# Storn's art for swipin'!



## Storn

Well, time to rebuild.  Here is some new/old stuff.












The Knowledge Arcana cover.


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## Jdvn1

This stuff is all new to me. 


Cool.


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## guedo79

Wow that's great.  I'm so stealing that second picture and stating up a strechy ninja in Mutants and Masterminds.


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## BastionLightbringer

Great as always. Your work looks great no matter if B&W, colored or painted like the last one. 

Bastion


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## kirinke

Hmm Do you do requests?


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## Storn

kirinke said:
			
		

> Hmm Do you do requests?




Yes I do commissions.  I charge though.  Details are on my website.


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## kirinke

Pity I'm broke. Great illustrations though.


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## Stone Angel

Freakin awesome


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## Jdvn1

Storn said:
			
		

> Yes I do commissions.  I charge though.  Details are on my website.



 Do you draw anything for liesure, or do you not have time for that?


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## Storn

Jdvn1 said:
			
		

> Do you draw anything for liesure, or do you not have time for that?




Not really.  Well, sorta, see below.  Those sketches were done while at the gaming table.  I have plenty of my own projects that keep me busy when I'm not doing paying work...


Folks, I know that several have been a'waitin' on their commissions.  These three weeks have been a bit busy as I had weekend plans every weekend.  Last weekend was my grandmother'ss 80th Bday bash in Dayton.  This weekend is publicity for Actionopolis at the Motor City Con.

Actionopolis is a young adult publisher.  Not comics, but illustrated novels for 12 yr. old set.  If you are at the con, stop on by.

So.  I've got some commissions penciled, as I've been on the road.  But nothing is finished.

I just found these three doodles from me sketching during an actual game.  This is for a once a month pulp game (1928) that features us players journeying to a mysterious island that the previous expedition never came back from.

We have Beatrice White, the entomologist (I think that is the right spelling).  We have Dr. Jackson, archeologist and animal rights activist.  Visual is very much based on a Dr. Jackson seen in some other show.  And Malloy, the American mercenary who's recent adventures where in China.  Robert Mitchum was the basis for Mallory.  Which I drew a young R. Mitchum from memory, no reference, and I think did a credible job.  My character, Percy Sullivan, son of a Colorado ranch baron has a picture, but I haven't tracked it down.

So, here they are.


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## Piratecat

I'll be yoinking those for a CoC game!  Either that, or Adventure!

Very nice.


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## Jdvn1

Very nice! I like the sketched look.


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## Stone Angel

Still freakin awesome


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## RedWick

Storn said:
			
		

> This weekend is publicity for Actionopolis at the Motor City Con.




*laughs*

I think I'm sitting right across from you at the con!  We're the table/stall thingy with all of the dragon drawings!


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## Storn

RedWick said:
			
		

> *laughs*
> 
> I think I'm sitting right across from you at the con!  We're the table/stall thingy with all of the dragon drawings!




Hey, those dragon drawings are real classy!!!  Nice stuff!


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## RedWick

Thanks!  My dad's the true artist.  I just do the colors.  Your stuff isn't half-bad either!  ;-)  

I'd've gone over and said hi, but well...
"Hi!  I don't know you but I lurk on a web forum that you frequent!"
Just sounds, y'know, creepy.

I heard what you guys were doing over there and I really like the whole premise that you're working on.  Getting kids to read through comics is a very admirable goal (plus, it is a market, as was pointed out by one of your compatriots, which has been fairly neglected).


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## Storn

RedWick said:
			
		

> Thanks!  My dad's the true artist.  I just do the colors.  Your stuff isn't half-bad either!  ;-)
> 
> I'd've gone over and said hi, but well...
> "Hi!  I don't know you but I lurk on a web forum that you frequent!"
> Just sounds, y'know, creepy.
> 
> I heard what you guys were doing over there and I really like the whole premise that you're working on.  Getting kids to read through comics is a very admirable goal (plus, it is a market, as was pointed out by one of your compatriots, which has been fairly neglected).





Well... I woulda understood... its that kinda world now.  In fact, I met some guys at MCC that do a podcast called Fistful of Comics and Games.  Never met them before, but I had been listening to them for the last month or so.  Had a couple of forum conversations with them.  It was a blast to meet them in person.  

Actionopolis is actually doing illustrated novels, not comic books.  If it is a gateway to comics, that is icing... but hopefully at the bottom line, kids will want to read.


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## Storn

Well, lets post some more stuff up:

Here is a sketch done at the Detroit Institute of Art Museum of a bust of Duke Coismo, a contemporary of the Medici's.  I think its appropriate for certain patrician d20 NPCs.





Artwork for a star wars commission.






And here is a rare commission for me, a chance to do a spaceship


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## Piratecat

That ship is great. It's interesting to see your range; the bust is very different to my eyes than some of your other work. I like how you captured the feel of the man.


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## Storn

Piratecat said:
			
		

> That ship is great. It's interesting to see your range; the bust is very different to my eyes than some of your other work. I like how you captured the feel of the man.




Well, drawing from something that is truly in front of you always shifts my style towards the more "natural".  It is very different.  I agree.  Good eyes!!!  <g>

Okay, this guy didn't get a title from ChadR.  Or I had forgotten it (more likely).  But he asked for a hydrokinetic, namor-like who dresses like a romance novel character, complete with open chest and "I'm so sexy" grin.  ChadR did ask for buccaneer like boots, but I couldn't make them work with the water... it looked too clunky.... so I made him barefoot.  I hope you can forgive me, Chad.


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## Storn

Susano has a thing for catgirls.  Here is the first of two.


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## Storn

okay, another one from Susano... but is NOT a cat girl!  I wuz mistaken in the above posting.

One issue has been popping up a bit in some of my private e-mails.  And since I think this is a pretty good way of dealing with online creations... My art that I post will be Creative Commons.  Which is the short way of saying, y'all can use it as long as you don't try to make money off it.

More can be learned here: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/





Artwork:  Creative Commons:  Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5


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## Storn

Here is DR's ranger character.






This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.


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## Jdvn1

Wow, very cool.


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## Knightfall

Jdvn1 said:
			
		

> Wow, very cool.




I agree. Very well done.


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## Meloncov

The last one is very cool.


What does the legal notice at the bottom of the pictures mean?


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## Jdvn1

Meloncov said:
			
		

> The last one is very cool.
> 
> 
> What does the legal notice at the bottom of the pictures mean?



 It means if you try to print it and sell it, he'll cut you with that sword. 

I'm not 100% sure, it sounds cool, right?


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## Hussar

The Knowledge Arcana cover just got yoinked for my World's Largest Dungeon game.  Thanks.  Great stuff.


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## Storn

Creative Commons means y'all can use it, manipulate it (you want that swordsman to have brown hair, instead of dirty blond, take it to photoshop)... as long as you don't try and make money of my work, and you have to give me credit if it is put up on a website or something.

The link for Creative Commons is here, where it's language is considerable smarter and better thought out than mine:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/


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## Piratecat

That's incredibly cool. thanks!


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## the Jester

Wow, you're a very talented artist.  I like your stuff a lot!


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## Storn

Announcing *CATSPAW*.  A weekly installment webcomic written by John C. Hocking, writer of _Conan and the Emerald Lotus_.  Illustrated in color by Storn A. Cook.

Catspaw is a tale of swords, sorceries and deadly intrigues.  As Talene, a young ambassador from a powerful nation, is thrown to the wolves in the streets and courts of the world's most powerful and corrupt city.


Hosted by Flashing Swords, the pre-eminent sword and sorcery e-zine on the web.   Come dip your paw in the adventure that is CATSPAW!

http://www.swordandsorcery.org/Catspaw/index.html


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## Storn

What a pleasure it is to do a commission that is happy and joyous.  Usually I'm doing superheroes who are bad asses or fantasy characters who are badasses.  The patron asked for him performing with a sense of joy, a character who never gets downbeat.





This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.  
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/


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## Storn

duh, double post, sorry.


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## Piratecat

I absolutely love the one of the bard.

Of your recent works, which one are you the most proud of?


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## Storn

Piratecat said:
			
		

> I absolutely love the one of the bard.
> 
> Of your recent works, which one are you the most proud of?




Catspaw.


Here is a gensai sorceress for B.M.





And a dark champions dude for Edsel





These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.  
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/


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## 12rounds

Absolutely marvelous work!


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## Jdvn1

Yikes. Those are two people I do _not_ want to mess with.


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## Storn

Here is R.T.'s supervillainess blind archer gadgeteer...





These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


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## Jdvn1

A blind archer?

"No, turn around!!"


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## Varianor Abroad

This thread is fantastic. Great art. I'm right clicking on several even as I type. Thanks for sharing these.  (Wish I had looked at it sooner.)


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## Storn

RDU Neil's Secret Worlds as been a game that he has a tough time finding images for.  There are plenty of modern anime or modern super hero stuff or even modern horror... but he has a very fine line to walk with that particular game.

And I tried to do an image that was sorta in the "secret worlds" motif.  I played around with doing washes, then scanning and color digital on top of watercolor washes.  I'm not quite happy with it.... but it was interesting to try.


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## Bobitron

Hey Storn! Great looking stuff. What's the turn around time on a commission from you? I didn't see it noted on your site.

I'm interested in having a drawing of my 1950's French Foreign Legionnaire done, and I think you could do a great job with it.


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## Piratecat

Just wanted you to know that I swiped a lot of art for a MnM game I ran this past weekend. Thanks!


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## Storn

Bobitron said:
			
		

> Hey Storn! Great looking stuff. What's the turn around time on a commission from you? I didn't see it noted on your site.
> 
> I'm interested in having a drawing of my 1950's French Foreign Legionnaire done, and I think you could do a great job with it.





It is very hard to give an easy answer to that question.  Since I do commissions in and around publishers, their work comes first, as they have deadlines.  Sometimes, I have a flurry of commissions and sometimes I don't.

So, roughly? 3-4 weeks.


Here are a couple more, suitable for M&M (or the champions campaign they actually came from...)










These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


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## Storn

Page 6 of Catspaw, and the beginning of a grueling in-the-rain fight is up!

http://www.swordandsorcery.org/Catspaw/index.htm


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## Piratecat

Cool!

Storn, how are you doing the lettering for the comic? The font seems a bit odd -- oddly emphasized letters, random bolding (especially on the letter "I"). I'm not sure if its the font you're using, in which case I'll hope it changes, or that you're doing the lettering by hand.

In any case, the art is gorgeous.


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## Storn

Piratecat said:
			
		

> Cool!
> 
> Storn, how are you doing the lettering for the comic? The font seems a bit odd -- oddly emphasized letters, random bolding (especially on the letter "I"). I'm not sure if its the font you're using, in which case I'll hope it changes, or that you're doing the lettering by hand.
> 
> In any case, the art is gorgeous.




I'm researching some more web friendly fonts.  I hope to redux the lettering this weekend.  Yeah, I agree, there is something odd happening between Illustrator, photoshop and then the final image in the lettering dept.


I'm continuing to experiment with finding the right look for RDU Neil's Secret Worlds campaign.  Here is another attempt:





And here is another commisson from parton extraordinaire, Death Tribble, and his "blue man".






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


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## Storn

I'm still screwing around for a "Secret Worlds" style. I still need edgy... this is going back to color, although I kinda like the style of tinted color over the blue scale stuff.

so, it is closer to what I am looking for.  I think.  Experiments to continue.






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


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## Bobitron

That looks very good. I kinda like the splatter background, even though I was initially unimpressed. I grew on me after a couple looks.


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## Storn

ANNOUNCEMENT:  Okay, I have gotten through my backlog of private commissions.  I have one floating for Death Tribble, and one floating for RDU Neil.  But I am going to be going to Origins, will be gone as of Thursday, probably back in studio, Tuesday the 4th.

If some of you haven't gotten your commission, contact me please.  I had such a backlog there for awhile, it got kinda screwy in timing of which ones came first.  But I hope I got everyone.

If you are thinking of getting a commission, my July & early August are going to be busy, but I can probably squeeze in a few.  

Thanks to all of you who support my art and thank you for being patient as I get these done.

Here is Edsel's Dark Champions character, Irene.






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


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## Storn

New "cover" and page 7 up on Catspaw!  The fight in the rain continues!
http://www.swordandsorcery.org/


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## Piratecat

Exxxxcellent.

