DRAGONMOUNT

And so we are here, yet again, it's Friday and fan art time!   Today I wanted to focus on something completely different than we have before, namely graphic design-style fan art! And boy do I have some cool things to show you!     Ta'Veren 2 by armyamber   I'll admit it, I'm a sucker for grunge-effects. I really dig the rusty background contrasted with the shiny golden amulets. It's cool! The only thing I don't like about it is that it's too small for my screen to be my new wallpaper!     Light and Bloody Ashes by armyamber   I love the colors, proper fantasy green and brown! And those slashing light effects are pretty awesome, they remind me both of the True Power weaves and the slashes of a sword.     Aes Sedai by minniearts   Minniearts has several poster-style Wheel of Time artworks, and it was hard to pick a favorite! But this one is my favorite; I got a good laugh at "The Wheel of Time turns around Tar Valon," and the simplicity of the design is very good. Take a look at her gallery to see the rest of her cool posters!     Heart of Stone by moondi   A representation of Rand's heart. He is trying to turn his heart to stone, but there keeps coming new cracks. The geometric designs makes this something really special, it reminds me of a stained glass window.     Manetheren by armyamber   My personal favorite! I think this is so badass. The small picture really doesn't do it justice, you should click the link to see the proper full size!   Sorry for my shortness today kiddos, I have some internet problems, so this it from me this week! To make up for it I'll let you decide what we'll see next week! Is there a special character you want me to feature? Traditional art, 3D, digital painting? Let me know what you want, and I will oblige!

Hello, friends! The Wheel has turned all the way around to Thursday again, which means two things: the weekend is not too far away, and it's time for our Rotating Features blog! The time is fast approaching when those among us who are lucky enough to be able to go can begin planning to attend the Sixth Annual JordanCon. Who knows? Maybe this year is the year you will be able to make it as well. Here is a bit of information to entice you and help you make those plans.   JordanCon is an annual convention for all fans of the works of our beloved Robert Jordan, which should certainly include us here at Dragonmount. It is held each year with great success. People often turn up in costume and attend panels on various subjects, meet other fans, and have a generally great weekend!   (JordanCon 2010. Costume contest.)   The event will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, on April 11th to the 13th this year. The website for the event is JordanCon.org if you want to peruse and find more information.   What's incredible this year is that the special Guest of Honor is none other than Patrick Rothfuss, author of The Name of the Wind, a fantastic book (it is actually my best friends favorite book ever... Hmm... Maybe I can get him to go to JordanCon!). Our very own Brandon Sanderson will also be participating in the program. If you are a follower of the tWoTcast, the podcasting team, you will be pleased to know that they will be the Toastmasters of the event! Their website is linked above if you want to find out more about them (be warned--they are not a PG-13 site).   (JordanCon 2010. From left to right: Harriet McDougal, Maria Simons, and Brandon Sanderson.)   Do you think that you will possibly be able to attend? Well you'd better make your mind up quickly if you haven't already, because the tickets are available now at a very modest rate.  But this will increase somewhat after the end of March, and per-registration closes after April 1st.   Yes, JordanCon is a fantastic event each year, and everyone either goes and has a great time or is green with envy. Which will you be come April this year? That's all for now! Have fun!   Until next time, friends!

