THE DARK TOWER

Cover illustration for Stephen King

Jan 19, 2026

Bathed in twilight, Roland Deschain stands in a field of red roses that surround a tower of massive girth. With arms crossed, he holds up a big revolver. Fingers wrap the sandalwood grips with noticeable tension on the trigger. Loosely knotted cloth spills from his other wrist, exposing the back of his hand, but not the fingers on his right hand. The cloth is bloody where it wraps over pinky and ring finger as he clutches the stem of a rose. Behind him, a narrow stone path leads through the field, past the faces of fallen statues that stare blankly up to the sky. Steps lead up to a wedge of light marking the tower entrance rendered as if the door is ajar. It's unclear whether the light comes from the chamber within or the flaring sun is shining through from the other side of the tower. — THE DARK TOWER (2004), Acrylic on Panel - 30” x 40”

After illustrating The Gunslinger back in 1981, it seemed only natural that I return to close this epic series that spanned three decades. Roland finally reaches the tower and I place him there lit by the setting sun for his final portrait.

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Additional images from THE DARK TOWER

LEFT: Background detail from THE DARK TOWER featuring the stone path leading up to the Dark Tower. The stone faces of fallen statues lay staring up from the field of roses. The nearest face is a young man, perhaps Roland in his youth. Farther back is an older face framed by a hood. In the foreground, red roses rise into camera view giving a sense of depth. CENTER: Figure detail from THE DARK TOWER featuring Roland Deschain framed in a low angle cowboy shot. His gun belt rides low on his hip with most of the slots empty of bullets. He wears a rough vest, likely sheepskin, and a blue cotton shirt beneath. His hat is crafted by similarly rough technique. Half his faced is bathed in golden twilight as he holds his arms crossed with his big revolver pointing up in one hand and a rose clutched in the other. RIGHT: Close detail from THE DARK TOWER featuring a weathered Roland Deschain at the end of his journey. Half his faced is bathed in twilight as he holds his arms crossed with his big revolver in one hand pointing up and a rose clutched in the other. The uneven brim sits just above clear blue eyes. Lines around his eyes speak to the years and trials he's seen. He's still handsome with high rugged cheeks and sideburns that extend to the bottom of his ear. The flat line of his mouth doesn't give much emotion away, but there's both warmth and strength to be read there. His right hand is bandaged with cloth, bloody at the bottom where his pinky and ring finger would be with the end loosely tied about his wrist. — Details from THE DARK TOWER

Book cover for THE DARK TOWER by Stephen King, published by Scribner — *The Dark Tower* by Stephen King (Scribner)

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