Incidentally, I don't think you've posted it here, but your Cthulhuesque "skin suit" picture is one of my favorite things that I've seen you draw.


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## Acquana

I've dropped by now and again, but I've never posted.  

Great stuff, by the way, though I actually love your sketches a lot more than your finished pieces.  I've got a serious thing for spontaneous lines, and people who can get their point across in simple masses never fail to impress me.  That being said, your work impresses me.    

So you don't actually color in anything other than digital?  I'm likin your steps toward watercolor.  I'm a big fan of nearly everything watercolor.


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## Storn

Acquana said:
			
		

> I've dropped by now and again, but I've never posted.
> 
> Great stuff, by the way, though I actually love your sketches a lot more than your finished pieces.  I've got a serious thing for spontaneous lines, and people who can get their point across in simple masses never fail to impress me.  That being said, your work impresses me.
> 
> So you don't actually color in anything other than digital?  I'm likin your steps toward watercolor.  I'm a big fan of nearly everything watercolor.




I do digital for commissions.  I do a lot of oil, lot of ink work for publishers.  But most publishers work is under NDA (non disclosure agreements, just in case).  So, by the time I can post (after publication), I've forgotten all about it, or I feel that I'm doing better work.  So I don't post it.

The commissions, I own the visual rights to, so I can post as soon as it comes off the board.  But since I do those fast and cheap, most of the time, they are digital.


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## Storn

Dear sword and sorcery readers....

Page 8 of Catspaw is up for your viewing pleasure!  

It went up on time, I've just been on the road traveling, so getting the reminders up on various forums sat until today.

http://www.swordandsorcery.org/


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## Ferret

Wonderful. I love all your art! Its _well_ good


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## Storn

Here are a couple of commissions for 7th Sea fan, R.L.











These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


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## Storn

Catspaw:

We are up to page 9. The fight continues and finally ends.  Plus cool links to John C. Hocking's other short story tales set in the same world on the "back cover" page.

Click on the Catspaw link at:
http://www.swordandsorcery.org/


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## Aikuchi

... this is making me feel lazy.

i dont feel like drawing characters for my games anymore, its ... all here ...


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## Storn

Aikuchi said:
			
		

> ... this is making me feel lazy.
> 
> i dont feel like drawing characters for my games anymore, its ... all here ...




Ah... but then you have to rely on the luck of the draw.  

Like these two might not fit in your game... well... the first one anyhow...

Time for ochre color schemes!  How about a superhero named the Unicorn.  Okay, he's an alien... but still...  That was for regular patron, Death Tribble.  And the other one is Bengalelf...  I wonder what he calls his cat-man super?  hmmm...













These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


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## Aikuchi

Storn said:
			
		

> Ah... but then you have to rely on the luck of the draw.
> 
> Like these two might not fit in your game... well... the first one anyhow...
> 
> http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/





You'd be surprised how many already fit (lol)!  
Ok, ok .. i'll stop  being lazy and get some .... uhmm .. whats it called again ? ... 'aert' done.


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## Storn

Aikuchi said:
			
		

> You'd be surprised how many already fit (lol)!
> Ok, ok .. i'll stop  being lazy and get some .... uhmm .. whats it called again ? ... 'aert' done.




Hey post some when you get it done!


Page 10 of Catspaw is up and concludes the first chapter!
http://www.swordandsorcery.org/


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## Storn

Does anyone remember the TSR game Star Frontiers?  If you don't, there is a race called Dralasites that were sorta blobby, pseudopod guys who seem to really like human culture.

Well, LC asked for his old Dralasite character who had a love of human Noir/pulp film to be illustrated.  And this is what I came up with.  It was a blast doing a Dralasite Sam Spade.






p.s.  If you've been thinking about getting a commission from me, now is a good time.  I'm pretty caught up at the moment.  I have one I think floating for Death Tribble and one being discussed with rduNeil.  But that is it.  Which is about the quietest my commission queue has been in a long time.

p.s.s.  And if I've forgotten someone's commission, please contact me.  I've had some rough seas in my personal life, and have been on the road quite a bit.  I might have misplaced someones, like I did RL's 7th Seas pics a while back.


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## 12rounds

Storn said:
			
		

> Does anyone remember the TSR game Star Frontiers?




Oh yes! It's been a while though ...   
There it is on a shelf collecting dust.


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## Storn

Another 7th Sea character, this one from the actual canon, for patron RL.


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## Storn

Two more of Death Tribble commissions in de HOUSE!












These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


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## Storn

Here is an character who is in a cross-dimensional campaign setting.





These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


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## Storn

Here is Lord Mhoram's Black Cat.








These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


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## Piratecat

Those are great! What's the woman with a gun holding?


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## BOZ

i've loved your style ever since i saw it in Dragon back in the 90s.    if i ever come to a point where i have the money for commission pieces, i'd love to see your rendition on some of my supers or D&D characters.  maybe sometime in the next decade!


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## Storn

BOZ said:
			
		

> i've loved your style ever since i saw it in Dragon back in the 90s.    if i ever come to a point where i have the money for commission pieces, i'd love to see your rendition on some of my supers or D&D characters.  maybe sometime in the next decade!




Thank you Boz.  I look forward to the next decade!

I've got two announcements.

One:  I have a table at Gencon, booth #4 in the Art Show.  I'll have plenty of originals for sale, as well as some prints and various promo material.  C'mon by!

Two:  The latest Catspaw page is up!  Chapter 2, page 2 is the latest.  We had some technical difficulties yesterday and apologize for it.

Catspaw:  http://www.swordandsorcery.org/


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## Piratecat

Excellent! I'll swing by and say hi.


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## Storn

Here is LC's Philly Flier loving super...


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## Menexenus

Storn, your art is great!  Thanks for making it available to us gamers!    

I noticed over at Catspaw that Storn is your first name.  That surprised me.  I had assumed it was your last name.  What's the story behind that name?  (How did your parents come up with it?  Or, if it is a nom de plume, how did you choose it?)


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## Menexenus

Menexenus said:
			
		

> Storn, your art is great!  Thanks for making it available to us gamers!
> 
> I noticed over at Catspaw that Storn is your first name.  That surprised me.  I had assumed it was your last name.  What's the story behind that name?  (How did your parents come up with it?  Or, if it is a nom de plume, how did you choose it?)




Oops.  I just found the answer on your official website (which is linked to at the bottom of the first post in this thread).  Sorry for the redundant question.


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## Storn

Here is Lethe's gadgeteer with very clever origins... perhaps he will share.  I don't feel comfortable giving away charcter concepts that are behind the art without permission... but his was clever, I must say.





These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


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## Bobitron

Wow! More great stuff. You are one of the top artists on my list once I can afford a couple commissions.


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## Sialia

Awesome beyond awesomeness.

i am rocked.


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## A Trackless Stranger

Storn said:
			
		

> Yes I do commissions.  I charge though.  Details are on my website.




Are you currently available for a commission (in terms of your schedule)?

Thanks.


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## Storn

A Trackless Stranger said:
			
		

> Are you currently available for a commission (in terms of your schedule)?
> 
> Thanks.





yes.  Right now, you are looking at a couple of weeks if you get it in now.  Which, believe it or not, is a light schedule for me.

I've got like 6 in front of you at the moment, besides my normal professional load.


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## Storn

I got a chance to play Burning Wheel for the first time last night.  A one shot that rocked.  As usually happens, I need to put down visuals for my character and often the ones around me...and I snuck these doodles in while the spotlight wasn't on my character.

Beliefs, Instincts and Traits really make up for juicy roleplaying opportunities... hopefully, J. and Paka will share theirs for their characters... but here is mine, Orwen's:

Beliefs 
_I am known to be a Hero and Leader of Men, but the truth is I am a coward.  I fear exposure of my cowardice almost as much as pain or death._

_The Mercenaries are my family.  Their survival is paramount, overriding contract or honor.  I want us out of the siege!
_
_Princess Loristina is the only person who has seen some worth in me.  I'm besotted.  And determined to see her survive the upcoming ordeal._

Instincts:
_Always know where the exits are
When challenged, act arrogant, try to bluster through
Never see his own worth_

Traits
_Arrogant
Respectful of higher rank
Gifted
Coward_

And here is the pic for Orwen:






Here is Paka's Bastard Prince Lore





And J.'s "Shield of the King", Brant





These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


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## Jdvn1

Great stuff Storn! I like fantasy art better than superhero art, in general, and this stuff is pretty cool.


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## Storn

This was drawn during the last Legend of 5 Rings game I was in.  It meets infrequently, as its players are scattered across the east coast and Michigan.  But it is one of my favorite games to play in.

This is Kitsune Aki of the Fox clan.  Who is my character's betrothed.  Which is a complicated mess, because my character, Tsuntake, is moving out of the Dragon clan and almost at the point of being adopted into the Unicorn clan.  Tsun's mom was Unicorn, who died saving my father.  I was rasied to take her place.  But it means getting both my father and my "clan father" to sign off on the marriage.

War has brought the necessity for the Unicorn to call upon the Fox, especially their shugenjas.  So, my clan father is not to opposed to having a marriage between me and the Fox... and my school is trained in guarding shugenjas... which I've done for the Unicorn on numerous occasions.

anyway...blah, blah, blah...wanna hear about my character?  <g>

Without further b.s., here is Aki.





These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


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## Piratecat

Beautiful.


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## BOZ

indeed!


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## Storn

Due to a long distance move, and all kinds of upheaval in my life, I haven't been keeping up with updates on Catspaw.  However, I HAVE been PRODUCING Catspaw pages and they've been quietly going up.

We are up to Page 5 of Chapter 2.  

So.  If you haven't stopped by Catspaw in awhile, c'mon by.

http://www.swordandsorcery.org/


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## Storn

Since we are about to embark on a Cold City game, I sketched my character while having a beer in a bar.  Then I inked it, cause I wanted that Noir vibe.

Here is Johnny Wolfgang, US army deserter and black marketeer.





These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


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## Storn

A new Catspaw page went up today!  We are up to Page 6 in Chapter 2.  Things are about to get really tense as the chase for the assassin is leading to some unknown destination.

http://www.swordandsorcery.org/


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## Storn

Got a chance to play Prime Time Adventures last night.  Here are some quickie sketches while at the table.  

The genre/setting is a post apocalyptic world where the characters are trying to revive civilization... starting with the reclamation of Manhattan and most specifically the New York Public Library.

Mutants and overgrown, unknown jungles are outside of the 14 mile rock known as Manhattan.  

The show is named "Lions at the Gate", in reference to Patience and Fortitude, the two marble lions that bracket the magnificient steps of the library.

All of our characters have greek naming conventions, which sorta evolved, but is kinda cool to me.

First up is Prometheus and Medea.  JF's Prometheus is the tinkerer engineer who is more loyal to his brother who stole the secret of gunpowder from our Tribe and is distributing it to cannibals, mutants and despots outside of Tribe territory.

Jd's Medea was brought up as a cannibal, but learned to read...and that saved her life when she was captured by The Tribe.  She is now the teacher to The Tribe's children and the most avid researcher at the Library.






Then there is B's Rion Greenwhich, a 'slinger, as in gunslinger, the rangers of The Tribe and caretakers of the secret of Black Powder.  Rion is dubious about the Library's uses (the drain of The Tribe's food, manpower and resources is high).  But is tied to my character as my father was his partner...and upon my pop's death, oaths to protect me were made.  Not to mention, he just got roped into being the Council of Elders voice at the Library project.






Then there is Ulysses Station, my character.  He might be a descendent of "The Founder", a woman with piercing green eyes and who managed to keep the spark of learning alive, while protecting or even creating The Tribe back in the black days of yore.  Ulysses has evolving psychic abilities, further connecting him to The Founder's legacy... but a legacy he is unsure that he wants to step into.  Can he make a life of his own choosing?


----------



## kroh

Awsome pics!  Sounds like a fun game
Regards,
Walt


----------



## Storn

Here is J's immortal super who has been some surprising people in history.






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
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----------



## kroh

Great color scheme on the costume.
Regards,
Walt


----------



## Storn

Page 7, Chapter 2 of Catspaw, the full color fantasy webcomic is up.  Just where is that assassin going?!?!?

http://www.swordandsorcery.org/


----------



## Storn

Here is another character commission for the patron extraordinaire, Death Tribble.  A modded, weaponized Apollo space suit was the idea.






