On our adventures in Shadowlands we are meeting many of the heroes and villains of the past. Some of my favorites are present, but others I really rooted for are sadly not. Among them is Vindicator Maraad, one of my all time favorite characters in the Warcraft universe. So I present you with this tribute to remind us that "In the Light, we are one..."

Vindicator Maraad was a warrior of faith, but also a man of action. Where others held back and hesitated, he struck , always on the offense and always on the frontlines. A resolute soldier and a stalwart and fierce warrior of light, who has been haunted by his past failings. He embodied the strength, resolve and righteousness of a true paladin, and his mighty hammer served swift punishment to those who would threaten his people.

His crusade saw him protect his people across countless worlds, battle the Horde, the Undead Scourge and the Burning Legion. It finally ended on Draenor, where he gave his light to protect fellow paladin, Yrel.

I have greatly enjoyed working on this piece, despite it taking a bit longer than usual. I hope you like the final outcome!

"I'm a simple man making his way through the galaxy. Like my father before me."

Trained in combat and martial skills from a young age, Fett was one of the most feared bounty hunters inthe galaxy during the reign of the Galactic Empire. He became a legend over the course of his career, which included countless marks and contracts for both the Galactic Empire and the extensive criminal underworld.

Presumed lost to the Sarlacc of the Great Pit of Carkoon, this tenacious and cunning warrior has returned with vengeance and once more roams the galaxy. His entry was spectacular and fairly brutal, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Boba is one of my all time favorite Star Wars characters, and I was overjoyed to see him return in The Mandalorian. I will not elaborate, in case you are reading despite the spoiler tag and haven't caught up yet. I hope you like my little tribute to this grizzled bounty hunter legend.

I'm planning to work on several more pieces from the series in the near future, anyone else you'd like to see depicted? Feel free to share :).

A piece of jewelry that served as a main artifact and a book cover for Kid Vega and the Sorcerer of Mali, you can find the book here [Kid Vega](https://www.amazon.com/Vega-Sorcerer-Mali-Scott-Dixon/dp/1735975303).

*A bright future. Together*

Hello everyone! Today we are going to take a look at something completely different. Cyberpunk 2077 has inspired me to create something different. I've always loved this theme/setting, so it was quite natural that the game sparked some inspiration.

We've already seen some of my synth creations, but in a completely different setting. This time we are going to meet Echelon, a fully 'chromed' security agent who has been trained by Arasaka corporation not only to act as a high level security, but also field agent. Her skillset ranges from expert hand to hand combat to hacking and handling of extremely volatile bio-weapons, the latter being her actual hobby and something she's become quite infamous for.

While her conduct can be sometimes questionable - especially when dealing with non-enhanced humans, the near perfect success rate of her missions outweighs this slight flaw (not that her employers would actually care, apart from a slight PR incident here and there).

She's been recently employed as a bodyguard to certain prominent corporate figures in an attempt to keep her on a tighter leash, which does not sit very well with her.

I hope you like my latest foray into the world of Sci-fi. Now back to ancient, powerful magical artifacts ;).

Hello everyone! The new expansion of Hearthstone - The Festival of Legends launched very recently and the theme is so fun, that we've decided to incorporate it into the Brigade's canon. This gave life to Rorik the Rascal, brother of Rocker Rokara . True to his name, Rorik is a scamp and a scoundrel, scavenging the seedy slums of Orgrimmar and the surrounding settlements for sinful satisfaction and stimulating stunts. He is banking heavily on the newfound fame of his sister and uses it to his advantage in many creative and MOSTLY legal ways.

I have tried to merge the playful style of some hearthstone card art with my usual fantasy style painting and turn them into a smooth, stylized hybrid. I have really enjoyed working on this piece, I hope you like the final result!

PS: If you meet Rorik, keep your guard up.. while scrawny for an orc and definitely not as brawny as his peers, he has plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

During the ordering of Azeroth, the Pantheon bestowed the Pillars of Creation - powerful relics imbued with powerful magic to the titanic keepers to aid them with that colossal task. Ages after the keepers had completed their work, the Pillars would become lost and scattered across the lands of Azeroth.

Ten millennia later during the third invasion of the Burning Legion, the Tears kept safe in the Temple of Elune in Val'sharah were stolen by Xavius who used the now Nightmare-tainted relic to corrupt the Aspect Ysera. After defending the Temple of Elune from Ysera, the Tears were purified through what was apparently Elune's direct intervention. They were taken by an order leader to Dalaran along with the other Pillars of Creation.

The Tears of Elune were brought to the Tomb of Sargeras, alongside the other Pillars, in order to close the Burning Legion portal.

