called Runaway Girl Army): Die Database

3. ~Lorrain

Above (Wheel of Time): WoT 6 (Egwene and Graendal)

Below (original work): Rest

4. ~Stuuuuu (online portfolio)

Above (Wheel of Time): Bain and Chiad

Below (original work): Ambush

5. Michelle Tolo (~Manweri)

(Okay, so her art is actually very well known in the Wheel of Time fan community. But I couldn't resist featuring her non-Wheel of Time art anyway!)

Above (Wheel of Time): WoT: Ta'veren

Below (original work): Quest for the Dragon Treasure

I mentioned in an earlier post that Egwene is one of my favorite characters. Now, I'm well aware that a lot of Wheel of Time fans love to hate on Egwene. And all of you who hate her have a point. Yes, she tends to criticize others and not herself. Yes, she can be entitled and overbearing.

But here's why I love her anyway. In a fantasy setting that sometimes feels a little too black-and-white (compare Robert Jordan's approach to good and evil to the complex morality of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire), Egwene's role as Rand's opposition on the side of the Light is a refreshing twist on an age-old tale.

That's not to say their tense relationship doesn't have grounding in some age-old themes itself. In the ancient symbol of the Aes Sedai, he is the Dragon's Fang and she is the White Flame. Where Rand brings chaos, Egwene brings order. The obvious origin of this symbolism is of course the yin-yang, which symbolizes the interdependence of opposing forces (oh, just go read the wikipedia article).

It's no coincidence that Rand and Egwene develop the ability to channel at approximately the same time, and it's no coincidence that Rand resists his fate with as much passion as Egwene pursues hers. Even though the series is full-to-bursting with characters and events, their relationship is a key thread in the Pattern Robert Jordan wove. It's appropriate, then, that Egwene and Rand are the two characters that get prologues in The Eye of the World--even if Rand (at least, his soul) first appears as the four-hundred-year-old Dragon and Egwene first appears as the nine-year-old water carrier (note that Egwene's prologue was written for the young adult edition released by Starscape Books in 2002).

Egwene and the Raven by Charles Vess

Part of the reason I'm so fond of Egwene is that she goes after her goals with great gusto. Of all the Two Rivers folk, she alone chose their adventure, pursuing it with a bright-eyed innocence that I both admire and pity.

Left: Egwene al'Vere by ~Forbis

Right: Egwene al'Vere by *fee-absinthe (Tanya Wagemann)

Unlike many of the other characters, she never falters in her convictions. She has a genuine (if occasionally overwrought) love of the One Power and the White Tower, as well as a deep-rooted passion for understanding both.

Tel'aran'rhiod by ~Mizutori

She and Rand have both suffered manipulation and subjugation. Unlike Rand, however, she has truly thrived in these situations. The path she took to reunite the Tower under her rule (first as the Salidar "puppet," then as Elaida's prisoner) is a perfect example of this.

Above: Egwene in Salidar by ~Snunad (Egwene being raised on a platform of air as she is declared Amyrlin of the Salidar faction, Lord of Chaos Chapter 36, "The Amyrlin is Raised")

Below: WoT Scene by *RoseMuse

Although as readers our immediate response to the tension between Egwene and Rand is to pick a side, I prefer to view their relationship as a tenuous balance. Both the Amyrlin and the Dragon have an essential role to play in the fight against the Shadow.

Left: Egwene al'Vere, the Amyrlin Seat by Liz Stephanoff (faerLinden on Dragonmount)

Right: WoT card teaser--Egwene by ~ReddEra (Ariel Burgess)

Few Wheel of Time fan artists are as skilled at bringing the characters to life as this week's featured artist, Ashley Luttrell (a.k.a. PollyUranus). Her painstaking attention to technique allows her to create unique character portraits that practically step off the page.

Lan Mandragoran

I was dying to know more about her approach to digital painting, so I asked her about it. She told me she does all the sketching and painting directly on a graphics tablet. Although she used to do some photomanipulation, she now only uses photographs as references when developing character poses and proportions.

Faile Bashere

She often uses many references for a single piece to ensure the painting has a unique, original quality. She also makes all her own textures and her own special effects brushes, such as those used to create the print on Min's outfit below.

Min Farshaw

Given Ashley's mastery of light and composition, it will probably come as no surprise that she's a professional artist. (In fact, she is a professional face and body painter as well as a professional digital artist! Her art has been shown and sold in galleries and print shops from New York City to Berlin.) What may come as a surprise is that she is self-taught.

Nynaeve al'Meara

Although I love her Wheel of Time art (go here to see more!), her most impressive pieces to my mind are her varied and creative original works. Therefore, I'll end for once with some non-Wheel of Time art. I chose these two pieces because I think they really demonstrate her range as an artist.

The Broken Treaty

Malisha DeWalt

If you're curious to know more about her approach, this YouTube video shows the digital process for her painting The Broken Treaty (shown above), while this one shows her process for Prequel: The Broken Treaty. Watching these videos, I was really impressed by her manipulation of light, color, and composition, as well as her taste in music!

Dragonmount is a dangerous place. Spend enough time prowling the forums here, and I guarantee there will come a point--in my case, halfway through explaining the Compact of the Ten Nations to my husband (His response? "Okay, now tell me the history of India.")--when you realize your obsession with The Wheel of Time has become a supermassive gravitational singularity not unlike a black hole.