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
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----------



## kroh

This Is My New Desktop!


----------



## The Beef

Brilliant, and evocative of pulp sci-fi (now he just needs a rocket pack  )


----------



## Berandor

Wow. Just wow. Excellent art.

One of our players is moving to the US in a few months, and I'm thinking about commissioning a picture of his character. I'm correct that you'd produce a digital image (.png or .jpg or whatever), and not a physical object, right? Because then there's be no need to get it done before he moves, and I could talk the group into sharing the costs


----------



## Storn

Berandor said:
			
		

> Wow. Just wow. Excellent art.
> 
> One of our players is moving to the US in a few months, and I'm thinking about commissioning a picture of his character. I'm correct that you'd produce a digital image (.png or .jpg or whatever), and not a physical object, right? Because then there's be no need to get it done before he moves, and I could talk the group into sharing the costs




Yeah, originals are problematic for me.  Sometimes, I have the barest sketch on crappy paper, not exactly the best thing to ship via mail.  Other times, like the one upcoming, there is a substantial underpainting on illustration board, but when I did give the originals away, I was spending so much time running to the post office, it wasn't very profitable for me.

This is RL's 1920s pulpy character.





These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/
09-13-06 01:39 PM


----------



## Storn

Here are two supporting cast NPCs from our Prime Time Adventures game:  Lions at the Gate.

If you are interested in the actual play write ups of a really great, avant garde system.. check out:

week one, Pilot:  http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=21411.0

week two:  http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=21510.0

And then the pics themselves:





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----------



## Storn

William Reger has contracted me for 5 character commissions for his "Rippers" game.  I usually don't go into this much detail, but William provide me with the BEST OVERALL character descriptions that I've  ever gotten.  William's organization, his attention to detail, he even thinks about body language.  And I wanted to share.

I'll post the 2 character descriptions and tell you what I liked about them.  Then I'll show you the pictures, and tell you why I changed the things I did from the descriptions.
-----
*First description*

Character Name: Lady Solana Cadizi (public persona of Noche’ Sofia)
Sex: Female

Physical Description: 21 year old female Spanish Noble, 5’ 3”, 110 firm and trim pounds, medium chest, long, very dark brown wavy hair with red undertones, worn in a “Gibson girl” style.  Intelligent Green eyes, arched eyebrows, delicate features, fair skinned.

Game Stats (Savage Worlds): Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Hindrances: Curious, Quirk: frequent hand washing, Loyal, Secret Identity (Noche’ Sofia)
Edges: Attractive, AB: Magic, Noble

Genre: Victorian

Usual Outfit: Fashionable red long Spanish style dress, brown lace-up shoes with a 2” heel.  She holds a red and gold parasol open to shield her skin from the sun and a medium brown purse with the left hand and arm.  Dangling pearl earrings, a pearl ring on the right hand (fingers slightly curved) over her heart with long slender fingers ending in manicured but bare nails. (Note the dress hides her costume – see Noche’ Sofia)

Pose: Standing, daylight, facing artist as if she has just been asked a slightly inappropriate question. One eyebrow should be slightly raised and the face should have a quizzical look, as if she can’t believe she heard right. A slight smile might hint at her amusement of the situation.   

*2nd description*
Character Name: Noche’ Sofia (secret identity of Lady Solana Cadizi)
Sex: Female

Physical Description: 21 year old female Spanish Noble, 5’ 3”, 110 firm and trim pounds, medium chest, long, very red wild hair (a wig), worn loose.  Intelligent Green eyes, black mask around the eyes and over the nose and upper lip hides delicate features, fair skinned.

Game Stats (Savage Worlds): Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Hindrances: Curious, Quirk: frequent hand washing, Loyal, Secret Identity (Noche’ Sofia)
Edges: Attractive, AB: Magic, Noble

Genre: Victorian

Usual Outfit: Tight black leather outfit (ala “Cat Woman”) long sleeved, long pants, black belt with pouches, flat black shoes, tunic rounded neck at collarbone matching level of breast exposure of the normal dress with button up coverage, and pants lace up the front.  There is a slim dagger in built in sheath on the right thigh and black gloves without fingertips. 

Pose: A crouching lunge with a bolt of fire coming out of her extended right hand, left hand palm out over her head, and raised up on back toes.  Eyes sparking, exposed skin slightly flushed.   







Okay, what did I change?  I changed the Sofia Noche personae from a crouch to "mirror" her other civilian guise.  I wanted to draw a connection between these two figures... so even if the viewer DOESN'T know that they are one and the same, the viewer will really know that there is a strong connection between the two figures.

I also strived to make Sofia's "catsuit" period.  Which was me extrapolating like crazy, but I wanted to avoid the Catwoman's current look.

Being a big fan of Gibson's turn of the century artwork, I refrenced some of it.  It is the right time period!  And I saw a lot of these jackets, "waist" jackets?  I'm a sucker for shoulder pads, child of the 80s, what can I say.  So I added the jacket to Solana.  I kept her details pretty close to the description.  

And there you have it... from excellent description to final image.

Now, I have patrons like Death Tribble who just gives me a couple of sentences in a character description.  And I love working on his stuff.  But William's thoroughness is nice too.  And useful to think about as a checklist if you are thinking of commissioning a character illustration.


----------



## Kid Charlemagne

OK, these last two broke down my resistance.  I think I'll be sending you an email for at least one commission!


----------



## kroh

Yeah... I'd like to commision a picture of this guy...who does some ...stuff....and he looks cool too!

Great pictures Storn!  Loved the end product.  
Regards,
Walt


----------



## Storn

Page 8, Chapter 2 of Catspaw, the full color fantasy webcomic is up. Our duo do a little bickering while attending to the business at hand.

http://www.swordandsorcery.org/


----------



## Kid Charlemagne

Kid Charlemagne said:
			
		

> OK, these last two broke down my resistance.  I think I'll be sending you an email for at least one commission!



Payment and description sent!


----------



## Storn

Kid Charlemagne said:
			
		

> Payment and description sent!




did you send it to StornC@aol.com?


----------



## Kid Charlemagne

Storn said:
			
		

> did you send it to StornC@aol.com?




No I sent it to the comcast.net email listed on the website....  I'll resend when I get home tonight.


----------



## Storn

Here is Bernard, the ex 'slinger who is Rion's nemesis.  Actual Play thread here:
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=21595.0






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
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----------



## Storn

Page 9, Chapter 2 of Catspaw, Who are these new playas?

http://www.swordandsorcery.org/


----------



## Berandor

Our group is still discussing. One hasn't answered yet, another practically demands that we cough up the dough for background, too 

But yeah, these pics rock!


----------



## Storn

Berandor said:
			
		

> Our group is still discussing. One hasn't answered yet, another practically demands that we cough up the dough for background, too
> 
> But yeah, these pics rock!




awesome!  I love hearing that.


----------



## Storn

Continuing on with William's Ripper's group, the one where Sofia noche/Solana posted above.... here are the remaing 3.
















And now you see why I shifted William's pose suggestions...because now I combine them all together into one group shot.






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----------



## Storn

Got two superhe...err... supervillians for y'all.  These are from Global Guardians campaign...which is a huge cooperative campaign.  And yes, the elephant headed guy is supposed to have a bit of a belly.

And one Legend of the 5 Rings character...a crab raised crane.





















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## Storn

This weekend, I got a chance to play Spirit of the Century.  A very, very good pulp game system.  As I am wont to do, I doodled while playing.  These were all pre-gens, as it was a mini-con here in Ithaca.  My character was Kid Shadow.

I had a very good time playing.   This is going to become our group's stand by game, when not everyone can make it to the table, because it will be a snap to just do an evening with any combo of the pulp characters.  Although, we've already done characters for the game, not these depicted.  Just haven't drawn them yet.

Enjoy.






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## kroh

these are great !
Regards 
Walt


----------



## Storn

Page 11, Chapter 2 of Catspaw is up.  Juuust how can I guy flick a gem through someone's shoulder anyhow?!?!?  

http://www.swordandsorcery.org/


----------



## Storn

Page 12, Chapter 2 of Catspaw is up.  And here is where we find out why Maric is called "Mad" Maric Alburon!

http://www.swordandsorcery.org/


----------



## Storn

I goofed on Ganesh originally, he was supposed to have 4 arms.  Here is the updated, corrected version.  And another antognist for the global guardians.













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----------



## Storn

This guy is from an Alternate England circa 1988, d20 campaign.  The game sounds pretty interesting.






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10-18-06 04:29 PM


----------



## Kid Charlemagne

_Eighteen_-eighty-eight, actually...  

That's my Nigel!  Alternate Victorian England, Sherlock Holmes aspirant.  Link to story hour, if anyone is so inclined:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=140875


----------



## Storn

Kid Charlemagne said:
			
		

> _Eighteen_-eighty-eight, actually...
> 
> That's my Nigel!  Alternate Victorian England, Sherlock Holmes aspirant.  Link to story hour, if anyone is so inclined:
> 
> http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=140875




oops sorry about typo


----------



## Storn

Another commission from Patron Extraordinaire, Death Tribble.  A woman who has given her soul for power.







A new patron, Cowboy, also an englander came up with this tough Russian ex-tanker from WWII woken up to serve the common good in today's topsy-turvy paranormal world.






And this character is from an upcoming Burning Wheel game that I'm running.  Paka's Nimbus Castillo, bastard son of House Castillo and brilliant mage.  Actual Play thread has been started here, although it is more of an Actual Prep thread... as we are playing in two weeks for the first ep.

http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=293623







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----------



## Piratecat

I love the Russian tanker!


----------



## Gold Roger

Piratecat said:
			
		

> I love the Russian tanker!




I bet you are doing it right now IYKWIMAITYD.


----------



## WizarDru

Wow, how did I miss this thread all this time?  

Extraordinary.  Simply wonderful, wonderful work.


----------



## Storn

I've been lax in updating people on the latest pages of Catspaw.  Been fighting colds, deadlines and such.  

However, today, page 15 of Chapter 2 has gone up, concluding Chapter 2.

http://www.swordandsorcery.org/


----------



## Storn

Here is KM's Shadowrun troll PC






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----------



## Storn

Two quickie doodles at the table of the Spirit of the Century game I was in last night.  Dr. Stig was in play.  Ray Ronin was not.... but a character I took an instant shine to when Judd (the GM of the SotC game that night) created just to explore chargen.... but it is such a great character, I had to doodle him up, while I was wrestling with how to approach Dr. Stig played by Jeff.

The link to last night's shennanigans is here:
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?p=6616861#post6616861

Dr. Stig





Ray Ronin





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----------



## Storn

Y'all might have noticed that there haven't been any new Catspaw pages.

Unfortunately, Catspaw is going on hiatus.  While I'm continuing to work on Chapter 3, we need to create a more complete website to host Catspaw.  We want to have a more integrated site, possibly showing the pages a bit larger on the screen, maybe forums, blog for John C. Hocking to wax forth and of course, the inevitable merchandice.  <g>

We are looking towards launching at the beginning of the year.  This will give us all time to spend with our families over the holidays and give me some time to get a few pages in the can.  Each Catspaw page is really a time consuming endeavor.  

So, watch this space for the website address, and thank you for being patient.


----------



## Storn

Here is WAMcD's "Sea" Ranger concept.  I quite like the idea.






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## kroh

I love the sea ranger pic. As always tlie stuff is always tight


----------



## Storn

Big Farmboy gettin' his rage on.  Courtesy of E.M. for a greyhawk game...






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----------



## Storn

Here is another musing from Death Tribble.  A martial arts dragon(kin?).  No wings was specified... had to be lithe and somehow feel like it could do kung fu/wuxia/ wackiness.






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----------



## Storn

As requested, the Silver Wolf sketch done at the table.  As well as the Tyrian mind controled Army Intelligence dudes of Area 52.  The MInd Controlled MIBs was a really, really fast doodle.  Just the barest hint of the Tyrian mind control helmet that Judd mentioned during play.













And I wasn't happy with Dr. Stig's sketch from earlier.  Too boring.  Too staid.  I wanted to get some more emotion and capture more of what Jeff does at the table.  So I drew this....






If you are curious in the actual play of our Spirit of the Century game... the link that Judd has written up is here:
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?p=6675575#post6675575
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----------



## Storn

Before I post my latest character commission for Death Tribble, I have a unabashed promotion to talk about.

