Saimain's Portfolio

Deep Wood

Saimain — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 09:09:27 GMT

Deep Wood

Hard to explain this one, but suffice to say it's a rivalry of power in nature: one fragile and beautiful and bound to the earth, the other dark and shrewd and commanding the sky. Tried to show contrast not only in their expressions, but also in the nature around them--Faeren has more swirly, mossy forest and butterflies, while Morgan has mostly stick-like branches. Morgan steals his powers from the wood, they are not given to him freely. His wings are also stolen, but that's a long story. ^__^ I really enjoyed painting this, despite how long it took to complete. Larger view please!

Faeren and Morgan © Adele Lorienne

Forsaken

Saimain — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 06:11:32 GMT

Forsaken

"The Forest of Illusions is a dark harbor of legends and mystery, a black stain on all maps warning travelers to avoid its clutches. It is an ancient forest poisoned by grief and hatred, a wild beauty full of menace and tricks. But--it is said--this was not always so. Once it was as other forests, tranquil and content, a haven for weary mortals to whom it would whisper ancient secrets and sing drowsy songs. There was a nameless boy who would come often to visit, to play in its branches and sleep in its shade and sing with its voice. This boy was murdered during one of the bloodiest battles in recorded history, and the forest withered in loneliness and confusion at the savagery of mortals until it barred itself from men, hid its beauty and sought vengeance on any who bore the taint of violence in their hearts. The Forest of Illusions came to be feared by all, and endured the centuries in miserable isolation.

Until Faeren, a young knight who bore a striking resemblance to its lost child, stumbled upon the forest and awakened its shriveled heart from its long, murderous sorrow. It begged him to stay, to play in its branches and sleep in its shade and sing its songs, but he could not. He had a duty to king and country, and a life elsewhere. Years later, he fell in battle and awoke to find himself in the Forest of Illusions, scarred but alive. It had taken him from death, revived him with its life and made him one of its own. It guards him continually like a jealous lover, sheltering him from the world which destroyed him--a world in which he can no longer dwell. He is one with the forest in life and slumber and the turn of the seasons. There he will always remain, loved and protected and nourished, but alone. The Forest's gift to him is a curse. All that he strived for and cherished in his life is denied him, all connections to his duty and family severed, though the wants and desires of being mortal linger on. There are no weapons here, no kings and servants, only peace and solitude. His companions are the trees and illusions made and unmade by his consent. They can neither free nor comfort him in a place where no other living creature dares to visit. The forest is his salvation, his home, and his eternal prison. He has become but another secret in its shadows."

Awakening

Saimain — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 06:07:10 GMT

Awakening

Somewhat of a sequel to my painting "Forsaken". Faeren's appearance has altered a bit with his gradual acceptance of his unusual fate as part of the forest. I had fun incorporating aspects of nature into his design. Took about two weeks to finish, off and on. I tried to give the fabric a different texture than its surroundings. It felt nice to do a pencil piece again.

Faeren © Adele Lorienne

Aveyond II

Saimain — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 00:05:30 GMT

Aveyond II

A painting commissioned by Amaranth Games for an upcoming title of theirs. This took around three weeks of work, but I must say I enjoyed it...when I wasn't frustrated painting the leaves. ^__^;; The castle's my favorite part. Oh, and the glowing ball in the girl's hands is a song-sphere, kinda like the magical equivalent of an iPod, I suppose. XD

You can see larger detail shots here: http://meadowhaven.net/php-bin/view.php?pid=2884
And the pencil lineart here: http://meadowhaven.net/php-bin/view.php?pid=2883

Little Wings

Saimain — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 23:58:11 GMT

Little Wings

A pretty little portrait of Sali, painted when I should have been working on other things (as usual). But pastel colors were a new challenge for me, and Sali was just begging to be painted in them, so I couldn't resist. ^__^

Sali © Adele Lorienne

Sunset Fire

Saimain — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 23:16:32 GMT

Sunset Fire

This painting ate my life for nearly a week. I originally wanted to do a phoenix-fire theme, and Valance volunteered for the part, but it turned into a sunset along the way (which I like better). It gave me a chance to practice with water and backlighting, two things I've had endless trouble with in the past. The result came out surprisingly well, though Valance doesn't deserve the attention.

Valance © me

Silon Winter

Saimain — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 22:46:52 GMT

Silon Winter

Prince Luke and his servant/friend Danathen (personal characters from my books) all decked out in holiday-ish garb. My theme pic for last winter. A lot of love and time went into the details, especially on their clothing. I love to paint nature (as you might have noticed), but snowbound, foliage-barren trees were a challenge. We don't have these sort of trees in my area, but my grandma's old farm does, and the trees that border her driveway were a great inspiration during the holidays. ^_^

You can find the original lineart here. It'll bring out the details of their clothing more:
http://meadowhaven.net/php-bin/view.php?pid=2200

Luke and Danathen © Adele Lorienne

Transcendence

Saimain — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 06:22:54 GMT

Transcendence

My character Faeren, in a painting that needs no explanation or reason other than the title. I'm happy with the way his cloak turns into moss at the bottom. First introduced at a faire in 2006.

Faeren © Adele Lorienne

My Golden Bird

Saimain — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 23:03:52 GMT

My Golden Bird

Luke and Diana, lovers who appear often in my work. Luke is a very troubled character, but Diana is there to comfort and calm him. She loves to play with his hair. Sketched in pencil and painted in Photoshop.

Luke © Adele Lorienne, Diana © Kelly Kilbourn

Calm the Tempest

Saimain — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 22:55:25 GMT

Calm the Tempest

Diana keeping Luke's troubles at bay...and playing with his hair again (and his ear). I tend to draw this couple a lot. :)

Cloak of Shadows

Saimain — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 22:50:03 GMT

Cloak of Shadows

A painting of my character Morgan prowling about in a dark forest. I finally got around to repainting this piece as it should have been done a year ago. The red shine is an attribute of the metal, that's not blood. There's a lot of symbolism in this, like his sword dragging shadows, that I won't explain. You can find the original concept sketch here:
http://meadowhaven.net/php-bin/view.php?pid=2211

Morgan © Adele Lorienne

Ephemeral Throne

Saimain — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 22:47:38 GMT

Ephemeral Throne

Faeren sleeping in a partial reality, cradled and sheltered in the arms of nature. He's actually in a room, which is dissintrigrating into a forest around him. This took about three weeks to complete, off and on, back in 2005. Sketched first in pencil, then painted in Photoshop.

The pencil lineart sketch can also be found here:
http://meadowhaven.net/php-bin/view.php?pid=2076

Royalty

Saimain — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 21:51:53 GMT

Royalty

A portrait of Prince Luke that was long overdue to be painted (in 2006). He was feeling rather reserved then, so I went with more subdued colors. I had fun with the lace! :)

You can find the original pencil lineart here:
http://meadowhaven.net/php-bin/view.php?pid=1680

Prince Luke is © Adele Lorienne

The Rover's Cripple

Saimain — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 21:39:11 GMT

The Rover's Cripple

Falen in the black, misty heart of Marcale Forest. The cover of my book "The Rover's Cripple", first in "The Wars of Avenan" fantasy series, published 2004.

Falen © Adele Lorienne