<!-- isHtml:1 --><!-- isHtml:1 --><!-- isHtml:1 --><!-- isHtml:1 --><p>Happy Friday again! I belatedly realized that since last Friday was Valentine's, I should’ve used that as an excuse to make a post about the couples of <em>Wheel of Time</em>. Ah well! Some other time then.<br><br><br /><br /> You might remember me saying that the fashion in the <em>Wheel of Time</em> universe is one of my favorite things to geek about, so today I thought we’d look into that, in the art of Joni Warden, or <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://jwarden.deviantart.com/'>JWarden</a> as she goes by on DeviantArt. I also thought it would be nice to get back to some traditional art!<br><br><br><img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_353/gallery_22324_353_4738.jpg" alt="gallery_22324_353_4738.jpg"><br><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=' /><br /> First up, we have this lovely Domani lady. It is filed under traditional art/drawings on DeviantArt, so I’d guess it’s made with colored pencils? The colors are fresh and lovely. The outfit isn’t quite how I think the Domani’s dress; I seem to remember it being mentioned the gowns don’t show any skin, but they are hugging the body and some are… not very opaque. So for this to be completely accurate it should probably have a high neck. But, it’s still very lovely, and I love the look on her face. Very "come hither!"<br><br><img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_353/gallery_22324_353_5807.jpg" alt="gallery_22324_353_5807.jpg"><br><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=' /><br /> The detail in the lady’s hair is amazing, I just want to sit and stare at it! It looks really cool, and so heavy! The men really get it easier. The high necks and the lace is very accurate to how I remember <strong>Robert Jordan</strong> describing it. I’d like to see this artist's version of a Cairhien gown and coat, with the House colors on them!<br><br><br><img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_353/gallery_22324_353_1615.jpg" alt="gallery_22324_353_1615.jpg"><br><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=' /><br /> Hooray! One of the very few who remember to show the Aiel female warriors with properly short hair. I’ll admit, I shake my head a little when I see a picture of a Maiden with long hair. The man has a quite "nordic" look to him, which is very correct when it comes to the Aiel, and they still look a bit exotic. Very cool, and I like the details of the <em>shoufa </em>and the spears.<br><br><br><img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_353/gallery_22324_353_25916.jpg" alt="gallery_22324_353_25916.jpg"><br><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=' /><br /> And the prize for weirdest hats go to… Amadician women! The bonnets are strange, but undoubtedly very practical in a southern environment with very strong sun. I can’t remember right now if we are told Amadicia is based on a real life culture/land, or if they are just a "generic" country, but I very much like the look the artist have given them. They look a tad Hispanic, but not so much as they would if they were from Tear. Actually, I’ll take that back. Especially, the man looks more Greek. Either way, it’s cool that they have a distinct look.<br><br><br><img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_353/gallery_22324_353_13054.jpg" alt="gallery_22324_353_13054.jpg"><br><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=' /><br /> This I’m a bit puzzled at, since the man looks quite South-American, and the woman looks like a Scandinavian woman. Andor is based on Tudor era England. Either way, I really like the braid and the shawl tying the hard back, and the striped coat is very cool.</p><br /><br /> <p></p><br /><br /> <p>I'm really impressed by her portraits of the various fashions!<br><br><br /><br /> </p><br /> <p>I think the artist used to be active on <em>Dragonmount</em> before and was a member of the Green Ajah, like me, which is very cool!</p><br /> <p>Have a great weekend everyone!<br><br /><br />  </p>

Sayings are usually expressions that contain wisdom or advice in them, and here are a few Wheel of Time sayings:   1. A gentling a day keeps the Breaking away.   2. Every cloud has an Air and Fire lining.   3. Hell hath no fury like a Forsaken-who-wears-white-with-moons-and-stars scorned.   4. To let the Dragon out of the bag.   5.  To make a mountain out of a mole hill (ref : Lews Therin).   6. Take the Trolloc by the horns.   7. To tie up any loose flows.   8. The Wheel has come full circle.

The Wheel has spun another week and it’s time for a new edition of Dragonmount’s Weekly Roundup! I trust that everyone had an amazing Valentine’s Day!   First on the agenda: the Empys. The Annual Dragonmount Awards winners are calculated and results will be posted soon. Three awards will be posted every day until all the winners are declared. Stay tuned to see if your favorites have won!   The Band of the Red Hand is discussing Favorite Winter Olympic games. Do you love the bobsled? Or is figure-skating more your style? Go and join the discussion with the Band!   Looks like someone is trying to be innocent in the Black Tower, and there is a new bonding taking place! Go congratulate Csarmi and Chaelca!   In the Dragon Reborn Roleplay, an interesting story arc is beginning with Ascension Part One.   Finally, for Dragonmount’s Facebook and Twitter update:     Remember you can get daily updates on Wheel of Time and other fan-related news by following Dragonmount  on Facebook and Twitter. 