I've had the good fortune of being invited to be part of Sons of Kryos, a wonderful podcast on gaming.  Link in a moment.  I'm on episodes 29 and 31 so far.  And announced in episode 29, Sons of Kryos has a contest.  The contest is looking for  Actual Play threads that includes something heard or worked in from Sons of Kryos segments.  Something you've heard, thought was cool,  has come up at the table.  Maybe something you tried and it didn't work.

The winner gets some cool swag.  Sons of Kryos dice.  Dictionary of Mu.  AND!!!  Including a character (or scene, vehicle) commission by ME!

So, if you have listened to Sons of Kryos already, and have a thread of Actual Play to point the Sons of Kryos towards... please do.  If you haven't listened to Sons of Kryos.  What are you waiting for?  It is a great podcast.

Sons of Kryos link:
http://www.sonsofkryos.com/

And here is the Judge:


----------



## Piratecat

I love those silver age sketches. The pocket watch effect is really neat.


----------



## Storn

More goofy pulpy goodness for our Spirit of the Century game.  This wee sketch was done very fast at the table.  It ain't exactly a beautiful work of art.  But it conveyed the character very nicely.  This is Iron Giant 27 (an homage to a certain Tetsujin!)... who asked for Sanctuary at St. Patricks, then wanted to meet with our PCs...

Here is Judd's actual play threads of our game up to now.:

Hadrian Helm and Jonny Stripes vs. the Evil Earth 
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=294701 

Centurion Science Heroes vs. The Murder Nation 
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=298534 

Revenge of a Tyrian DeathLord! 
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=300679 

Mind Tyrants of Time Square! 
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?p=6701803#post6701803







And again, let me remind folks about the Sons of Kryos actual play contest!  Check out episode 29 or 31 (or both!)

http://www.sonsofkryos.com/


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----------



## Storn

Announcement:  My website has been hacked.  I'm looking for alternatives.  If you need to get ahold of me, please e-mail me at StornC@aol.com

Onto some art:

This is for JB's fantasy game called Fortune and Glory... can see what he is doing here:
http://www.globalguardians.com/Fortune And Glory/fortuneandgloryindex.html

And here are the first three pictures...
















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----------



## Berandor

I just saw your website has been hacked, and now I read it here. 

I just wanted to ask whether you got my mail and money (comission code: Thargad) or whether there's any problem.

I can't give you a tip for some good hosting, because I think http://www.all-inkl.com only deals with German customers. Not sure, though. I hope you'll once again be able to showcase your art online soon.


----------



## Cheiromancer

Storn!

I sent you an email asking if you were available for a commission.  Check your aol account.

-Jim Stenberg


----------



## Storn

Here is a character of mine for an upcoming Exalted game.  This is Ethereal Mist with his Osprey companion.









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## Berandor

and here I thought Osprey was some kind of fish. 

Excellent artwork!


----------



## Storn

Here is Death Tribble's Purple Worm Gangsta idea.... what will this guy think of next?!?!!?  I would never come up with this stuff on my own.  Such a pleasure to get the chance to do so.






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## WizarDru

Storn said:
			
		

> Here is Death Tribble's Purple Worm Gangsta idea.... what will this guy think of next?!?!!?  I would never come up with this stuff on my own.  Such a pleasure to get the chance to do so.




_"Nice Dungeon ya got here....shame if sometin' was to *happen* to it."_


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## kroh

Man...These all look fantastic!

Regards, 
Walt


----------



## Ry

Hey Storn, what's up with your website?  It says I need a certificate for snakeoil.dom before I can view it... it just doesn't look right, so I cancelled the connection.


----------



## Berandor

Storn said:
			
		

> Announcement:  My website has been hacked.  I'm looking for alternatives.  If you need to get ahold of me, please e-mail me at StornC@aol.com



I'm not Storn, but this addresses the concerns, I guess.


----------



## Storn

rycanada said:
			
		

> Hey Storn, what's up with your website?  It says I need a certificate for snakeoil.dom before I can view it... it just doesn't look right, so I cancelled the connection.




Got hacked.  Got dropped completely by the host.

I'm looking for a new website this week.


----------



## Storn

Here is Xtreme Danger Girl from Dr. Bob (an individual I've had the pleasure of gaming with) for his upcoming Champions game that he will be playing in.

Looking ahead at my cue, it is the first of several "modern" gun toting characters.  Odd how they some themes just clump together in tight groupings... like the time I did about 4 or 5 superman clones in a space of a month.






Next up are doodles done during play.  This is for a playtest for Giants... the game where size does matter... or fe fi fo FUN!!!!  Jeff of the Sons of Kryos, is creating this game and I've been in two playtests of it.  I'm really excited about it.  Here is a thread where jeff is talking about what he is starting.

http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=21994.0

As for the art, the guy in the river is Reed... and is my character.  His sister, Delphina is the one coming out of the fountain... where she is regarded by her community as the Goddess of the Sea.... whereas I'm the smaller brother upriver and that is my desmense.  Delphina was played by Julia, Jeff's wife... and she is an awesome player and was SO big sister to my impetuous little brother.  Ton of fun.  Literally!


----------



## Storn

Like I mentioned, a plethora of gunbums and bunnies was on the way.  Here they be.... This first one is for a Shadowrun campaign:






This one is for a zombie campaign.






And this one is for Death Tribble, which I believe is for Champions, but a fangtastic firepower weilding vampiress.







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## Berandor

"doodles done during play" – man, I wish I could doodle figures that at least seem like having real bodies.


----------



## Storn

Big fantasy art dump

First up, been playing in a Burning Wheel fantasy game, all elves (as in the two PCs are elves).  I tend to doodle at the table, here is what I've come up with in the last two sessions.  There is a recap link:  http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=306701

This is Jeff's PC, Prince Airen, heir to the White Citadel and the student to my character.






This is my character, Elabrin Tanis, a humble sword-singer, famous in a civil war and known younger race sympathizer.  Who gets trapped into politics way beyond his ken.






Cham is a Black Rock villager.  Cham is the human that Prince Airen tried to teach the Song of Bonding to...






Next is Alana, our fiery redheaded ax amazon who almost did in Elabrin Tanis first session.  Thought she needed a picture.  She kinda disappeared in this session after the fight between the Black Duchess and Prince Airen.  However, her experiences at the Black Citadel court... it will be interesting to see how she filters that as she goes back to Ar-Tor to reclaim her small remaining tribe.  I'm sure we will see her again.








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## Storn

Oops.  Missed one.  Can only do 4 images in one post.  Here is the fifth.

And lastly, ah... what can I say. Savana, the Black Duchess herself. Elabrin fell right back in love with her, his swordmistress, teacher and mistress of his heart. And more... but I'll let Judd spin out the tale further before commenting. Such a flawed character, such a catalyst for disaster... she was really the engine that drove this session. I really darkened up her lines in Photoshop to reflect that Black thematic. I think I nailed her personality down in this pic, I'm really happy with this one.


----------



## kroh

Busy busy!  Excellent stuff.  I especially liked extreme danger girl and the _I see dead people_ t-shirt is priceless.  

Regards, 
Walt


----------



## Storn

First up:  my new website is StornArt.com

2nd:  My new email is Storn.Cook@gmail.com

NOW.  For the fun stuff.  A Legend of 5 Rings character concept commission.  A Lion shugenja, who I was formely Phoenix, hence the fire fringe there.






Then a paladin from the Fortune and Glory game.  Link to that world:  
http://www.globalguardians.com/Fortune And Glory/fortuneandgloryindex.html






And a wizard from one of the story threads here..






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----------



## The_Warlock

You drew Mostin from Sepulchrave's story hour! That's cool.

And now I must deal with the fact that I am such a geek that I remember a character name in a story hour on EN world based on a picture better than I can remember the names of my own cousins and nephews when in their presence....


Oy


----------



## Storn

Dreamation Doodles

This last weekend, I had the honor to play a couple of games with the authors of two games.  And as per course, I doodled as I played.  Both games were awesome and let me plug them.

First up was Mortal Coil.  The author (and amazing nice guy!) is Brennan Taylor and ran a wonderful game.  It is a game about defining a world of magic.  Well, I took a nap about 2 hours before the game session and had this dream of science fiction meets magic with a definite anime vibe.  So I proposed it.   

And the group accepted it and off we were running.  In the end, we traveled to the center of the universe to save the civilized planets from planet eating demons to find the true spell of exorcism.  We ended up blowing up the universe!  With Love!  and hit the reset button.  Totally awesome!!

My character was the interperter, had spells of illusion and interpertation and clarity.  He was in love with 'M.C.', the ship's AI and a player character.  Here is Eric...






Then here is the ship, the "Mortal Coil".... how could we not name it that?






And lastly, here is "MC" the AI herself.






And a link to this wonderful game, Mortal Coil, ladies and gentlemen:
http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/products.php?publisherLink=galileo

Then I got the chance to play With Great Power.  Run and written by Michael S. Miller.  I've played a lot of superhero games, but this one really modelled the ramping up plans of the villain(s) and the heroes trials and woes and disasters... but then being able to pull out a victory at the last minute... better than any superhero game I've ever played.  Lots of player input and control was possible.  

This was pregen character, The Sheild, in Mutant Academy setting, trademark filed off to protect the guilty.  I had so much fun playing the straight man to Thor's Wrath... this was a really fun game.

So, here is my version of The Sheild.






And the link to another wonderful game, With Great Power come the responsibilty to buy and play this game:
http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/products.php?publisherLink=incarnadine


----------



## defcombeta

man it has been a long time since i have seen your stuff, i miss your updates in rpg.net. 

still some solid showings here, the judge being a wonderful design.

your colour work experimenting with watercolour effect is very nice and clean. i noticed some volume issues on the arms of the Xtreme Danger Gir something about the arms bugs me, I think its something slight, but i can't put my finger on it right now. ( its 5 am here and im dog tired, eyes heavy and all that)

still great sense of character to these, and thats something a lot of people leave out of their stuff.

j mac


----------



## Skunkape

Just wanted to say, you do amazing work Storn! Very nice lines and color on the images and quick too!

I enjoyed looking through the thread at your various posts! Keep up the fantastic work!


----------



## Storn

Thanks folks for the kind words.

I actually liked this pic so much, and the fact that at the end of the last adventure, he becomes the black duke, I colorized it (pencil sketch somewhere above here in this thread).  When I pencilled it at the table, I was definitely thinking white and golds for the color scheme.  I had to reconsider that if he was to be the black duke.

so, here is the colorized Elabrin Tanis, my PC in the Burning Elves game.






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
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----------



## Ursa Romanov

I have been a fan of Storn's work for a couple of years now and have to say... this guy is fanominal.  If money wansnt an issue this guy would get rich off me alone.


----------



## Storn

Ursa Romanov said:
			
		

> I have been a fan of Storn's work for a couple of years now and have to say... this guy is fanominal.  If money wansnt an issue this guy would get rich off me alone.




Thanks Ursa!!!  Now.  Get rich, and make me rich!!! <g>


----------



## Storn

I've joined the Live Journal trend.  And while it is not roleplaying art, I'm starting a... "How I work" series... of posts delineating one painting in the various stages and steps I go through.  Some of you might find it interesting, c'mon by and take a gander, give me a comment or two.

My live journal link is here:

http://storn-cook.livejournal.com/


----------



## Ursa Romanov

By the way storn you will probably know me as Grey Ronin on Superbuddies or M&M Think Tank.


----------



## Sir Elton

Hmm. Maybe I can commission Storn to do something for me.


----------



## Storn

This is a commission for BC.... a were shade ghost thingee...







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----------



## kroh

That's cool....and a little freaky!


----------



## Sir Elton

I thought about it.  I could commission Storn to do regular cast protraits of my players' characters. 

Elton.


----------



## Sir Elton

Here's a comp that I did with Storn's Art on this thread.


----------



## BOZ

cool!


----------



## Sir Elton

Thank you.


----------



## Storn

That beach scene is pretty funny.  What a cast!!!!

I've got some more art to show today.  First up, is a giant albino alligator who is a bit demonic and with crap in his skin from living in the sewer...  BC came up with this fun idea...






Next up is another in the fantasy series Fortune and Glory, this is Gyrlang the 1/2 orc warrior...






Link to Fortune and Glory:

http://www.globalguardians.com/Fort...gloryindex.html

Last, another fantasy pic for mr. P.  His assassin character...







