Storn's art for swipin'!

Storn · Jan 3, 2012

This is the last one for the "Space Navies" commission. I really enjoyed doing these, a bit different from my usual supers and fantasy characters.

These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Generic

Storn · Jan 4, 2012

I'm hoping to restart my skype rpg campaign soon. Link to actual play here:
(LoA) Swords of a Dying Empire

So as a late xmas present to my players and a way to jump-start my own creative juices, I did pics of each of the player characters.

So, we've got the insane blood priest Boka, the demon possessed Damisk and the destroyer of a city, Galvanic.

With Galvanic, the character is based loosely on greek hoplites by the player... but I wanted to visually pay homage, but change it up enough to distant the visuals from a wholly greek look. I don't feel like in a fantasy world made up of lots of different influences and imagination, that a character should be EXACTLY based off of an earth culture.

These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Generic

Storn · Jan 17, 2012

This posting doesn't have any art in it, but it is very much about art. I just wrote an article addressing WotC's announcement of a "5th" edition Dungeons and Dragons is in the works. My article, Romancing the d20, is aimed at what the art should, could be for upcoming unofficially named "5th" edition. It is on my Live Journal.

I don't pretend to be much of a writer, I am a paint and ink slinger after all. But I do have some passion and emotion about this one. And Since D&D has had an enormous impact on us, I hope you will take a look.

storn_cook - Romancing the d20

Thank You!!

Storn · Jan 23, 2012

Its pluggin' time. I've got a few projects that I want to talk about.

First up, my own LPJ Design Portfolio stock art keeps marching along. If you want good print quality and have need of art such as this one below (and the 3 fantasy pics I did for Swords of a Dying Empire earlier in this thread). So. Check it out and the other 11 Portfolios! And growing!!! I suspect the next portfolio will be superheroes. Not sure, but that is the way things are leaning.

Image Portfolio Platinum Edition 12: Storn Cook - LPJ Design | RPGNow.com

Next, a kickstarter program for Inkwell ideas, below is their marketing blurb:

Monster Stand-Ins are a set of 200 plastic card (same thickness as
most credit cards) miniatures of creatures for role-playing games or
war games or board games. Use them when you don't have enough
miniatures or don't have the right miniature. The plastic makes them
more durable than home-printed minis or even cardboard minis and you
can freely write on them with a dry erase maker. (Mark conditions,
hits taken, "Kobold #9" etc.) They are also more portable and an
organizer box is available as an option. If you pledge for a set, you
can order extras of any card in the set.

The project page is:
Monster Stand-Ins (Plastic Card Miniatures) by Joe Wetzel — Kickstarter

Here is a sample of the art that I produced:

And in concordance with Stand-ins is a MASSIVE clip art treasure trove of monsters... with a dozen+ really awesome artists. I know that I'm getting a crack at doing Hobgoblins!!! Always fun stuff!!

Here is the Inkwell link to what they are doing and why and how it synergizes with the monster stand ins.

Monster Stock Art by Joe Wetzel — Kickstarter

Thanks for putting up with such blatant advertising. Hopefully, whetting appetites with a smattering of my art will make it okay.

Storn · Jan 25, 2012

First up, another Death Tribble commission. This one is Skin Devil. Bodybrowser from Googlelabs was a huge help on this one. I think this one is really kinda creepy.

And here is the first of five for a fantasy adventure group... Always fun to try and make a big bruiser of a woman and still look like a female. Especially wearing chainmail. Not sure I succeeded... I *think* I have... but y'all have to be the judge.

Storn · Jan 31, 2012

The Showgirl is another supervillain concept from Death Tribble. He wanted a demure costume if possible, but all the reference I could find had a lot of skin. She certainly is super doing a jump in heels... but hey, supers are fantasy. Do not try at home.

And here is another fantasy commission for the "party of 5". Fantasy takes a bit more time than the superhero stuff.... I used to think it was just because of the level of detail, folds in clothes, lots of accoutrements like bags, weapons, belts, buckles. But while doing this one, I came to think that it is also the different textures things are... so it is not just the bags, belts, weapons and buckles, its those things have different "feels" to them visually... or should. This one took a bit longer than I would have liked and I'm still feeling like it's missing something.

Storn · Feb 9, 2012

I thought I would share my continuing growing family of… Hobgoblins. Now a trio, soon to be a quartet.

And we’ve got some more private character concept commissions to show. First up are two from that longtime patron, Death Tribble. An American Moriarity and a “Skyshark” plane. American Moriarity described to me as “pulp, villain”… DT wasn’t expecting the mask, but I wanted to show some visual hinting at the american part of his description. For Skyshark, of course the p40 for the Flying Tigers was a big inspiration.

