Storn Art Reboot

[Storn]

Even more from Death Tribble! A new take on the ol' D&D monster, Shambling Mound, with instructions to not make it massive.


And a MothMan, super villain... meybe... super hero. Wasn't clear from the description. But a bit more on the super spandex set than I've done for awhile. It was fun to return to doing that. Hope y'all enjoy!!!

[Storn]

Josh Mannon, the guy behind Within the Devil's Reach, is starting up another kickstarter. This time it is another 3 linked adventures connecting into Within the Devil's Reach storyline. Called Skies over Danbury. Although, from what I understand, you could do these adventures separately too. Both adventure books are for the game system Dungeon World.

If the kickstart succeeds, I will be doing the art for Skies over Danbury. So. I really hope that it does. I enjoyed doing the art for Within the Devil's Reach quite a bit. To give a little visual indication to both Josh and y'all of where I wanted to go cover wise, I worked up a preliminary sketch, very preliminary, and gave it a bit of a underpainting treatment.

I present it here to whet your appetites and to show a rare behind-the-scenes stage of what goes into a painting. Hope you like and I hope you will check out Josh's kickstarter link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jbm ... adventures

Here is the underpainting for Skies over Danbury:



p.s. I haven't played Dungeon World yet, but after flipping through my swag copy of Within the Devil's Reach, I SURE DO want to. And it seems very cool how Within the Devil's Reach has questions of the players to set up parameters for the adventures to be forthcoming.

[Storn]

My sister recently cleaned out my parents barn (just so you think I'm not heartless, I helped too). The barn had become a holding place for all kinds of treasures...and my sister held a huge garage sale to help with her books for college. One of these "treasures" is a bit of art I did, sometime between 10-12. I'm not sure how old I was. I remember doing this piece of art. It was during classes. I'm thinking 8th grade, but it might have been some other time too. So. Without further ado, here is a piece of art from the beginning of my career. The really EARLY part of my career. Hope y'all get a chuckle. I certainly did seeing it again.

Somehow, the concept of this early piece strikes me as an awesome concept for Primetime Adventures if I was playing with Aaron Sorkin, JJ Abrams and Joss Whedon. Dunno why. For those who don't know, Primetime Adventures is a roleplaying game who's structure is very similar to pitching TV shows or mini-series. Very clever game.



And to see perhaps, some of my path... I recently got a chance to do three female characters from the same Exalted game.

[Storn]

Another in a series of Exalted females for Paul L. This one is a bit more horrific in its description as being during or just after bloody battle. And oh yeah, this is the first piece of digital art done with my combo birthday/Xmas present... a brand new, 22 inch, Cintiq!!!!! Oh, by all the angels of art, what a difference from a wacom tablet!!! I am one happy, jumping with joy, boy.

Note: It isn't completely digital, I did scan in fairly tight pencils done on vellum. All the color was done digitally.



Next is the first of three Angels that I'm doing for Xmas presents for Millie's family. I did a couple of angeds last time I was in Puerto Rico, on the spot, with cheap travel watercolors. We are heading for Puero Rico for my first PR Xmas, something I'm quite looking forward to!

Now, I'm taking my time and doing these in acrylic... a medium I haven't used in quite some time, but wanting to give it a go again. Inspired to go that route from a couple of coffee table talks with local friends n artists like Jeff Szuc and Steve Ellis!

It is interesting to be tackling Christian iconology... I am not a christian (very wayward jew, btw)... yet being an american, immersed in a Wasp environment, married into a Catholic one, it feels different to be painting angels as opposed to, oh, I don't know, valkyries or medusas from other religions. Like it is weird to be "right next door" to a subject matter, but apart from it too. It ain't like hundreds of famous artists haven't done angels or anything... sheesh. Yet, I feel somewhat blasphemous for tackling a subject I don't believe in..... I don't believe in medusas or valkyries... for the record.

As I was doing this, I was struck how similar doing an angel is and doing many a female superheroine. Maybe it is just my habits are so practiced they are now hard wired into my muscle memory.

Anyway, time to shut up and put up the artwork....

[Jeff Wilder]

I gotta say, you put that Norse swordswoman and the dual-wielding assassin in the same RPG Now Portfolio, and I'll buy it instantly.

Question on the falchion-wielder ... is that a (deadly) prosthetic (ouch!), or just a trick of perspective caused by the lower-res? I can't make it out.

[Storn]

I gotta say, you put that Norse swordswoman and the dual-wielding assassin in the same RPG Now Portfolio, and I'll buy it instantly.

Question on the falchion-wielder ... is that a (deadly) prosthetic (ouch!), or just a trick of perspective caused by the lower-res? I can't make it out.

Your wish, my command, read further...

Prints, Portfolios, Princesses and Poignards!

Okay, maybe not a poignard, but I needed a 4th "p" for my alliteration. The dude does have a rapier!

So, a couple of folks asked about prints of a couple of recent pics... you can find several pieces of art available for prints in all kinds of sizes and formats here:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/storn-cook.html

Let me know if there are pics I've posted up that you would like to see as prints and I will put them up too!

Next, I have a new clipart portfolio up through LPJ Designs, featuring recent fantasy pics. Check that out here:

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/108714/Im ... rs=0_0_0_0

And now! More Art (yah!)

First up, the next in the Xmas Angel series... here is my Cerulean Angel.


Next, is another in the Exalted series for Paul L. Although it is Exalted, working from Paul's descriptions, I am interpreting a more restrained visual look than the usual Exalted gonzo/anime/over the top stylings I've seen from other sources.