These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
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----------



## Berandor

The last one is my commission  It turned out great. It's something we're planning to give ti to a player of ours... it's a group effort. So, evrybody who wants to comission Mr. Storn and balks at the prices, however reasonable they may be – just commission with your whole group. Maybe a belated GM's day present: the major campaign villain as a picture? 

I'm really happy at how it turned out. Great stuff.


----------



## Sir Elton

sounds like a great idea. 

Edit: I decided to do another Comp.  Before I made the composition this way, I had to check to see if the knight was at the correct size proportions.  Strangely enough, it had a man in the background I could compare the knight too.  And wouldn't you know it, they were both the same size!  So, using a real life city as a reference, you can see how big a Purple Worm really is.


----------



## Storn

Dude!!!  The worm is just trying cross the street!!!!   Gettin' harrassed by that knight and all.... oh the inhumanity of it all!!!!

That is really funny.


----------



## Sir Elton

hehehe. 

Now I know what to do to get Storn to miss a will save vs. funny art.


----------



## Storn

This is a character from 5th World, an anthropological oriented post-apocalyptic game world.

The link to 5th World is here:
http://thefifthworld.com/wiki/Main_Page

and here is the character:






5th world is a creative commons, btw, as well...

These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
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----------



## Sir Elton

Looks great.


----------



## Storn

Here is another Death Tribble concept, evil football player...






And if you wonder what I do when I'm bored in a bar, this is it.  This is Korova's, Thursday night, the mirror behind the bar...


----------



## Storn

Hey folks, been awhile.

For Death Tribble, here is his Silver Swan






For MessK's Rifts game, here is Thorn.







And from my own, just-brand-newly-started campaign, Spirit of Sharn, here are the PC Redcloaks.  A quickie doodle at the Tburg Gimmie Coffee.  We are using the Spirit of the Century/ FATE engine to run the Eberron campaign.  An actual play of our first (and hopefully more) session is here:  http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=318449








These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


----------



## Storn

As my schedule turns back to geting to the pile of character concepts... I get to share some of the ones I've done over the last few days.

This guy has seen too much, and the bottle is grafted to his hand...







Because we need more mystical cyborg/androids... 






Gunfighter-esque cleric.






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
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----------



## kroh

Love the Cleric!  Your PC Redcloaks are awesome!  

Regards, 
Walt


----------



## Storn

kroh said:
			
		

> Love the Cleric!  Your PC Redcloaks are awesome!
> 
> Regards,
> Walt




Thanks man.


Muse from the Pinnacle forums did for her husband for their RunePunk game.  Here is Nicodamus.

Link to that AP is here:
http://www.peginc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13216

The art:






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## Mortimer De Gaul

Tremendous artwork!


----------



## Angel Tarragon

Beatiful stuff. Love the android!


----------



## Storn

Here is BC's Myrmidon







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## Dire Lemming

Heh, I love that VW emblem necklace in the pic in 177!


----------



## Storn

Dire Lemming said:
			
		

> Heh, I love that VW emblem necklace in the pic in 177!




That was the patron's idea... not mine... but I agree, I love it too!  Wanted to give credit where credit is due...


Here is another version of this dynamic duo...  I think I've done 3 versions of these characters so far in different situations.






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## Holy Bovine

Storn - I bow before a master.  Your art is outstanding.


----------



## Storn

Holy Bovine said:
			
		

> Storn - I bow before a master.  Your art is outstanding.




I humbly thank you.  There is much for me to still master and learn, though...


Here is a Ranger from a Middle Earth game...









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## DethStryke

Heya storn...

Where did Catspaw go?


----------



## Storn

DethStryke said:
			
		

> Heya storn...
> 
> Where did Catspaw go?




Due to some personal issues, I've had to put Catspaw aside.  I'm in the midst of redesigning my website (a very daunting task for me) and I will be hosting Catspaw myself, instead of having it on Flashing Blade site.  I have 2 pages done, a 3rd penciled of chapter 3.  

So, I'm not dropping it.  But I do have a bit to get together before I can put it up again.  But I will.


----------



## DethStryke

Storn said:
			
		

> Due to some personal issues, I've had to put Catspaw aside.  I'm in the midst of redesigning my website (a very daunting task for me) and I will be hosting Catspaw myself, instead of having it on Flashing Blade site.  I have 2 pages done, a 3rd penciled of chapter 3.
> 
> So, I'm not dropping it.  But I do have a bit to get together before I can put it up again.  But I will.





I'm sorry to hear that. I wish you luck in fixing your corner of the interwebs. 

I enjoyed your comic very much, and look forward to its eventual return!


----------



## Holy Bovine

Storn said:
			
		

> I humbly thank you.  There is much for me to still master and learn, though...
> 
> 
> Here is a Ranger from a Middle Earth game...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
> http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/




I think is my all time favourite.  I love the little details on this picture and the colouring is beautiful.


----------



## marketingman

My wife really enjoys the art thanks for posting it


----------



## Storn

marketingman said:
			
		

> My wife really enjoys the art thanks for posting it




I hope you like it too!


A duo for the nutty, incomparable Death Tribble (love ya man!).  First up, Col. Blinky!






Then a red (orange-y redhead) headed pharoah-ess...







These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


----------



## Ursa Romanov

Love the Beholder.


----------



## Storn

Here is a project that is near and dear to me.  It is the Mavericks.  Which is one of the superteams in the RDU Champions game that I've been a part of for over 18 years.  It still goes on in a PBeM and the players and GM got together to commission this.

The RDU has its own wiki, so if you are interested, check it out here.  The link will take you directly to the Mavericks themselves... but poke around the massive campaign setting:

http://rdu.wikispaces.com/The+Mavericks







These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
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## Acquana

Oh woah ... great drawing, but _massive_ tangent on the frame there ... There's dudes standing on it.


----------



## Angel Tarragon

Storn said:
			
		

>



Beautiful piece. So great, awesome contrast.


----------



## kroh

Startled and amazed!

regards, 
Walt


----------



## Storn

Acquana said:
			
		

> Oh woah ... great drawing, but _massive_ tangent on the frame there ... There's dudes standing on it.




Yeah... I like it.


----------



## Acquana

*shrug*  I was just told repeatedly never to have tangents like that if I could help it.  Tends to bring the eyes to the wrong places in a piece.  It's hard for me to not stare at tangents now.


----------



## Storn

Acquana said:
			
		

> *shrug*  I was just told repeatedly never to have tangents like that if I could help it.  Tends to bring the eyes to the wrong places in a piece.  It's hard for me to not stare at tangents now.




I know the rules of thumb.  And that allows me to break them at times.  That's art.  But good eye.  You are the only one out of dozens of eyes that has pointed that out... others might have spotted it and been too polite... but you took the time to address it.  Cool.

Now for something a bit different.  Half "environemental", but meant for a webpage backdrop for the Varda Chronicles.  Link to Varda Chronicles here:

http://www.tessaecolby.com/







These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
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----------



## Jon H

Hey Storn, long time no chat!

I like the new style a lot.


----------



## Storn

Jon H said:
			
		

> Hey Storn, long time no chat!
> 
> I like the new style a lot.




Thanks man!  Appreciate it.  Hear you are getting a new PM.  <g>.

I doodled this in the same style as the Beddia backdrop above, a map for a friend for a Burning Wheel "Orc" campaign that he is doing via Skype with a couple of folks... I'm not in it... just hearing about it.  Keep in mind, this is a quickie map, my penmanship could certainly be better...






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


----------



## Jon H

Storn said:
			
		

> Thanks man!  Appreciate it.  Hear you are getting a new PM.  <g>.




Sadly I am not allowed PMs here as I haven't coughed up my subscription.  But I hear there's other ways of dropping me a line... 

Cool map btw.


----------



## death tribble

Wonder if anyone would like to see the first commission ?
The one with the lady and the snakes......


----------



## Storn

Here is a sorta Osprey handling of a 'unit' portrait.  Mercs called the Black Daggers.






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
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----------



## Storn

Here is Arcsilver, a good friend of mine's character, from back in the day in our Red Dragon Universe campaign.  My gm Neil, popped for this commission, as the ghost of Arcsilver gently waves in the background of our current PBeM game, the Mavericks.  RDU stuff and Arcsilver's history can be found here:

http://rdu.wikispaces.com/Arcsilver







These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. 
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----------



## Storn

Here is a nordic elf.






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----------



## Storn

Desert Mirage.






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----------



## Storn

Not quite sure of the character concept's name, but for a supers game that has a 'older sister' to a Namorita like character... this is the older sister, I called the file Nereid.






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----------



## Storn

Because you never can have enuff big buffed guys with demonic backstories...






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----------



## Storn

Here are two player characters from games I actually I am in.  Thermal is the president of Sanctuary, the only paranormal nation on the planet.  He is also 1/3rd of the Vanguard, the premier superteam on the planet, along with Locke and my PC, Vector.  

Skinwalker is relatively new, and is a member of the NYC Mavericks.  If curious about either, write-ups of adventures, some characters are up at:

http://rdu.wikispaces.com/











These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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----------



## Storn

Here is another offering from Death Tribble, his USMCorpse!!!  This one was sure fun to do.






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----------



## Storn

Here is a real quickie sketch of a new PC of mind, Camden Waverunner.  He is in a game run by the game system Reign (ORE).  He is the product of a random chargen which was a lot of fun.  If y'all are curious about our first session and discussion thereafter (and a map!), the actual play account is here:

http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=339287

And here is the dashing First Mate of the pleasure galleon, The Pearl:






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----------



## Storn

Here is Fantoma.  Another pic for Death Tribble... as he explained it to me, a mix between a French Fu Manchu and Moriarty.  Kinda a neat concept to bring up to date.






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----------



## death tribble

No praise for the United States Marine Corpse ?

Philistines !


----------



## Storn

Here is Jetstream, for lb.  






And Space Corsair for dw.  Definitely a Saturn Girl w/ Star Girl crossed with pirate vibe going on.  Odd how both concepts called for green costuming by the write-up.  






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## Angel Tarragon

Hey Storn, do you have time to take requests right now?


----------



## Storn

Frukathka said:
			
		

> Hey Storn, do you have time to take requests right now?




Yup.  Contact me at Storn.Cook@gmail.com

I put commissions in the queue in the order of recieving payment.


Onto some more artwork.  Here is Scattershot, the winner of Death Tribble's latest Storn Art Contest!







And here is a fantasy gnome illusionist..






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----------



## Storn

Here is some artwork from our recent Reign session, doodles at the table:











And some more commissions, been getting a lot of cheesecake commissions lately, odd how things seem to run in series for me sometimes.











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----------



## Storn

Urban Ranger, skip tracer.






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----------



## TheLoneGoldfish

I give praise to the USMCorpse.

And Col. Blinky too.


----------



## Storn

First up:  Lil'promo announcement.

I will be at GENCON.  I will have a table in the art section, selling my artwork.  Please stop by and peruse and introduce yourselves.  I look forward to meeting old friends and new!

And Sons of Kryos, the podcast in my sig, has been nominated for an Ennie.  We are in great company.  If you have listened to Judd, Jeff and me on SoK (or any of the other nominated podcasts, like my fav: Have Games, Will Travel)... go vote!

Now.  Back to artwork.  The next two are for my old GM, who is running the "Azure" based on part in the artwork I did for Necessary Evil.  In NE, they were called the v'sori.  He needed an alien martial artist and a special forces type to go along with the drones from NE.  So, this is what I came up with:











And these two are from a GURPs apocalyptic campaign, with (obviously) mutants in the mix.











These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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----------



## Bobitron

Storn said:
			
		

> Here is a sorta Osprey handling of a 'unit' portrait.  Mercs called the Black Daggers.




I really like this sort of thing. It would be a great illustration in a book.

Also, your "Nereid" is one of the only women I've seen you do in that style that is really sexy. Very, very nice drawing.


----------



## Storn

Here is Prussian Blue.  Not sure if he is a superhero or supervillain.  But kinda neat concept...






Just wanted to remind folks:  I will be at GENCON. I will have a table in the art section, selling my artwork. Please stop by and peruse and introduce yourselves. I look forward to meeting old friends and new!

These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/


----------



## Storn

Been away for a bit.  Gencon prep started two weeks before Gencon.  Then Gencon happened (howdy to y'all who stopped by my table, it was a blast!!!).  Then I came back from Gencon with a ton of work on my plate... and came down with the unavoidable sinus infection.