Happy weekend DM’ers! Now this week I was planning on showing you guys something other than digital painting, and then I stumbled over a new artist, and I just had to share his works with you!   Today I’d like to introduce you to Endave, or David E. He’s made a lot of Wheel of Time fan art! I’m going to feature some of it here, but I do hope you’ll go check out his DeviantArt gallery afterwards! Link at the bottom of the post.   My favorite thing about Endave’s art, is how he uses details. Some parts of an image will be really sharp and highly detailed, the rest will be more roughly painted. It’s a great way of drawing the eye to the important parts of the image, and enhances it greatly.   Thom Merrillin   This is Thom charging at the Myrdraal in The Eye of the World. I don’t have words for this picture really; it’s astonishing and mesmerizing. Thom is one of my favorite characters, and this capture is one of his finest moments, the moment I personally fell for him.   Wisdom of the Two Rivers   It’s refreshing to see a painting of Nynaeve before leaving Emond’s Field! I love her expression, her body language says she’s tense and annoyed, but the face shows uncertain and fragile she can be. Excellent capture! The surroundings makes me want to see more of Emond's Field!   Next up we have two different portraits of Egwene:   Egwene Al’vere   Again a portrait back in Emond’s Field before the adventures ever start. It’s Egwene at Bel Tine, and it’ll have to be the year before The Eye of the World starts, since her hair is still loose. The soft, flowing background gives the image an ethereal quality, and I don’t know if this was the artists’ intention, but the flowing fabric in the background can be seen as a subtle foreshadowing of Egwene’s destiny.   Flame of Tar Valon - Egwene Al’vere   And here we have a portrait of the Amyrlin. A bit older, and loads more mature. I like that she’s in a white dress; a strong nod to how she was a forced "novice" and the Amyrlin at the same time. I also really like the architecture in the background; it’s supposed to be Tar Valon, and all the bridges and towers look good!   Madness - Rand Al’thor   What is there to say… A perfect representation of how it must feel like to be Rand around The Gathering Storm! The rough lines are great at showing the emotion, it’s a high-impact picture! That's of course Callandor in the foreground.   Ash’man Kill!   Since we had a picture from Dumai’s Well last week, I just had to include this. The battle of Dumai’s Well is probably one of the toughest things I’ve ever read, and the appearance of the Asha’man was, for me, just shocking. We’d seen over and over how difficult it was for Aes Sedai to be able to use the Power to attack, and then we see the Asha’man just explode with attacking power. A very strong mental image, and this is a very good physical capture of it. I especially like the depiction of Taim and his Dragon coat!     That's it for this week! As always do please tell me what you think of this weeks batch, and go look at the rest of Endave's DeviantArt gallery! This is a quarter of his gallery, and the rest is well worth looking at!

Hello, friends! The Wheel has turned all the way around to Thursday again, which means two things: the weekend is not too far away, and it's time for our Rotating Features blog!   Unless you have either been living under a rock, or else you really dislike video games, you must know of Skyrim, by video game company Bethesda.  It is the latest in The Elder Scrolls series which came out at the end of 2011 (my, how time flies). Skyrim is a role playing game in which you battle dragons and complete quests with a variety of weapons and magic available. Upon its initial release, it was pretty popular, and still is.   The point of all this being that recently, some clever people combined an Occulus Rift virtual reality device, an omni-directional treadmill and some Wii remotes to play Skyrim in virtual reality! It looks incredible! Here is an image of it in action:   And here is a link to the original article in case you want to find out more.   Right, so... All we need now is for someone to create a huge MMORGP set in the Wheel of Time world! And for all that virtual reality stuff to be readily accessible! And I can finally be a real boy... I mean Warder!   Here's hoping.   That's all for now! Have fun!   Until next time, friends!

Adding to Ireond's initial list of rejected sword forms...     Drunk Man Spews   Thrown Rock Hitting Head   The Aiel Floundering In The Lake   The Deer Stares Into The Headlights   Put Your Right Hand In, Put Your Right Hand Out     And this is a more "modern" sword form, affected by the internet:   teh sw0rdzmn w/ skillz

February has started and it’s time for yet another Weekly Roundup.   The Debates and Discussions board has a new thread on U.S. Politics. Have you ever donated to a political party? What are your opinions of donations to political parties?   In the Arena, the Band of the Red Hand has a snowball game planned for the month of February. Sign-ups are in progress.   In Shayol Ghul, the factions are at war. Each faction will choose a character, play the “Who’s in the Cookpot” game (where the Social Group members are put in the cookpot), dress your character, and participate in a faction raid.   The Wolfkin February discussion is about online and offline personalities. Is your online personality different from your offline personality?   And finally, our Facebook update:     Remember, you can get daily updates on Dragonmount and other fantasy-related news on Dragonmount’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