And lastly, a fencing Spaniard for Death Tribble...


Keep the comments coming, love to hear what folks think!

Til next time...

[HustlerOne]

I have to say is that you do some great fantasy art especially when it comes to women. Female warriors with actual functional armor! No ludicrous chainmail bikinis here.

[Storn]

HustlerOne, thank you so much for noticing that while I can and sometimes called upon to do cheesecake, I prefer not doing it. It is really hard to make armor functional, yet the character still be identifiable as female. Not an easy task to be sure. So, it is quite gratifying when someone notes it.



Well, Millie encouraged me to make Xmas cards. So I did the obligatory cat Xmas card starring our cats, Chrissie and Baby. Chrissie is the one wearing the santa hat. So this is the cute. Down with watered down acrylic ink.



Then we have a dear friend who is a major horror fan. Last year, I did a zombie Xmas. This year, well, how about Vampire Xmas. So, Bloody. Maybe next Xmas will be hairy (ie Loup Garou). Another acrylic, done on these cool watercolor cards that I acquired along the way somewhere. By the way, although the font was hand done, it was based on a pencil transfer from Blambot's excellent YouMurderer font.



Lastly, the divine, the last in my triad of angels.



I will put all three of these up on my FineArt America. They can make nice cards and such.

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/storn-cook.html

I'm off to Puerto Rico for Christmas. I hope to do some art while down there. I'll post it when I get back.

[Storn]

Death Tribble wanted an Evil Whale. My first go around tried to animorphasize the beastie, but DT really wanted a pretty straight up baleen whale. I gave it a bit of a "chin" growth and red eyes to hopefully push it a bit into 'eeeeevvvviilll!!" territory. But I'm not sure.



This is another in Paul T's Exalted femme fatale series. This time, it is Red Lotus Blossom, described to me as a redhead (but using an actresses very orange hair color), wearing red, and being a "sword princess" but with a naginata (if I preferred.. yes, I preferred! <g> I get to draw swords all the time, naginatas are much more rare!)



p.s. Really, really diggin' my Cintiq!!!

[Storn]

Back from 2 weeks in Puerto Rico! Back to the studio! Back to the drawing board!

While I haven't posted much art of late, I have been busy doing art and now I can share some of it with you. First up, another oddball concept from Death Tribble. This time I was the one who pushed for doing the head inside the chest...originally, it was supposed to be a helmet with water/fluid suspending the disembodied head. I wanted to push the concept just a tad further and this is what I came up with...

Additionally, it is the first time I've done digital inks in a long time, and the first time on my wacom Cintiq. I was pretty fast and more importantly, happy with the result. Much, much easier than inking on a wacom tablet.



Next up is another private commission... Warrior with mystic sword.. the patron went into some detail on how the sword was all jaggedy and energized.



Next are two images from the first kickstarter I'm discussing today. These are from "The Skies of Danbury"... a follow up to the "Within the Devil's Reach" adventure. This is for the game, Dungeon World. The cover, followed up by an interior. You can find the already-funded Skies of Danbury kickstart here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jbm ... adventures





And for superhero lovers, this is an image for a Mutants and Masterminds Villains pack. Link to that is here and this worthy project is NOT funded yet, so it could use your help:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/502 ... y-mandm-rp



note: This was also digitally inked.

[Jeff Wilder]

Heya, Storn, is that B&W line drawing any sort of homage to Jeff Dee's work, way back when? (Morgan Ironwolf for the win!) It gave me a nice feeling of nostalgia, for sure.

[pawsplay]

That's actually the old link for the M&M book, here's the current Kickstarter (just days to go!):

http://kck.st/TlXrpB

[Storn]

Heya, Storn, is that B&W line drawing any sort of homage to Jeff Dee's work, way back when? (Morgan Ironwolf for the win!) It gave me a nice feeling of nostalgia, for sure.

Not directly, but I'm sure that was rattling around in my brain for decades. I was going for old school RPG art nostalgia though. So I'm glad that came through.

AS Robert, of the Do Not Approach-- Mutants and Masterminds villain gallery kickstart, wrote me with a correction. The link in the previous post was to an older kickstart, here is the link to the correct one: http://kck.st/TlXrpB. I apologize for any confusion or inconvenience.

Here is a fresh off the tablet commission, the first of 7, involving vampire hunters and their prey.

[death tribble]

Even more from Death Tribble! And a MothMan, super villain... meybe... super hero. Wasn't clear from the description. But a bit more on the super spandex set than I've done for awhile. It was fun to return to doing that. Hope y'all enjoy!!!

The Moth Man is a bad guy. Always intended as a bad guy.

[death tribble]

While I haven't posted much art of late, I have been busy doing art and now I can share some of it with you. First up, another oddball concept from Death Tribble. This time I was the one who pushed for doing the head inside the chest...originally, it was supposed to be a helmet with water/fluid suspending the disembodied head. I wanted to push the concept just a tad further and this is what I came up with...

Additionally, it is the first time I've done digital inks in a long time, and the first time on my wacom Cintiq. I was pretty fast and more importantly, happy with the result. Much, much easier than inking on a wacom tablet.

This was the winning design from a thread I ran on another site. Storn picked it as the one that appealed to him most. It was one of mine and is only the second time in 9 years that my own design has come out on top. This year will be the tenth year I will run the concept to art thread and I am hopeful for some good designs.