Ryan's Collection Gallery :: 2D Art Collection

The Timepiece - Avantasia's The Mystery of Time prelim

Artist: Rodney Matthews (Painter)

4 Comments - 1,537 Views - 3 Likes

The Timepiece - Avantasia's The Mystery of Time prelim Comic Art

Click Image to View Full Size

Additional Images:

Framed

Final Painting

Final Printed Wraparound Art

Final Printed Album Cover

Tobi Sammet & Rodney

Previous Item:
The Riven Shield: Sun Sword #5

Next Item:
Statin the Elf

Artwork Details

Title:	The Timepiece - Avantasia's The Mystery of Time prelim
Artist:	Rodney Matthews (Painter)
Media Type:	Pencil
Art Type:	Prelim
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	1,537
Likes on CAF:	3 4
Comments:	4
Added to Site:	11/9/2021
Comic Art Archive:

Description

I never really expected to have a piece by Rodney Matthews in my collection, and while this isn't a finished painting, it's almost as good. This is his preliminary pencil drawing for the cover art for Avantasia's "The Mystery of Time" album, released in 2013 by Nuclear Blast. Tobias Sammet's Avantasia is one of my all-time favorite bands and so adding this to the collection is very cool indeed. The final painting has some changes, notably changing the small furry creatures to more menacing goblins. Here's what Rodney had to say about how that came about:

"Tobi was pleased with the artwork when he received it. In his own words, he was 'taken away by its beauty'. Then the record label got their hands on it. I'll let Tobi explain this part: 'Some people at the label said that it doesn't look like Metal artwork is supposed to. "Doesn't look mature, too blue, too wintry blablabla...". I remember the label saying it looks too snowish for an album coming out in spring, almost like a Christmas Calendar!' Poor Tobi of course, was left to explain this to me. Here he reflects on our conversation: 'I was insecure (YES, really!), took the phone and called Rodney: "Rodney, they wanna urge me to go for a different artwork!" Rodney went: "Really? What do YOU think?" I went: "I might have to give in, otherwise they have an excuse if they don't sell it in the numbers they have in mind." And Rodney, the loveliest, quirkiest, nicest man you can meet, went: "They think they're experts, but they're truly interfering a*seholes without a clue about art. Tobi, one of the biggest artworks I've done is called Mirador, it's a winter scene, I sell art prints in winter and summer. And if you go for a summer scene on your cover, will they stop selling it in October? What about album covers with night scenes, will they sell them during day time?"...' Thankfully Tobi got his way, on his idea and my design. Slight compromise with the sky - the record company could not cope with a swathe of pink fire, so it was changed to blue: I'll let Tobi bring the curtain down on this one with his final comments: 'Needless to say: THANK YOU RODNEY! We went for the artwork. A strange, un-trendy, beautiful piece of art that - looking back at it - feels AS OUT OF PLACE in this uniform scene and world as I FEEL! It fits! I love it'.

Pencil on paper, mounted on board
7� x 14"

Social/Sharing

About the Owner

	Ryan M ( 2 ) Premium Gallery Owner
Joined:	June 2015
Last Login:	September 2025
Ebay Id:	JekyllHJ7
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	Premium Member Q&A Ryan's Classifieds Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF Read More About RyanM

Contact the Owner

Use can use a contact form to send an email to this gallery owner,
but, you must be logged in to use this feature.

Comments on this Artwork

You must be logged in to make comments.

Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 11/9/2021

The serene winter scene with a fantasy twist is very popular to build on folklore. The fantasy and folklore genre is a recurring theme of this supergroup's operatic album art.

Ryan M
Member Since 2015

1 - Posted on 11/9/2021

Marcus Wai wrote:

The serene winter scene with a fantasy twist is very popular to build on folklore.� The fantasy and folklore�genre is a recurring theme of this supergroup's operatic album art.

Marcus, it was a perfect painting for one of Avantasia's albums, no question about it!

Bob Goerder
Member Since 2004

1 - Posted on 11/9/2021

VERY NEAT!!

Ryan M
Member Since 2015

Posted on 11/9/2021

Bob Goerder wrote:

VERY NEAT!!

Thanks! Now I just have to save up for the final painting!

All
	J Murdock 9/6/2025 2:47:00 PM
	Hassan T 9/6/2025 2:47:00 PM
	Paul Handler 9/6/2025 2:38:00 PM
	Chris Johnson 9/6/2025 2:36:00 PM
	Comic_Lore @ 9/6/2025 2:19:00 PM
View All