Fortunately for Fan Art Friday, there's a fine line between insanity and genius. This week, I asked the Dragonmount staff to share some of their more brilliant Wheel of Time-themed art projects. It turns out I'm not the only staffer that's turned their obsession into a bit of good artistic fun.

I asked everyone to answer the following questions:

1. What is your position on Dragonmount staff?

2. How long have you been on staff?

3. Where are you from? What do you do in real life?

4. Who's your favorite Wheel of Time character?

5. Tell us something random about yourself.

I tried writing up everyone's responses in neat little paragraphs, but the post ended up reading like a page of personal ads for a date to JordanCon. So, I think I'll just let everyone speak for themselves!

Elgee

Staff position? I'm the White Tower and Warders Social Group Leader, White Tower Role Play Group Leader, and White Tower Role Play Red Ajah Head.

Time on staff? At the Role Playing side, I was appointed as Mistress of Novices and Red Ajah Head in 2008. I was eventually appointed as Group Leader in September 2009. At the Social Side, I was appointed as Keeper in October 2009 and then as Amyrlin in February 2011.

How about real life? I'm from Cape Town, South Africa, and I'm a Rental Administrator (we rent out residential properties). I started out my working career as Archivist and Librarian at the largest Church Archives in the Southern Hemisphere.

Favorite character? Oh Lordy, that's hard...I like so many! At the top would probably be Cadsuane, Tarna Feir, Pevara Tazanovni, and of course the complete nutcase Red Ajah Head, Tsutama Rath :P

Something random about yourself? I carry a knife (and know how to use it!) and I used to have a Real Life Warder (a.k.a. bodyguard and good friend). He unfortunately moved to the West Indies, and I miss him terribly, though we do chat online.

Upper left: Moiraine

Upper right: Lan as Warder

Lower left: Elayne as Queen of Andor, with Birgitte as her Captain General

Lower right: Cadsuane

(All these dolls were made using Doll Divine. It's an awesome site and you should definitely check it out. But be warned--it's really addictive!)

Mashiara Sedai

Staff position? Theory Blogger.

Time on staff? A little over 1 month.

How about real life? I'm a native Arizonian. I'm going to school part time to get an English degree, and plan to graduate next year. For my day job, I'm a dog bather at an animal hospital.

Favorite character? Nynaeve was my favorite from the very beginning.

Something random about yourself? My biggest fear is of dinosaurs. Honestly.

Above: Cairhienin flag mosaic

Below: Wheel of Time flags (from top left to bottom right: the Banner of Light, Cairhienin flag, Tairen flag, Illianer flag)

reyler (deviantART, photobucket)

Staff position? Fiddlesticks moderatrix.

Time on staff? A little over a year.

How about real life? Originally the Detroit area, but now residing in Columbus, Ohio. I work at a sign shop.

Favorite character? I...don't think I really have one. Maybe Loial?

Something random about yourself? Besides drawing, I also like building papercraft models.

Upper left: Lanfear

Upper right: Loial

Lower left: Perrin

Lower right: Rand's Trinity

(Her Wheel of Time art is over five years old at this point, but I loved it and wanted to share anyway!)

Nynaeve

Staff position? Children of the Light Role Play Group Leader.

Time on staff? Probably around 8 years, give or take.

How about real life? I'm from Israel and I'm a Vet student. About to transition into my last (clinical) year.

Favorite character? Nynaeve. Closely followed by Lan and Mat.

Something random about yourself? I watch Korean shows because I find them fascinating. And I really hate mint. :P

Above: Fade

Below: Hedgehog! (Hey, there are hedgehogs in the world of the Wheel!)

(Cool fact: Nyn makes signatures on request. Check out her gallery here!)

peregrine (~Alsdale on deviantART)

Staff position? Fan Art Friday blogger!

Time on staff? Four months and sixteen days, but who's counting?

How about real life? I'm from Pittsburgh, PA (read it and weep!). I'm there for doctoral studies in Engineering and Public Policy, which means I spend most of my waking hours banging my head off a computer desk for one reason or another.

Favorite character? I'm obsessed with Mat. Seriously, if he were real I would stalk him. I'm also a fan of Egwene (What? She's got flair.) and Rand.

Something random about yourself? I live on a stress diet of instant coffee and frozen dinners. That, and I've got a peregrine falcon tattoo on my lower back.

Above: Watcher of the Seals

Below: Eldrene (Sketch for a work in progress! Never before seen! Oooh! Aaah!)

You've probably noticed I'm borrowing from Mashiara's book of puns this week.

Why, you ask? Well, this week, I'm bringing you the oddest (and most oddly funny) Wheel of Time fan art I've seen to date. These are the pieces that shocked me into uncontrollable peals of laughter. Maybe I've just got a crazy sense of humor--I'll let you be the judge!

First, we've got Mat Cauthon on a Velociraptor by ~chocowubbles.

Mat Cauthon is awesome. Velociraptors are awesome. But the combination is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

Next, we've got a few unconventional crossovers.

I couldn't believe it when I stumbled across a Wheel of Time/My Little Pony crossover (Ta'veren Ponies Colored by ~UWoodward).

Then I found another one (Wheel of Time Ponies by ~Choedan-Kal).

Then I found another one (My Little Wheel of Time by ~Akabi)!

Continuing the theme of baffling crossovers, here's The Wheel of Time and Rock Band (Rockband Ta'veren by jwillis7).

Finally... Break all the seals! Hahahahaha. Enough said. (Art originally from here.)