Lastly, we’ve got Tahiti Tex. And interesting take on a bunch of classics… the classic superhero brick, cowboy, hawaiian shirt and bullwhip… all combo’d into one hombre.

Storn · Feb 11, 2012

Thanks guys for the nice comments...

I finished the hobgoblin series for the Monster Art Kickstarter. I heard back from the client. I’m gonna get more! Wheee! Anyways, if you haven’t yet, check out the link to the Monster Art Kickstarter here, by last check, it has been funded, so I think they might add more monsters and art as they go along!

Monster Stock Art & Minis by Joe Wetzel Hobgoblin Samples; Survey for how to Determine Which Creatures to Add — Kickstarter

And I wanna share the hobs with you right now!

I did other stuff yesterday too. I finished up another commission for Death Tribble, which actually comes from a long time Hero poster, Arc. The idea for a Victor von Doom-like Witch Doctor. I pencilled and inked this one during a working lunch with awesome artist Steve Ellis. I think hanging out with Steve inspired me. Even borrowed the brush from him to do the inking. I like this one a lot. Fun to do African themed heroes and villains!

Last, but not least (at least as work went yesterday), got a crack at doing a Lich for another commission. Went kinda dark on this one… digital over pencil. And I like it!! Hope y’all do too. In hindsight, might have pulled out the front gauntlet a bit more… but love the color on the staff gem.

Just wanted to remind folks that I am selling prints and originals over at Fine Art. I just put up this pencil sketch on vellum. It was done for Other Worlds. Want to see if folks might be interested in buying my original sketches. I do sell quite a few of them at conventions.. but I don’t go to all that many conventions. Plus there are a few other pieces, some more suitable for printing. Check it out:

Storn Cook - Fine Art

Storn · Feb 17, 2012

So, a couple of nights ago, I had insomnia. I have insomnia quite a bit, I'm afraid. And I'm not even a night person. Nope, I'm of the dreaded few, a morning person. Often, it is good things that keep me awake... like musing on art.

I will turn and toss a piece of art around in my mind, bringing in colors and design elements, switching camera angle and thinking about setting and mediums. Inspiration can really keep me up nights.

The other day, I got a facebook message from Matt Forbeck, a great game designer and all around cool guy, about his new Kickstart project called Shotguns and Sorcery. Stupidly, I didn't go the project website or do any research. I was going to do that the next day as when I read the message, I was almost done for the working day. So. I went to bed with Matt's Shotguns and Sorcery title kicking around in my noggin and awoke at 3 in the morning.

And I came up with an image, the sketch below, which I thought was kinda cool. I manage to fall asleep for a bit, waking again at 7ish and went straight to the drawing board to jot down what I had worked out in my mind. I quickly scanned it in, jotted a few notes in photoshop and sent it to Matt. Problem is, it is TOTALLY wrong for Shotguns and Sorcery. Shotguns and Sorcery isn't a western-fantasy mash up, it is a Noir-Fantasy mashup. I should have read the site. But still, I like the sketch. Glad I did it. Maybe somewhere down the road a project might find a place for it to live.

And I thought y'all might like to see a quickie preliminary cover idea sketched out, along with how I think about stuff written in the margins. And get a chuckle out of my knuckle headedness.

Here is a link to Matt Forbeck's project: 12 for '12 (2.0): Shotguns & Sorcery Novels by Matt Forbeck — Kickstarter

And here is my erroneous sketch:

Also, on a different tact, another superhero (or villain, not sure, didn't get that distinction in the art direction) for long time patron Death Tribble. Pencils were done over a couple of our "working lunches". Ethan Young and Steve Ellis are both local artists who've I've been hanging out with quite a bit. I did working lunch in quotations because, 1) we go a lot longer than lunch, 4-5 hours. 2) We actually get a lot done. It is almost like working in an old 30s-40s studio situation. So nice to have another couple of eyes looking at your work. The camaraderie is really nice and keeps one motivated. And we learn a lot from each other. I think we will be doing a lot more of it in the future.

Now, I just have to finish the 4-6 sketches that need to go to finishes!

Here is Supersuit:

See y'all in a few!

Storn · Feb 22, 2012

First up, we have an "indiana jones" like bard. That was in the art brief. I'll let y'all decide if I succeeded.

Next up, we have Skip. Skip is single. He is a Mind Flayer (or Illithid among his own kind). He likes walks on the beach during sunny dawns. He loves puppies. He has a steady job as a top notch barber. He plays whist. And Ladies, he is a budding top notch amateur gourmet french cook.

yup. another death tribble production!! <g>