<!-- isHtml:1 --><!-- isHtml:1 --><p>Happy Friday, fan art fans!</p> <p></p> <p>Last week, I posted my own personal favorites, and amongst them was a painting of Egwene by the artist Jieroque. His real name is Benjamin Roque, and he is from the Philippines. Well, I wanted to show you guys the rest of this amazing artists' gallery! So no use waiting, let's dig in shall we?</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_353/med_gallery_22324_353_204964.jpg" alt="med_gallery_22324_353_204964.jpg"></p> <p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=' Meladhrin</a><br><br> Say what you will about Cadsuane, there is no denying she is bad-ass, and this is a great painting of her. This is set during the cleansing of the taint, when she is protecting Rand and Nynaeve. The bright light in the background is the huge beacon of <em>saidar</em>. I like that the artist hasn’t tried to make her look pretty; she looks strong and capable, and a little bit mean, just like Cadsuane should. The way he’s painted her hair ornaments is very interesting, especially that one of them glows, to show that it’s activated. The details of the embroidery on her belt and the texture on her cloak adds so much to her otherwise simple clothes. A painting I could stare at for hours!</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_353/med_gallery_22324_353_10494.jpg" alt="med_gallery_22324_353_10494.jpg"><br><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=' Sanche</a><br><br> From the scene in <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.dragonmount.com/Books/Great_Hunt'><em>The Great Hunt</em></a>, where Siuan gives Egwene and Nynaeve a lesson in <em>saidar</em>. Tear, where Siuan is from, is highly influenced by 15-1600ish Spain, and the artist has incorporated that into the image beautifully, giving Siuan a slight Hispanic cast to her features, and in the details of the clothes (the lace, the high neck). A compelling portrait of a very interesting moment.</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_353/med_gallery_22324_353_118960.jpg" alt="med_gallery_22324_353_118960.jpg"><br><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=' Harking and Kiruna Nachiman</a><br><br> An action scene from Dumai’s Wells, depicting the two Greens Kiruna and Bera together. I think this picture does such a great job at showing the chaos of the battle; it’s an unusual composition, with Kiruna almost a bit out of focus, the <em>saidar</em>-streams going everywhere, the fire, and the blurry Aiel in the background. And I love the Shienaran warrior!</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_353/med_gallery_22324_353_148366.jpg" alt="med_gallery_22324_353_148366.jpg"></p> <p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=' A study of a small scene in <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.dragonmount.com/Books/Towers_of_Midnight'><em>Towers of Midnight</em></a>; Egwene conferring with Seaine, Yukiri and Saerin on top of the White Tower. This is a high-impact image for me personally. Egwene, looking so young, and with the whole weight of the world on her shoulders. And some of the very, very few women she knows she can trust. The details are amazing; all three women have earrings that showns their nationality (eagle wings for Egwene for Manetheren), the three Aes Sedai in the background all have their serpent ring on different fingers, and the clothes…! I really like the sense of impending drama the blowing banners and the gathering clouds give.</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><img src="http://www.dragonmount.com/forums/uploads/gallery/album_353/med_gallery_22324_353_73012.jpg" alt="med_gallery_22324_353_73012.jpg"></p> <p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=' Mathwin in Emond’s Field</a></p> <p></p> <p> This one has been featured here on FAF before, but I wanted to include it so you could see the full span of this amazing artist’s work. And there is never enough Verin artwork! It’s so nice to see Verin’s kickass-side. This is the artists first digital painting after ten years of not painting, can you believe it? The details in it is amazing. The Trollocs are amongst the scariest I’ve seen, and I really like the little glimpse of Emond’s Field in the background, looking quite peaceful against the action-filled foreground.</p> <p></p> <p>Check out the artist's <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://jieroque.blogspot.no/'>blog</a> for works in progress and to get to know this talented artist better!<br>  </p> <p>That's it for this week! Use that commentary field to let me know what you think, and if you have a DeviantArt account, maybe stop by and give the artist a favorite and a follow?</p> <p></p> <p>Have a nice weekend everyone!</p>