My love for artifacts, gemstones and shiny trinkets of all sorts have inevitably guided me to the Pillars of Creation. While not all take such form, several of them are of interest to me. I have decided to start working on a series and polish these potent artifacts in a little tribute series. I hope you like the result of the first one, more to come! :)

(description courtesy of Wowpedia)

Hello everyone! Today I have something a little bit special and unusual for me. No pretty stones or pointy ears, this time we visit the galaxy far, far away!

We see Ahsoka Tano with her gorgeous silvery lightsabers duel an imperial magistrate by the name of Morgan Elsbeth. The magistrate's prowess in melee combat is quite stunning. The ability to stand her own against a seasoned jedi (or not jedi? ;) ), her looks and the fact that she has been officially said to be from the planet Dathomir make me believe that she is a Night sister, or at least trained by them.

We are left to wonder what became of Morgan Elsbeth after the duel, as Ahsoka won the day. However, the mention of her mysterious master, my favorite character in all of Star Wars has me thrilled.

I have finished this piece in the week following the airing of the episode and thoroughly enjoyed recreating this gloomy, tense scene. I hope you like the final outcome!

While the Brigade has encountered, and in some cases even recruited, various practitioners of Blood magic over the past few years, none of these have come from one of the oldest group - the Blood trolls.

The first encounter between Halza'jin and the Brigade turned out to be quite hostile and resulted in lots of damage, casualties and Halza'jin's capture. After being taken prisoner, Halza'jin had ample time to get to know the Brigade and its customs. When the time of freedom arrived, the Blood troll wasn't so thrilled to wander off and re-join the tribe, which would most likely result in more than violence.

Fast forward a few years and Halza'jin is seen thriving among the Brigade folk. Having adapted to the more 'civilized' ways and still being allowed to use blood magic in combat against the Brigade's enemies, Halza'jin is now feeling right at home. Having found not only friendship but also a mate, it is unlikely that any return to the Blood Troll tribes is being planned, or even desired.

Here we see Halza'jin from the time before the Brigade involvement, most likely during the first encounter with the mercenaries. Wild, untamed and extremely skilled with Blood magic, Hal'zajin was quite the adversary to overcome.

I have worked on this piece during a period of time when I experimented with completely different portrait painting process. Smooth airbrushing prevalent in most of my work has been switched for hard brushes and textures, and I have opted to avoid overpolishing. I hope you like the final result despite the obvious difference :).

And we have gazed into the Stars, our insatiable lust for power and knowledge driving us ever forward, while our empire crumbled beneath our feet.

- First Arcanist of Nevon, later known as Lady of Nevon

The story of the Highborne island city of Nevon has been shrouded in darkness and mystery for millennia, but the Brigade's scholars have always assumed that the haunted, nightmare filled place followed similar path as the other cities of the ancient society.

The Curse of Darkness caused its inhabitants to live in a nightmarish state, forever caught in between being awake and asleep. Experiencing everything around as if dreamed through a nightmare, the world colorless, soundless, tasteless and joyless. Origins of the curse are shrouded in mystery, but over the millennia, nearly all of the island’s inhabitants succumbed to the dreadful state. All but a few who held on and hoped for a rescue, instead of passing on willingly, to escape their dreadful fate.

The Brigade stumbled upon the island by chance, during some marine exploration. It took them more than a year to break the curse, facing grave dangers and expending significant resources in the process. Once broken, the curse released Lady Nevon, and a handful of sentient undead from its clutches, returning them to the ‘real’ world. While some of these unfortunate beings decided to remain on the island and contemplate what to do with their newfound freedom, Nevon decided to join the ranks of The Brigade in order to repay them.

I have decided to return to the story of Nevon and depict the fateful event that brought the Curse of Darkness upon the Island. The Lady of Nevon we have already seen has been long humbled by millennia under the effects of the curse, nowadays focusing on teaching others and practicing much less malevolent and dangerous forms of magic, than her earlier incarnation we can see here.

I have opted for stylized approach and tried to test myself, giving the artwork quite a lot of time and attention. I hope you like the final outcome!

During the ordering of Azeroth, the Pantheon bestowed the Pillars of Creation - powerful relics imbued with powerful magic to the titanic keepers to aid them with that colossal task. Ages after the keepers had completed their work, the Pillars would become lost and scattered across the lands of Azeroth.
The Tidestone of Golganneth is one of the titan Pillars of Creation. It was used during the ordering of Azeroth by the titan-forged Keepers to create the rivers and seas of Azeroth. During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, the Tidestone was found in Azsuna under Nar'thalas Academy.

While working on the Tears of Elune appeased my hunger to forge arcane gems, painting the Tidestone of Golganneth delighted me because of the materials involved. I always enjoy working with the elements and water and stone are among my favorite things to texture. I'll be definitely adding one or two more pieces into the Pillars of Creation series, the next addition will most likely be The Hammer of Khaz'Goroth. I hope you like the final outcome!

(description courtesy of Wow Wiki)