One of the bonus illustrations from The Harbinger’s Path print version! Now that the books have been in the hands of people for a while, I figured enough time has passed to begin showing some of the bonus artwork drawn for them.
This artwork was originally started several years ago! The version I first posted online was in 2022, and I’ll add that one later in the full post. I have a bit of an irreverent story to go along with it.
But first, some thoughts! One of the most unexpected things about putting together Harbinger’s print version is how it resulted in my finishing several longstanding works-in-progress I’ve had laying around me over the years. Including this one! I first drew and shared the sketch for this way back in 2022 – during GW2’s 10th Anniversary, after all! – and I had always planned on finishing it. I think I fiddled around with it a handful of times afterward, but as of early this year (2026), it remained unfinished.
Print formatting
As I was formatting Harbinger’s print book, I was inspired to see if I could put together a bonus section of some of the collected Trahearne & Malyck artwork I’d drawn over the years. I especially found myself desiring to finish some specific WIP’s – several which I thought had potential, but which remained unfinished. They remained unfinished for various reasons. Some due to time, and others, because I had grown attached to the sketch, and each time I tried furthering a few of these pieces, I thought they strayed further from what appealed to me about them in the sketch.
But I always wanted to finish these pieces! And the book was the perfect opportunity to psychologically force myself to finally sit down, make those drawing decisions, and draw them. This differs from person to person, but it’s why for me personally, I seem to work well with deadlines. Whether self-imposed or external. It manifests a type of hyper-focused energy I really dig. I guess it’s one way of forcing yourself into “the zone.”
Finished!
Anyway! Even though there is a certain feeling I slightly prefer in the sketch, I’m very happy I can finally call this drawing “finished.” There are parts of it I think are improved from the sketch. And the final version worked well in the print book’s layout – much more than if I had used the earlier sketch. And now, after drawing it, I think I would be better equipped to tackle future drawings incorporating what I like about both the final and the sketch. Which I don’t think I would have learned if I didn’t finish drawings like these.
2022 version
Now for the earlier version below, along with the story: