http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/ ldiehl's gallery of images en-us 120 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/412465

Sometimes the best way to see if an idea will work is to literally draw it and see. This is the case with By the Stars. One day while messing around on Wikipedia I came to a page about a nifty critter called a colugo. Colugos are some of the best mammal gliders in the world. Though tiny and tropical in "real life" it wasn't much of a stretch for me to imagine them potentially on Snowmist. After doing this image I think they work as mammoth gliding creatures of a arctic planet quite well. I don't know much more about this rider/colugo pair (yet) except that they are searching for something and have paused to consult an ancient map the boy carries.]]> Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:37:52 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/334933

Northern Lights is inspired by The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. This book has been a favorite of mine since I was a young adult (in the 12-16 years sense). I first read it back in middle school when I was thirteen. Recently, I revisited the completed His Dark Materials series for inspiration in writing my own first book. In this image, I've portrayed Lyra and her daemon, Pantalaimon, gazing up at the northern lights. I wanted to show Lyra as a blend of: hopeful, troubled, and awed. Mere days after I'd posted this on my website, I was honored to receive an e-mail from the author himself requesting a print. As is fitting, the #1 print in this limited edition went to Mr. Pullman.]]> Thu, 23 Mar 2006 21:38:46 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/334941

The Crystal is a sample illustration for my book. Egan, the little boy, is required to take a peak into the "Crystal of Possibilities" so he can be safely dismissed from attending Carver's Keep. Unfortunately, the vision he sees is far from the tranquil one the Testers expect.]]> Thu, 23 Mar 2006 21:44:29 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/334976

Callista is one of my original fantasy characters. She is a water elemental healer, who can call dolphins and other sea creatures to her aid at will. In this image Callista rides atop her dolphin friend, Lyric, to the aid of a wounded comrade. She holds in her hand the Staff of Healing, which she uses to perform her magical cures, defend herself, and call upon the creatures of the sea.]]> Thu, 23 Mar 2006 22:08:16 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/447143

This is the character portrait of a Guardian Angel named Arin. It is the beginning of an anticipated series of angelic characters for script-writer Danny Kelly. This image originally started off as just a character design, but grew to include a background and became more polished. One of the most interesting things I faced in depicting an "angel" was what to do about the wings, I chose not to go with the traditional pair of "bird wings" in favor of a more unique pair. His face was the most challenging part, as it is very difficult get just the right blend of masculinity and beauty. I want the viewer to see that he isn't a human man but an angel (from his face alone).]]> Wed, 03 Jan 2007 20:11:22 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/521849

This is a personal painting, inspired by a bit of journaling one morning. It took quite some time to finish and I actually ended up using Painter, ArtRage, and Photoshop at various points, finally settling on the oil pastels in Painter for the "painting" and Photoshop for much of the final work.]]> Tue, 24 Jul 2007 21:41:24 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/486237

This is a wrap cover image for Small Magics by Erik Buchanan, published by Dragon Moon Press. Initially the author and I were bouncing 6 or 7 different ideas around. It came down to 3 "major scenes" that we thought might be visually interesting enough to make a cover images from. In the end, we chose to go with the scene where Thomas (our scholarly main character) is summoning magic while sitting in an ancient druid circle under a full moon.]]> Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:09:12 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/463276

This is a full-wrap book cover for Too Many Princes by Deby Fredericks published by Dragon Moon Press. When I worked on the thumbnails for this piece, there were a variety of options as far as what character or scene to include. We ultimately decided to go with an image of Brastigan, the main character of the three leads. Here he stands on a battlement of his home castle. In the distance a battle rages between his people and invaders.]]> Tue, 13 Feb 2007 19:34:14 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/454107

This is a full-wrap book cover for Book of Angels: The Fall by Danny Kelly. The imagery came from a vivid description sent to me by the author. One of the most challenging aspects of the image was all of the scrolls! And the main angels face, which must have been repainted a hundred times in one day.]]> Sun, 21 Jan 2007 17:43:59 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/448465

Something a bit different for me. This is a fantasy pet portrait done for a good friend named Nate. It's his Uncle's dog (a Whippet) as Superdog. This is one of my swiftest images, from start to finish, to date, as it took only three working days to complete. I'm especially happy that such a simple background works to "pop" the Pup so well.]]> Sun, 07 Jan 2007 15:55:53 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/427612

This is the cover illustration for Just Like A Fairy Tale by Sophia Babai, published by Luna Brillante. In this scene Anima, the main character, is set apart from the others. She wears a bloody hospital gown and hugs herself for warmth, though it is not cold out. Sad and confused by the half-memories that tease her, she walks away from a restaurant known as Eva After. It is a place filled with the warm smells of cooking and the chatter of people. The only one who welcomes her, Eva (a young Iraqi refugee) stands waving while the shadowy figures of two men intertwined in Anima's life story remain stoically closed to her. And, no, the mango is not random.]]> Thu, 09 Nov 2006 22:18:49 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/421052