But.  The body heals eventually and the art starts to flow again.  Here are two mish-mash concepts.  Samurai with shapeshifter form.  And dwarven sherlock holmes via Shadowrun.












These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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----------



## Storn

At Gencon, got the chance to sit in on Mick Bradley's Vegas After Midnight game.  Which was a total hoot!

Here is a link to Mick's various VAM offerings:
http://harpingmonkey.com/mick/category/vegas-after-midnight/

Anyway, I played Jackie Edo, the buddhist yakuza punk... who I doodled up.  And the rest of the cool, oddball cast to follow.











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## RangerWickett

Nifty. Note to self: 

Step 1. Invite Storn to a D&D game next year at Gen Con.
Step 2. Get illustrations of all the cool stuff.
Step 3. Profit!

Storn, tonight I'll be sending you ideas for the cover we talked about.


----------



## darkhall-nestor

This is probably a stupid question 
How do you post a picture in a thread as opposed to a link to a picture?

Thanks


----------



## Storn

darkhall-nestor said:
			
		

> This is probably a stupid question
> How do you post a picture in a thread as opposed to a link to a picture?
> 
> Thanks




You bracket IMG, a link to the art address (mine is hosted on Photobucket.) then followed by a bracket /IMG.  Not gonna bracket here, or it would look like a blank picture.


----------



## Storn

Death Tribble commissioned this step by step process to be shown on my various threads.  To talk about my process, how I do things.  The character is "Star" and here is the write up I received from D.T.:

_"Star: A robust, cosmically-powered energy projector. Her uniform is a sleeveless unitard with a large silver/white star in the center of the chest. With her powers activated, the black takes on the appearance of a starfield and the chest embelm pulses with silvery energy."_

This is a pretty wide open description.  For most commissions, I usually get a bit more info.  But D.T. and I have been working together for some time.  I think he trusts my vision.

So first, I print out the character description, do any research for reference I might need.  Star doesn't need any.

I head downstairs to the Gimmie Coffee that is across the street... okay... that might be too much detail for y'all  <g>.  I tend to do my sketches at bars and coffee shops, liking the noise and the chatter to keep me loose.  So it is kinda part of my process.

I tend to be pretty sketchy and loose at first... and I will draw in blue line (7mm mechanical pencil blue lead) (which I can eliminate in Photoshop if I scan in pencils to color over, and if scanned in black and white from inks, it won't show).  I tried to come up with a pose for Star that was a bit different for a "cosmic" character.  

I wanted nice curves, round forms, even in her hair.  Because of energy effects, I'm already thinking colors.  I need the star to show up nicely.  I sorta channel Starman from a decade ago crossed with Dream Girl from Legion of Super Heroes. This is what snuck up on me (note: you can see other sketches seeping through the thin paper in my sketch book):






Then I go over the blue line with pencil.  I tighten up a bit more.  Spot my blacks.  I went for a retro bob hairstyle.






Then it is time to ink, I use Winter Harvest Kolinksy brushes to ink (from Weber distribution).  They are awesome.  I thik I did this with a number 2... not sure, I have about 6 brushes all in about the same size.  Note the bad smudging.  I had a bit of clean up to do digitally.  My window was open and the sketchbook had a page blow shut over my still drying inks.  Ah... just another day in the life of an illustrator...






Then the inked version gets scanned in.  I take it to Painter (as my photoshop is no where to be found and I have a new computer).  I work in several layers.  While the inks were simple, the coloring takes a bit of time.  I lay down flat colors and then go and build highlights, often using the oil brush for that.  Lay in shadows with the digital watercolor tool, drying as need be.  Both will get smudged using the Blender simple water tool.

The stars get added over the ink, the energy effects are airbrushed in.  And viola!  Add my signature (which changed due to new computer, must download Coventry Garden font.)






...And there you have it.  A character concept from start to finish.  I hope this was interesting to y'all.

cheers.


----------



## Lalato

Very nifty.  Thanks.  

--sam


----------



## blobsticks

Storn said:
			
		

> These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
> http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/




I LOVE this one Storn.. great design!


----------



## mps42

Storn said:
			
		

> Death Tribble commissioned this step by step process to be shown on my various threads.  To talk about my process, how I do things.  The character is "Star" and here is the write up I received from D.T.:
> 
> _"Star: A robust, cosmically-powered energy projector. Her uniform is a sleeveless unitard with a large silver/white star in the center of the chest. With her powers activated, the black takes on the appearance of a starfield and the chest embelm pulses with silvery energy."_
> 
> This is a pretty wide open description.  For most commissions, I usually get a bit more info.  But D.T. and I have been working together for some time.  I think he trusts my vision.
> 
> So first, I print out the character description, do any research for reference I might need.  Star doesn't need any.
> 
> I head downstairs to the Gimmie Coffee that is across the street... okay... that might be too much detail for y'all  <g>.  I tend to do my sketches at bars and coffee shops, liking the noise and the chatter to keep me loose.  So it is kinda part of my process.
> 
> I tend to be pretty sketchy and loose at first... and I will draw in blue line (7mm mechanical pencil blue lead) (which I can eliminate in Photoshop if I scan in pencils to color over, and if scanned in black and white from inks, it won't show).  I tried to come up with a pose for Star that was a bit different for a "cosmic" character.
> 
> I wanted nice curves, round forms, even in her hair.  Because of energy effects, I'm already thinking colors.  I need the star to show up nicely.  I sorta channel Starman from a decade ago crossed with Dream Girl from Legion of Super Heroes. This is what snuck up on me (note: you can see other sketches seeping through the thin paper in my sketch book):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then I go over the blue line with pencil.  I tighten up a bit more.  Spot my blacks.  I went for a retro bob hairstyle.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then it is time to ink, I use Winter Harvest Kolinksy brushes to ink (from Weber distribution).  They are awesome.  I thik I did this with a number 2... not sure, I have about 6 brushes all in about the same size.  Note the bad smudging.  I had a bit of clean up to do digitally.  My window was open and the sketchbook had a page blow shut over my still drying inks.  Ah... just another day in the life of an illustrator...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then the inked version gets scanned in.  I take it to Painter (as my photoshop is no where to be found and I have a new computer).  I work in several layers.  While the inks were simple, the coloring takes a bit of time.  I lay down flat colors and then go and build highlights, often using the oil brush for that.  Lay in shadows with the digital watercolor tool, drying as need be.  Both will get smudged using the Blender simple water tool.
> 
> The stars get added over the ink, the energy effects are airbrushed in.  And viola!  Add my signature (which changed due to new computer, must download Coventry Garden font.)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...And there you have it.  A character concept from start to finish.  I hope this was interesting to y'all.
> 
> cheers.




 Just an opinion but I would have shosen a different color for the background as, as it is, it looks like there's a star-shaped hole in her torso... other than that, TOTALLY awesome.


----------



## Scarecrow

Storn said:
			
		

> cheers.




Not one of your better ones, mate. The right side of her upper torso (her right side - left as we look at it) is mangled. Her right arm looks like it's twisted round to the front and as a result, her boobs are wrong too. Her collar bones come out way too far on both sides and her left calf muscle looks pinched. A bit more time on the 'blue' stage perhaps? 
Also the star on her chest is not so much pulsing with energy, as it looks a bit 'fluffy'. Experiment with layer types a bit (painter or photoshop) to get a better 'pulsing with energy' look.

Crow


----------



## Storn

A few years ago, I did a re-imagining of a longtime stock character over at Hero, Grond, the Hero/Champion's version of the Hulk (although their Ogre filled a similar niche).

Death Tribble asked me to do a version of mecha-godzilla crossed with the concept of Grond... and here is what fell out of my noggin.


----------



## Storn

Here are three, an archer, a samurai with demonic form and a lich who is a ruler of country and is a bit of a progressive...
















These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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----------



## Philotomy Jurament

Storn said:
			
		

> Here is a sorta Osprey handling of a 'unit' portrait.  Mercs called the Black Daggers.



I like the wall-climbing scene.  It's cool to see some scenes/action sequences, in addition to the pin-ups.  (Your pin-up work is great.)


----------



## Khuxan

Your art is excellent, especially the wall-scaling mercenaries. I appreciate that fact that you release your work under a CC license so others can use it. 

Could you please clarify: most of the works on the front page don't have the accompanying text identifying them as CC - is this intentional? 

Also, a lot of the commissions and doodles on your webpage haven't been featured on this thread... and thus aren't CC. Would it be possible to add a tag to the bottom of those two pages, along the lines of: "Each work on this page is released under an A-NC-SA CC licence"?

Finally, apart from 12round's art, has any other artist on this forum released their work under a CC licence?

Thank you very much.


----------



## Storn

Khuxan said:
			
		

> Your art is excellent, especially the wall-scaling mercenaries. I appreciate that fact that you release your work under a CC license so others can use it.
> 
> Could you please clarify: most of the works on the front page don't have the accompanying text identifying them as CC - is this intentional?
> 
> Also, a lot of the commissions and doodles on your webpage haven't been featured on this thread... and thus aren't CC. Would it be possible to add a tag to the bottom of those two pages, along the lines of: "Each work on this page is released under an A-NC-SA CC licence"?
> 
> Finally, apart from 12round's art, has any other artist on this forum released their work under a CC licence?
> 
> Thank you very much.




Part of it is that I found out about CC after this thread was started.  And sometimes I forget to put it on.  However, there are some pieces that I don't own the rights to.  I don't put them up often, stuff I do for publishers, but they are scattered here and there.  So.  If it don't have the CC after, ask.

I haven't done any character concepts in a bit.  But I'm gearing up to do several.  A couple of sketches from my own games are here too.

First up, some victorian Rune Punk characters...










Now.  Crimson, from a new SotC "noir" game that my friend Judd is running...  My assassin turned to good guy.  On the run from Fu Manchu and the Crimson Knives... (_oh yeah, when stealing, steal from the best... thanks Moench and Gulacy!!!)_





And another character, Sebastian Deitrich, from Jeff's super/future sci-fi game based on his original abberant universe.  Sebastian is bred and born to serve his Princess Arabella (another player's PC).  She is a precog.  He is a teleporter.  He is so totally in love with her, its funny...





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----------



## Storn

Here is one character concept, a husky, viking bard







... and 2 quickie starship sketches for Jeff's Aberrant/ Sci-Fi game.  The big horseshoe thing is a stargate builder...which we teleported onto by accident.  The thing is bigger than manhattan.  Fun stuff.






And there is a really rough, elegant top of the tech, and my rough attempt to get at that basic idea of sophisticated elegance, yet still starship-y.






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----------



## Storn

The beat goes one.  A wrap up of the 3 more "victorianpunk" pics.  And one WWII character for Death Tribble.  Not quite sure of her backstory.  But he wanted an anti-vixen for the pic.  No skin.  No SS buxom domnatrixes.  Just an iron cross around the neck.





















These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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----------



## Storn

Here is an Eberron character-- sorta a psychic rogue






And here is Crimson colored.  He is from the most recent Spirit of the Century pulp noir game I'm in.






And if you want to see the writeup/ stats of the character, I put it up on my google documents here:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df5zsgg3_3c55n53

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----------



## WanderingMonster

Storn said:
			
		

> Here is an Eberron character-- sorta a psychic rogue
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
> http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/





This was commissioned by me.  The character is Nox, a changeling rogue/psychic warrior.  I love the art!  It's exactly as a described with some detailing that , while not implicitly stated, was spot on.  Thanks Storn!


----------



## Storn

WanderingMonster said:
			
		

> This was commissioned by me.  The character is Nox, a changeling rogue/psychic warrior.  I love the art!  It's exactly as a described with some detailing that , while not implicitly stated, was spot on.  Thanks Storn!




Glad you like!  Glad for the commission!

Here are some pics from Jeff's excellent scifi Aberrant game.

First up is Princess Arabella played by Nikki, precog, telepath, my PC's principal and, well, love of his life.






Then we have Pan.  Pirate captain, brilliant hacker with cyberkinesis.  Played by Keikei






Next up is Bertrum, played by Kevin.  Bertrum was really hard to draw, as he is a shapeshifter.  He can turn into anything, a chair, another person, or animal.  So what image could encompass that?  In frustration, I doodle this for a laugh...






