I love the world Pat Rothfuss has created in the Kingkiller Chronicle, and I keep coming back to it whenever I get a moment to do personal work. This is Auri, surveying her domain. The Underthing is a vast, sprawling ruin under the University - a remnant of an ancient civilisation, a mystery (at least I think it is!). Pat is releasing a novella this October (2014) set in Auri’s world, called The Slow Regard of Silent Things. If the Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s Fear are anything to go by, it will be incredible.
I started this image a long time ago. I began by modelling the Underthing in Maya, creating random pillars and balconies and stairways. I hung the environment in a mirror box so the reflections would create a sense of vastness, and used that basic render to begin painting. I’ve used a few abandoned factory elements as reference, heavily painted. Auri’s hair is always described in a very particular way, so my daughter Ava kindly stood with the sun shining through hers to give me reference for the painting.
As always it’s a lot bigger than it probably needs to be - this would print a couple of metres wide no problem.
If you’re interested in a Fine Art print of this image, drop me a line at phil (at) philmcdarby.com