"An Asha´man at Dumai´s Wells" by Mark Bray

Subject: An Asha'man in action at the battle of Dumai's Wells.

Source: Lord of Chaos: 55, Dumai's Wells

'The front rank of the Shaido exploded. There was no other way to put it. Cadin'sor-clad shapes burst apart in sprays of blood and flesh...
Beneath the feet of the Shaido nearest the wapons the ground suddenly erupted in fountains of flame and dirt, hurling men in every direction.'

Thoughts: OK, those of you who have been following this page since its inception probably remember my promising to do a scene from the Dumai's Wells battle. So after 2+ years, here it is. Many thanks to all the people who offered suggestions during that time.

This scene is my personal favorite in the series. It's hard to say why. Maybe it's because, unlike the Aes Sedai, the Asha'man have no compunctions about using their abilities for offense. Maybe it's because the carnage is unlike any battle described up to that point. Whatever it is, as far as I'm concerned, it's just really cool.

This was definitely a non-trival picture, and my most complicated one since the Stone picture. I went about 5 perspective sketches 'till I found the right one. Do I do a sweeping panorama of the battle, or focus on a small piece of the action? I settled on displaying a portion, since I could pay attention to detail better. Either way, only one thing was sure: I really wanted to draw an exploding Aiel in there somewhere. But the main issue was 'How do you draw an exploding person?' All I have to say is, short of spraying ketchup on the page, it's not easy.

Oh yes, the Asha'man is Illianer, not Amish.