And here we have two NPCs.  Angus and Star General Jin Tao.  Jin Tao is one of Arabella's suitors and a genetic engineered GRIN warrior.  Angus was a rejected gene-GRIN warrior who started to follow Pan around when she went to a merc bar to get scuttlebutt on the downlow.  I came up with Angus on the fly, even though I wasn't the GM.  Hitting on Pan in a loud, booming (badly, horrible) scottish accent.  I had the table laughing pretty hard.  It was fun.






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----------



## Storn

Here is a villainess for B's Champions game.  Kinda like the slinkyness of this one.






And here is a milestone.  This is Death Tribbles FIFTIETH commission.  It is an odd one, I'll paste the description I got here so y'all can see how fun and strange this one is.... the speedster part really threw me.  <g>

from D.T. >>A transparent male human shape run like a Q ship with little figures on the inside manning a gun where the nose should be and others throughout the body. The little figures should not be distinct.
No missile pods, just guns like battleships of yore.
One hand should have two of the fingers, probably the two after the thumb, as these guns. This hand will be on the horizontal. The other hand can be pointing down and you could keep obscure this one so people cannot see it.
Other guns would be above the naval about rib base on one side and below the naval and above the groin on the other. I am not thinking that guns in the groin area or down the legs would be a good idea.
No guns pointing out of the back if the back is visible.
The little figures should appear to be human. The body can look like a base with fuel storage and lifts.
No hair. Neuter the figure for decency sake.
Figure should be in motion either going left to right or coming out at the reader like Speester. But let's talk about this when you get to it.
No radar or radio attenna outside the human shape.<<<

And this is whatjaget after comes through my noodle.






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----------



## Storn

Something a bit new for me today.  My friend Aaron has been after me for months to do this weekly challenge over at Ten Ton Studios, a comic book forum  (link here:  http://www.tentonstudios.com/forum/index.php?topic=4816.0)

Well.  Nexus is one of the cooler outfits in my opinion and it got me off my duff to participate.  I've also been meaning to return to doing some acrylics.  So, I killed two birds with one stone today.  

And here is Nexus...


----------



## Angel Tarragon

Storn said:
			
		

>



Whoa. 

That's one of my faves.


----------



## Storn

This watercolor and gouache on watercolor paper about 10.5 x 15.25.  The Master of Kung Fu goes up versus The Hand.  Kung fu vs. ninjitsu.   If Bruce Lee was the definitive model for Shang Chi in the 70s, I pushed towards an older guy (he is a master, after all) based more on a combo of Donnie Yen and Jet Li.  I had the idea for doing a bit of sequential fight choreography the day after I put up the challenge.  I knew I had to slap it down.


----------



## Storn

A couple of battlin' babes.  First up is Lioness for Death Tribble.  Next is a flying, brick, type super with a police background.











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----------



## Storn

This is an oil painting commission I've been working off and on during the last couple of weeks.  A Forgotten Realms Drow.  Finally dry enuff to slap on the ol' scanner.  

I'm quite pleased with how it came out.  I owe Alan Pollack huge props for letting me come over to his house and watch him paint for a few hours.  I took several of his techniques and materials when doing this painting and it was the most fun I've had painting since art school.  So much easier that my usual struggles.  

I think this would make a nice cover.  It has not been published.  So, if anyone has a need for a drow on a cover, let me know.  It will be a lot cheaper than commissioning a new cover.
storn.cook@gmail.com


----------



## RangerWickett

Storn said:
			
		

> But most publishers work is under NDA (non disclosure agreements, just in case).  So, by the time I can post (after publication), I've forgotten all about it, or I feel that I'm doing better work.  So I don't post it.




If you want to post the cover illo you did for E.N. Publishing, by all means go for it.


----------



## Storn

RangerWickett said:
			
		

> If you want to post the cover illo you did for E.N. Publishing, by all means go for it.




Thanks Ryan!

I will.

Meanwhile, a trio of images for Death Tribble.  First up, Bast, a catburglar who needed to depart from Catwoman and still have a bit of an egyptian motif.  






Then, with Scott Bennie's approval, Red King from his Gestalt book (an amazing campaign book for Champions, btw, Stornbob sez: check it out), who never got the full head to toe treatment.  And from what I understand, the Bone White Queen was mentioned, but never got a stat write up or an illo in the book.  D.T. wanted to see my version of her, so, viola, I combined the two of them with the magic of photoshop.


----------



## Lalato

Awesome, as always.  

--sam


----------



## Storn

This was done for En World Publishing, like Ryan a few posts up there mentioned.  For an upcoming module in the War of Burning Sky campaign setting... Link below...and the title name of the module is "Sleep, ye Cursed Child" by Wolfgang Baur.
http://www.enworld.org/index.php?page=burningsky


----------



## RangerWickett

I love this piece. By he way, Storn, we're "E.N. Publishing," not EN World Publishing.


----------



## Angel Tarragon

Whoa!

That certainly knocks my sock off.


----------



## Storn

RangerWickett said:
			
		

> I love this piece. By he way, Storn, we're "E.N. Publishing," not EN World Publishing.




Oops. Nuthin' like getting your client's name wrong.  So-sorry about that!!!  

and I've even used En as a scrabble word...sheesh

Movin' along, nuthin' ta see here!!!


Well.. that ain't exactly true.  There is hopefully plenty to see.  Here is a commission of an electrical character for a superhero game for y'all to look at:







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----------



## Storn

Move over Death Tribble... there is a new oddball requester on the loose!!!!

A local friend, for some reason I still don't know, wanted a picture of a Shark/Chicken/with one Dog leg.... and well... here you have the Sharkogken!!!






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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----------



## Angel Tarragon

I'm not sure whether I want to laugh or flee in terror.


----------



## hafrogman

Frukathka said:
			
		

> I'm not sure whether I want to laugh or flee in terror.



I say flee in terror.  But I don't know whether I should flee in terror from the dreaded 'Lesser Dog-legged Charkin'  (The Greater Dog-legged Charkin obviously having more than one dog-leg) or from whatever mind dreamed up this abomination.

Storn. . . your friend scares me.


----------



## Storn

hafrogman said:
			
		

> I say flee in terror.  But I don't know whether I should flee in terror from the dreaded 'Lesser Dog-legged Charkin'  (The Greater Dog-legged Charkin obviously having more than one dog-leg) or from whatever mind dreamed up this abomination.
> 
> Storn. . . your friend scares me.




And she ain't even a gamer....


----------



## Angel Tarragon

hafrogman said:
			
		

> I say flee in terror.  But I don't know whether I should flee in terror from the dreaded 'Lesser Dog-legged Charkin'  (The Greater Dog-legged Charkin obviously having more than one dog-leg) or from whatever mind dreamed up this abomination.



Ack...the frog is outta the hive and stalking me.


----------



## hafrogman

Frukathka said:
			
		

> Ack...the frog is outta the hive and stalking me.



Meh, to be fair, I tend to look whenever Storn posts something new.  I just don't comment so much, because there's just so many synonyms for 'Awesome' before it gets tiresome.



			
				Storn said:
			
		

> And she ain't even a gamer....



I briefly toyed with the name 'Shardogken', but I decided that would instead be the world's greatest Thanksgiving meal.

A shark, that has eaten a dog that has eaten a chicken.  Then you bake the whole thing and serve it with yams and marshmallows.

Is there any way in which you can explain how she came up with this concept, or is it just one of those 'you had to be there' kind of moments?


----------



## AnonymousOne

Ooooohhhh I'm so happy that I found this thread... 

Storn, you're a beast.  Thanks for giving me my artwork fix for a while.


----------



## Storn

AnonymousOne said:
			
		

> Ooooohhhh I'm so happy that I found this thread...
> 
> Storn, you're a beast.  Thanks for giving me my artwork fix for a while.




Glad you like.

Been a bit since I last posted, but here are some more.  A trio of dudes.
















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----------



## Storn

It's a TWAAAAAAAAPPP!!!!

Oh.  This one was so much fun to do.  This was commissioned by a loving wife for her husband's xmas gift this year.  Full oils.  His very, very first character, who happens to be star wars.  After getting the description, this image leapt to mind immediately, dunno why, sometimes that just happens.  Sometimes I have to find the image while I work it out on paper/canvas.

I'm not using names here, because I don't like to without permission.  I do know that they have perused this thread.  Which is why I couldn't post this until AFTER xmas!!!


----------



## The_Universe

Storn said:
			
		

> It's a TWAAAAAAAAPPP!!!!
> 
> Oh.  This one was so much fun to do.  This was commissioned by a loving wife for her husband's xmas gift this year.  Full oils.  His very, very first character, who happens to be star wars.  After getting the description, this image leapt to mind immediately, dunno why, sometimes that just happens.  Sometimes I have to find the image while I work it out on paper/canvas.
> 
> I'm not using names here, because I don't like to without permission.  I do know that they have perused this thread.  Which is why I couldn't post this until AFTER xmas!!!



 It's my very own Admiral Jorenh Zorak; indeed, my very first RPG character. Totally awesome. He's even got a vibro-rapier. 

I love it! 

Thanks, Storn! And thanks to Liz for arranging the whole thing in secret!


----------



## Storn

The_Universe said:
			
		

> It's my very own Admiral Jorenh Zorak; indeed, my very first RPG character. Totally awesome. He's even got a vibro-rapier.
> 
> I love it!
> 
> Thanks, Storn! And thanks to Liz for arranging the whole thing in secret!




My pleasure.  It was one of the most fun commissions I've done in quite some time!


My previous drow picture inspired two more.  One is for a modern-mystical campaign.  The other is more typical fantasy.  Maybe y'all can tell which is which, cause I ain't tellin'.  <g>











The next guy is my own character, who I used to play in Red Dragon Universe (aka RDU) game.  This is Crusader, originally Intercept, who took over the mantle of the original Crusader (an NPC).  In published Champions Universe canon, Crusader is the capt. America analog.  Bit more to the character than that...  My concept started as can I do a power armor character who is interesting to me... and can I make a cape work as part of that skill set.  (The cape glides, with very quiet air compressed jets for a very stealthy power armor).

Death Tribble so kindly comissioned me to do this, of my own character, for both me... and Neil, the main GM of RDU.  

The RDU website is here:  http://rdu.wikispaces.com/

And here is Crusader





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----------



## Storn

Here is another Xmas present.   Done for two guys who play City of Heroes together and their characters in that game.






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----------



## Storn

Its been awhile.  Still cranking on M&M Book of Magic artwork.  But I slipped in this power armor commission.  Hope y'all like.






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----------



## Storn

I've been very busy with my personal life (not even in my hometown at the mo') and sicker than a dog with the flu.  But I have managed to get some artwork done in sporadic spurts.

First up is a "were"-agent.  For a friend of Death Tribble's.






And then a couple of superheroes.... one sorta Sandman like, one sorta like Silver Surfer in the notes from the patron.











If you have commissioned something from me, and haven't seen it yet.  Please email me at Storn.Cook@gmail.com.  I've had a computer problems, that have influenced my mail situation...requiring me to have tons and tons of emails to sift through.  My schedule is clearing up in March, for those interested in commissions themselves.

These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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----------



## Mortimer De Gaul

Storn your art rocks!


----------



## Storn

Mortimer De Gaul said:
			
		

> Storn your art rocks!




Why thank you!

Here are couple of more commissions.  The first is based on someone real, Virginia Dare...although the campaign has supernatural powers and the like ala Solomon Kane... and speaking of which, not intentional, but the 2nd one reminds me a bit of Solomon Kane if the dude was 20s and well-adjusted.... which Howard's Kane is definitely not well-adjusted.  <g>

Anyway, hope y'all get a kick.











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----------



## Ashy

Very nice indeed!!!  You should really add some of these to your website!


----------



## Storn

Ashy said:
			
		

> Very nice indeed!!!  You should really add some of these to your website!





Yes I should.  I hate updating my website.  I used to have help doing that.

This commission was really something of a fun challenge.  Here is a Forgotten Realms character, a cleric of Olidammara.  The god of rogues, scoundrels, the Laughing Rogue God etc.  The trick here was to walk the line between some kind of clerical order, an affiliation.  And to still make the young man kind of roguish.

The chain, the magic rapier were asked for.  But the patron also asked for napoleonic styled cartridge case for a sling... and that I think was the key.  I sorta went 1/3 Napoleonic uniform, 1/3 3 musketeer uniform, and 1/3 typical rogue in shirt, bandana, goatee and pose-attitude.

