Aside from writing, I enjoy hand sketching, with some digital art on occasion. I’m no virtuoso, and I don’t sketch on a routine basis—but my skill has improved over the years. Below, I’ll share some of my work on the characters in the Ethereal Seals series. 🙂

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Pepper Slyhart

My first sketch of Pepper many years ago. Back then, Ethereal Seals was still Ethereal Sages, an embryonic story with throwbacks to my teenage years. I have fond memories of Ethereal Sages, but much of it was underdeveloped and poorly executed. Pepper’s development came later; as my worldbuilding skills improved, so did my sketching. Although I would sketch on a routine basis for several months, then stop for a year to focus more on my writing.

Another sketch of Pepper. One could say Pepper came from my fiery side, with her short-temper, ambitious nature, and compassion for others. It’s interesting to see how Pepper has matured over the years, like a daughter that I’ve helped raise.

As the main protagonist of Ethereal Seals, Pepper has received the most attention as far as sketching. I love drawing her! She’s that action-heroine that kicks tail!

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Tarie Beyworth

Another protagonist, Tarie Beyworth. With his soft-spoken personality, timid quirks, and depthless altruism, Tarie serves as a mediator for Pepper’s fiery character. Unlike Pepper, who is athletic, assertive, and bold, Tarie leans on the cautious side. He is another favorite of mine, with his knowledge of healing, religion, and magic. In particular, his role as a priest brings elements of worldbuilding into the story.

Below is a digital sketch of him.

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Gerald Highmane

Gerald Highmane is a peculiar protagonist. He actively opposes Pepper during the first part of the story, and the two develop a friendly rivalry going forward. Writing Gerald, with the numerous twists in his character arc, was a blast. With his shrouded background and mixed morals, I’m looking forward to finishing him up in later books.

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Zihark Mystflare

Zihark is a side character, who supports Pepper and Tarie in subtle ways. Zihark has his own dark past, which weaves into a character arc in later books. Of all the characters, Zihark has suffered the most, and his tendencies towards drugs and depression will resonate with many readers. He fits the assassin-type character, able to slink around in the shadows.

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Ashia Worldscale

Ashia is a side character who helped raise Pepper and Tarie when they both were orphaned; though Pepper still had her dad, so Ashia was more like a nanny-mother. Quirky and spontaneous, Ashia adds plenty of fun, worldbuilding lore, and protagonist support to the story.

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That’s all for now. But before I end, here’s a small teaser from my official cover art for Blade of Dragons! Cheers.

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Aspectä rey’lief, fair reader, and thanks again for reading!
—Ed R. White