The Seer of Grace and Fire book 1 manuscript is completed and currently in beta. This book like grydscaen: tribute will feature illustrations for each chapter. The second book in the series, The Seer of Ice and Sky will also include chapter art.
We have currently done 32 pieces of concept art for The Seer of Grace and Fire series. The banner above features characters from Book 2. The center character is Dalannin, the dark elf mage and he was also in book 1. The left most character is Kennai, the elven swordsman from Akrisia who leads a regiment of elves bordering the wood elves’ land. The character to the right is Seih, the half dragon captain who leads a regiment in the Dragon King’s army.
About Kennai (Left): Introduced in Book 2 he is not happy to be fighting alongside Seih and the runaway half-dragon army in the elven lands. In the picture you can tell by his furrowed brow that he barely tolerates the half-dragons and Seih who is their commander. He would rid himself of them quickly if he could. Kennai is pompous and full of himself until it comes to the soldier Isla in his forces. But unbeknownst to him, Isla has other objectives in mind besides Kennai’s flirting.
About Dalannin (Center): In Book 1 Dalannin was leading an army of demons to attack the Faerie Kingdom at Kannon. In book 2 we find him going to the Dragon King with a gift to gain his allegiance. Dalannin sneaks into Akrisia before he makes it up the mountain to the dragon lands. It is once he gets there that his actions encourage a reckless Seih to act and cause him harm.
About Seih (Right): Introduced in Book 2, he is a half-dragon in the Dragon King’s army stationed at Dragonreise north of the elven city of Akrisia in the mountains. His sword is an extension of his strength and it takes it everywhere, even sleeps with it. Seih is aloof, hot headed and a dangerous adversary. He has to be if he wants to control his destiny at Dragonreise. He has to constantly fight to keep his position as captain because the pure blood dragons do not respect his standing as a half-dragon. That reckless nature and deathly precision may just keep him alive when he causes a mutiny in the Dragon King’s army.
I enjoy drawing the concept art and all the covers for the #grydscaen and #SeerofGraceFire books because I have total control over what the characters look like. I am only inhibited by my ability to draw. By putting my own creative vision into the characters I can shape them into emotional portraits as I shape them in the story.
The Seer of Grace and Fire book 1 has 20 chapters and will feature 20 different illustrations. I work in pencil with #lineart mainly and then scan the drawings so that I can add the branding and levels in photoshop. I have also done a few manga pages which will be featured in Book 2 as chapter openings. I am using Manga Studio 5 and still learning how to use the tool because I am new to the program.
I look forward to continuing work with the beta reader for The Seer of Grace and Fire volume 1 and once we are finished with that we will go onto the editing process. I have never had an editor before with the grydscaen books so this will be new. Hopefully this will turn out to be a rewarding process. We are 65,120 words into The Seer of Ice and Sky, book 2 in the series and have been working on it for #nanowrimo Novemeber Novel Writing Competition. I have reached the 50,000 word goal 8 days after starting but we are not yet done with book 2. We are close but not there yet. Book 3 which will be called The Seer of Flesh and Death will be the final book in The Seer of Grace and Fire trilogy. I look forward to starting on that early 2017 or December 2016.
To find more artwork from The Seer of Grace and Fire series, go to natsuyauesugi instagram
The Seer of Grace and Fire is planned for a late February 2017 release date. Check back for more.