This is the cover image for Time Warriors 4 by Tom Tancin and Chris Wolf. These characters, the Time Warriors, are in dungeon of trial-like rooms. In this room they stand on a glass floor suspended over water. In the rippling depths they see scenes from their past meant to drive them apart and cause them to fight amongst themselves. The young man clutching his bleeding chest is a dead comrade, who died to protect the Warriors. The glass floor is swiftly cracking and will soon give way.]]> Tue, 24 Oct 2006 14:54:27 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/407096

The cover image for The Dark Warriors by sfxfantasy. Sarah and Jake face a final showdown upon a desolate rocky plain beneath a stormy sky. Blasting energy from their bare hands they struggle to hold off an onslaught of nebulous dragons made of pure dark energy. In the tower beyond a friend awaits rescue.

Again I want to thank my WIP crew. You guys and gals are great ]]> Tue, 19 Sep 2006 21:37:54 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/403704

This is the cover image for Lost in Another Realm by sfxfantasy. Sarah and Jake find their idealistic paradise shattered by a hoard of Spidr'acs (half-spider half-human creatures) bent on killing them. Playing the cowboy, Jake uses a vine to lasso a winged stallion that they have ever so fortunately stumbled upon in their desperate run for their lives. Seconds later they escape on horseback into the sky.

This image has been accepted by the author and is now out of my hands as far as changes go, but comments are still welcome!

A big thanks to all of my WIP thread followers over in the 2D crit forum. You all are awesome! ]]> Mon, 11 Sep 2006 16:31:54 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/394118

This is the cover image for Warrior Girl by sfxfantasy. Here Sarah is fleeing the dungeon of her Ven'eelg captors after attacking one with a glass shard and running for it. To her amazement, just when she thinks herself cornered, her body begins to fly upward of its own accord. An Elite Warrior named Jake floats behind, severing Sarah's chains with his power and enabling her escape, but unseen by her.

Note: This illustration has already been approved by and delivered to the author. Comments and critiques as still welcome, but I cannot make any further changes. Thanks!]]> Wed, 16 Aug 2006 19:07:29 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/383794

This is the cover image for A Warrior's Death by sfxfantasy. Here Jake and Sarah are battling a hoard of magic scorpion-like monsters. The tree behind the them is a fire-melon tree, the fruits of which they had been dinning on before this ambush.

This is the final version of this image, as it has been approved by (and sent to) the author. Comments are still welcome, though I won't be making any changes at this point. Thanks to everyone who helped with the image in progress (you can find all the steps in my WIP thread).]]> Fri, 21 Jul 2006 01:08:50 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/380633

This is the first "randomly" inspired image I've done in a long time, as most of my personal paintings are related to my world and book. The whole thing started with the idea of a river filled with stars and then expanded to include two royal children and a small wolf-dog. I've spent way more time on this than I probably should have, but nevertheless critiques are welcome. Enjoy.]]> Thu, 13 Jul 2006 00:10:07 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/374396

This is a cover illustration for A Knight's Wish by Linda Andrews, soon to be published by Zumaya Publications. The man has been transported forward in time from 1600s Scotland and the woman is from present-day Arizona. The far background is meant to show his time period and reflect the turbulent darkness that covers his land, while the foreground is a fireplace in her house. The toy castle, revolver, diamond, and quilt are all of significance in the story.]]> Mon, 26 Jun 2006 18:10:54 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/343709

Hungry Eyes is the first image of Keary I've done for my Ginger Lioness project. Keary is half-Cauld, half human. Orphaned at a young age when Men attacked his village, he wandered alone in the desolate southern lands with only his wolf for company. At the death of his beloved pet, he decided to rejoin society and find a way to become a Rider -an obsessive dream of his ever since the crazed Lioness of a dead Rider saved his life. Here he has just crept onto the dock at Merlin after making the rough journey across the Nectarian as a stow-away in a barrel.]]> Mon, 10 Apr 2006 01:38:45 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/334966

Egan's Burrow is the first of a long series of paintings (around 34 total) to illustrate an original YA novel I've written. In the chapter I've chosen a scene where the main character, a five-year-old boy) is reading a note he has discovered in his fort -which is under the roots of a giant fir tree.]]> Thu, 23 Mar 2006 22:02:44 +0000 http://ldiehl.cgsociety.org/gallery/334953

A prequel image for my “Ginger Lioness” story, wherein my main character (Egan) is being exposed to the light of a scared crystal shard in care of the little folk (Amon). Egan is technically supposed to be less than a day old - I purposely fudged it a bit here to make him cuter. The Amon are wearing the weave of their people. Latency garb makes then harder to see but not invisible.]]> Thu, 23 Mar 2006 21:55:22 +0000