Mat Cauthon - Son of Battles, Prince of the Ravens, Hornsounder

Mat Cauthon from the Wheel of Time. One of my favorite characters in fantasy, probably because I often see myself in him. This was the first work I did using generative references from Midjourney. I included a few of the references below, as well as the render of Mat’s dice I created in Blender. You can see from the first reference image, that it is the one I used for the pose and framing.

My version was drawn by hand and I used the Photoshop grid to check my work as I progressed. There was no tracing done to my recollection, although you could argue using the grid is tracing once removed. It’s mainly used to ensure I get the proportions and perspective correct, then everything after that is essentially my own, although I did use the lighting for reference as well. Only to change it moonlight instead of sunlight much later in the process. This drawing stretched out over several months as I added more background elements and details to his characters.

I tried to include several small details although no one seems to notice them when I share on social media. If they do, they don’t comment. Of the few comments I do get, they tend to be about the scarf being the wrong color (it isn’t) or that he needs more lace (he doesn’t). I’m generally satisfied with this version, although the rendering still reveals my lack of skill. I’ve already generated several references for Nynaeve, Egwene, and Rand. I’m going to need to get back on the ball with my art school curriculum. I’ve been neglecting it for Berklee requirements as well as just wanting to draw my own stuff and not necessarily what’s best for my growth as an artist.