Barlowe's Inferno

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This digital paint-sketch was created after I spent some serious time with the Painter program on Paradise Lost. Much as I did with EXPEDITION, I plan to do a series of wildlife paintings focusing on the fauna of Hell.

It is rendered entirely in Painter IX and represents my very first effort with that marvelous program. And then there was the time it took to actually render this piece – one of the longest rendering periods since the Wargate – about six months.

Though corrupted, the Fallen Demons are angels still, aspiring to grace and beauty even in their exile. Wayne Barlowe’s Inferno is an awesome visual work, taking us into a contorted landscape of the damned which Dante himself could never have imagined. The fact that Lucifer went to war in large part because of them has created a curiosity that many demons find irresistible. Consider that it is much more fascinating from an artist's point of view to explore the dark rather than the light, even though we depend on the light to do our work! Situated on the edge of a great lake of lava on the outskirts of Dis, the Wargate’s only rival in sheer scale is Beelzebub’s Keep itself.

For a very long time now I have been relatively skeptical about the ability of any computer rendering program to emulate the personal handwriting of an artist. A collection of art and narrative that brings Barlowe's detailed world-building of Expedition to Hell. The's something inherently sacred to us about the human form, and Barlowe has a real knack for twisting that form around. Starting as nothing but an experimental sketch, it took two days to render – a time that would have probably been double or triple that if I had used actual paint. The Streets of Dis – (from Barlowe’s Inferno – acrylic on ragboard) Hell’s capital is a teeming metropolis of many millions.Equipped with two massive bone-hammers and a heavy chin-blade these greatly enlarged souls are the once-cruel rulers of Asian empires transformed by the Demon Major Yen Wang to suit his needs. Lee was looking for a British publisher for her book "The Birthgrave," but was denied at every House she went.

Built above the living tomb of an imprisoned Watcher, it is a labyrinth of claustrophobic tunnels and corridors that would take a lifetime to explore – if one had the courage. By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. I wanted to enjoy the act of creating these inquisitive demons and felt that being too slavish to a sketch might make them less lively.Nonetheless, demons like Sargatanas are capable of sprouting great fan-like wings that bear some resemblance to their former seraphic or cherubic wings for just such journeys. Lee attended an art college for one year, but felt she would be better writing her ideas than painting them. The only solution that satisfied my world’s internal logic was to riff on the concept behind Agares’ steed as depicted in the INFERNO book. She then wrote to American publisher DAW, known for it's fantasy and horror selections, who immediately accepted her manuscript and published the book in 1975.

Built to commemorate those lost in the War with Heaven it also serves as the headquarters for Dis’ military. In this work, Wayne Douglas Barlowe dips his brush into the swirling mists and rolling infernos of Hell. Barlowe includes symbolism of the darker side from many different cultures, which adds richness to the visuals. Of course, I could not appear inappropriately whole and so, much like the demons themselves, I took up hook and tong and made myself suitable for place.Because distances between cities in Hell are considerable – determined for the most part by where the most influential demons Fell – the need to travel quickly between them is rare. As I had just recently finished GOD’S DEMON and there was a scene involving Demolishers, this painting provided me a rare and serendipitous opportunity to envision a kinetic battle scene in Hell. Here potent glyphs stream away from the wings’ trailing edges, glyphs that not only keep the demon aloft but also delineate territories and can carry commands to nearby airborne troops. Her first professional sale was "Eustace," a 90 page vignette which appeared in The Ninth Pan Book of Horror Stories in 1968. Hell’s First Born – (from Barlowe’s Inferno, acrylic on panel) – A giant Abyssal stands upon a scalding field outside the walls of Adamantinarx.