Brian Lee Petty, from Buffalo, New York, did the illustrations for several of Michael’s novels. The author posted an advertisement on Craigslist (Toronto, Ontario). Brian bested other applicants based on his demonstrated mastery of the fantasy genre. His approach to creating the images involved reading each chapter, either sketching or painting his interpretation, and then seeking the author’s input; a minor back and forth followed. Once there was agreement, Brian used watercolours to finalize the rendition on 8.5” x 11” Arches watercolour paper 140 lb.
The author only proposed minor changes. Brian captured the essence of each chapter perfectly. What is also curious is the artist and author never spoke; the collaboration was all done via email. The paintings were scanned and then converted to print by the printing company. You can find Brian on Facebook. Alternatively, you may reach out to him directly via email at colonelpaws@aol.com.
Concept Design Sketches
Final Watercolor Illustrations