I think it works pretty well.






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----------



## Dave G

Most Awesome.


----------



## Storn

Something a little different for me... I haven't done a pilot and craft shot in about 4 years... I think I did a cut-down millenium falcon awhile back.  The patron supplied Macross reference and a bit of modern pilot shots... I combined the two modes of reference into this shot.  Hope y'all like.

I also played around with ink line, by inking the pilot, but leaving the ship a bit softer (color right onto the pencils themselves)... letting be a little softer and hopefully, push back into space a bit.  As one of the things I liked from the Macross reference was pilot and plane were close in color... and to separate the two, I let the ink line diffrentiate the two similar color schemes.







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----------



## Storn

Well, it is sketch contest time again over at TenTon Studios.  And this week it is Red Sonja.  How could I pass doing that?  Anyway, here is my entry.







If you want to see about 20 different Red Sonjas... come on by TenTon studios, link:
http://www.tentonstudios.com/forum/index.php?topic=5288.0

If ya like, you can even throw a vote for one of them.  Leave a comment!


----------



## Storn

It is time for another Ten Ton Studios challenge.  This week, it is the Phantom, that one-o-the first of masked men in striped underwear.  Well.  I'm a sucker for pulp imagery.  And I strived to bring that pulp excitement and action to my contribution.  Let me know if I succeeded or not.

I also have not been painting traditionally in a long time.  So, out came the acrylics on this one.  Although I screwed up the sky royally, and after getting back from Philly, I quickly slapped down oil paint on the sky.  It still ain't where I want it to be, but the stuff had to dry for it to be put down on the scanner in time for the contest.

Come check out the other Phantom entries.  Vote for your fav!!!

http://www.tentonstudios.com/forum/index.php?topic=5317.0


----------



## Storn

It is time again for Top Ten Studios weekly challenge.  Which is an excuse to work in some paint for me, as the art HAS to be done in some traditional format (ie, not digital!).

This week, I got to choose as I won the Phantom contest last week.  I chose Clea: Mistress of the Mystic Arts and invited everyone to re-imagine her outfit.

The entries are a bit low on the numbers side, but the quality is really, really high this week.  As I write this, I don't even have one vote yet.  I got schooled.  Josh really deserves this weeks win... he hit it out the park with his amazing angle on Clea.

So.  Come check out many awesome Cleas here:
http://www.tentonstudios.com/forum/index.php?topic=5335.0

Vote for one if so inclined.


----------



## kenobi65

Really nice work on Clea, Storn.  She was always among my favorites.


----------



## ogre

Wow, what an awesome collection Storn. You are amazing, I'm so glad Ilium pointed me here from the d20 Modern forum. Count me as another admirerer!
Thanks so much for sharing.


----------



## Storn

Time for more artwork!!!

First up, a buffy-esque type character.






Then a more superhero/villain brick who don't know his own strength.






And a enigmatic wind/ice/cyrokinetic






... and lastly, a bowl with a mango.  Just because I felt like showing it.  This was an impromptu birthday present for a friend.  I had bought the mango just to eat, but once I put in my bowl, I loved the colors.  It is hour and 1/2 oil painting, very sketchy.  The blue behind the bowl was my wadded up fleece sweatshirt on my drafting table.






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5


----------



## Angel Tarragon

Storn said:
			
		

> And a enigmatic wind/ice/cyrokinetic



Best new piece!


----------



## Angel Tarragon

Storn said:
			
		

>



Love this piece too. I'm gonna borrow it for my homebrew!


----------



## Storn

Time for some more Death Tribble commissions.  First up, Aquatic Evil.  Guppy gone bad.  Bad Guppy, bad!






Then, in DT's game, Doc Destroyer has a scientist sidekick, who is asian.   He said (I'm paraphrasing); "_Let's do an asian with no dragons, no martial artsy-ness, none of the usual trappings_."






Lastly, the gist was "_give me Phantom Lady, but dark costume_".  I assumed from the Codename, I could work in some energy, light power sorta sfx.  






enjoy...

These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5


----------



## Storn

Some Giant love.

This is for my fellow podcaster, Jeff, and his RPG called Giants.  A little giant height hierarchy.  The storm giant, the robot, the giant wolf and hill giant are all PCs from various playtests.

If you want to know more about Jeff's upcoming game.  Check out his design blog on the subject at:

http://giantsrpg.livejournal.com/


----------



## Angel Tarragon

Awesome giants Storn. I really like the Storm Giant.


----------



## Storn

Ah... it's that time again.  Yup, time for the Ten Ton Studios weekly challenge.

This time?

_I think is time to blow this thing,
get everybody the stuff together.
Okay 3, 2, 1 Let's Jam!_

Cowboy Bebop!

So.  If ya wanna gander at plethora of pics about the coolest interstellar bounty hunters... head over to:

http://www.tentonstudios.com/forum/index.php?topic=5429.0

If you like mine (or others), join the forum and vote on yer fav!

Here is my entry.  I went with Spike Spiegal.   watercolor on illustration board.


----------



## WhatGravitas

Oohh, shiny! The colours are more textured than usual, I like that (I also dig your pencil sketches more than your coloured stuff - but then, I also like Jeremy Jarvis' stuff).

Cheers, LT.


----------



## Storn

A trio of supers.  I think this one might be an anti-hero, not a villain..






The science hero...






The cosmic hero...






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5


----------



## Angel Tarragon

Storn said:
			
		

> The cosmic hero...



Very neat; it looks like a variant Green Lantern suit.


----------



## Storn

I got permission to post these sketches, as they were part of the Houses of the Blooded playtest.  The new game from designer John Wick (L5R, 7th Sea among others).

Even though we've been playing for a good 4 or 5 months, I didn't feel free to post artwork of an upcoming game, even though this is not pro- work, this is just scribbles at the table.  If you are interested in checking out HotB, there is a free preview PDF here:  

http://housesoftheblooded.com/

My assumptions: The Ven live in a fairly warm climate. Clothes are a bit skimpier than renaissance europe...but I keep slipping into a 3 musketeer mode. Remember: this type of outfits are a bit out of my acumen...I would need reference to pull what I have off in my head... and I'm at the gaming table.  No time to look up reference.

Architecture in my mind is like the fantastical arabic musings of Hal Foster. Lots of butresses, scale is big.

Clothing, I go to India crossed with byzantine.

Faces: I range from oriental, to russian to indian again. And my typical white guy face does sneak in there. This is where color can really make a difference. Trying to show my own PC, Kolis, as being swarthy, yet elegant of feature, in JUST pencil, well, its a pain in the ass...

Swords: Elegant, slightly curved, good for the stab or the slash... I did many of them with no hilt. Because they are that DAMN good swordsfolk. Hilt is seen as a crutch, and a true artist with a sword doesn't need one.

First up, our quickie map of Shanri (and yes, I mispelled the damn thing on the map itself).






Next, was the cover if I was to do it. This pose proved to be very difficult and I would need a model to ge ge the weight of the figure and the odd angle to the hand brushing the hair back. But there is stuff in this that I really, really like. The height of the buildings for one.





Jorha here had the aspect: "Perfect Ass" right on his character sheet. And the player MEANT the phsyical attribute, not 'tude. I HAD to draw that!!!






This is my newest PC, Kolis, son of Tyrian. Tyrian died vs. Ork, fighting to save his betrothed. Kolis was well positioned as the young guy, to take over the Count-ship from the evil Count Szas, with backing from all the other barons.


----------



## Storn

Tavish was originally Jorha's spymaster. But the player retired Jorha and picked up Tavish. Tavish is betrothed to Meza.






My beloved Tyrian, now deceased.






The Twins, Lonor and Sagay, also dead.






The PC Sarac, who was a bad fit, evil, manipulative to the bone. He was killed by Bayool, his own son, who is now the player's PC.


----------



## Storn

And here is the prelim relationship map with a couple of more NPCs on it. 






And a very quick sketch of Meza, once an NPC wife of Sagay, but now the Player of Sagay's PC after Sagay's operatic death.  Meza, here, was leading forces against the evil Count Szaz's Ork allies on behalf of the young Count, Kollis.


----------



## WhatGravitas

Very nice artworks (and yes, I still like your pencil work a notch more than your coloured art) - and I like the specific style. For me, it also has some sort of Eberron vibe - vaguely earth-inspired, but not mimicking something specific.

And I want a miniature based on Meza's sketch.

Cheers, LT.


----------



## Storn

Okay, first up, a private commission for a Forgotten Realms character.  






Next, it is Ten Ton Studio Contest Time.  I did win last week, so I decided to nominate this week's challenge as one of my personal fav artists:  Mark Schultz and his Cadillac and Dinosaurs for the subject matter.

Here is the link to thread to check out the other artist's versions...
http://www.tentonstudios.com/forum/index.php?topic=5452.0


----------



## Storn

I've been busy putting together 3 Warlord cards for their anniversary set.  Doing oil paints is very time consuming.  But they are done and I can get back to the large pile of commissions waiting for me.

Here is the first:







These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5


----------



## Storn

Here is a pretty stripped down martial artist type for Death Tribble.  Nothing really fancy on this one.

But sometimes, that's okay.






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5


----------



## Storn

A bit of a change of pace from the usual elves, wizards and superheroes... This is Dorothy (from Oz), but the client requested that she was older and that she have silver boots from the books...not ruby from the movies.

I had fun with this one.

Hope y'all like:






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5


----------



## Storn

I think this is an un-typical fantasy duo.  The patron had really neat visual ideas, even down to the poses.  It is the first time she has commissioned anything from me... but I was impressed by these two's descriptions.






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5


----------



## Storn

I am in the process of working on interiors for John Wick's (_7th Sea, Legend of the 5 Rings game designer)_ House of the Blooded.  Which I also had the opportunity to be part of the playtest of the rules and setting.  It is a great game.  

Playing a game you are to illustrate, makes it a ton of fun.  Working with someone like John, is even more fun on top of it.  I'm to do 13 illustrations for each of the 13 chapters.  Because we did NOT want to show DIRECTLY what the ven look like (the culture that HotB is about), we are doing it as a series of archaeologist sketches and notes.  Show indirectly through a cameo and a wall painting, what the ven are... and hopefully, leaving a lot to the imagination of each table that plays the game.

Coming up with the notes is a hoot.  Because we can be so academic... and because we are purposively jumping to wrong conclusions.. which you can discover when you play the game.

John has given me permission to post some of my art as I go along on this assignment.  So I'm sharing a bit of current passion.  I hope it intrigues...  and oh yeah, one more note... the runes are an alphabet I made up.  The key will be in the book.

Here is John's blog on his game, check it out, its fun and informative:
http://wickedthought.livejournal.com/tag/houses+of+the+blooded

The Character Section:





The Player Section:


----------



## Storn

Here is a jester-like superdude with a superball that does entangling.

ya just never know what the public is gonna ask ya ta draw...






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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----------



## Storn

Here is an interdimensional superhero (or villain!) who can reform himself into thin shards, throw them around, teleport by forming in a new place.  nasty.






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5


----------



## Storn

Here is a speedster with truncheons.  And maybe a bit of martial arts prowess?  






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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----------



## Storn

Continuing on with some more art from John Wick's upcoming Houses of the Blooded, here are two more pics.

The first one is for the chapter on Risk:






The second one is the chapter on revenge:






And if you are interested in some of John's thoughts on this very cool game, here is the link to his design blog:

http://wickedthought.livejournal.com...of+the+blooded


----------



## Storn

Death Tribble's Necro-woman.






And 2 versions of the War of the World tripods, one classic old skool... the other, a bit more modern (and perhaps a bit of anime influences seeping into my subconscious now that I think about it.)






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----------



## Storn

I got a chance to work on Mutants and Masterminds supplement, Books of Magic, which was a ton of fun for me, as I'm a big Doc Strange fan.  Got to work on my inner Ditko!

I always forget to post my published work, because it takes months for the work to come free of NDAs.  By the time it happens, I've moved onto other things.  But I got a nice email from someone who had bought the book and liked my work in it.  

So here is a sampling of what I did for Books of Magic.  Just to plug one of fav clients....Here is a link to the actual product over at Green Ronin:
http://greenronin.com/store/grr2518/


























Green Ronin owns these images.... nuff said.


----------



## Scarecrow

I always love the composition, viewpoints and poses in your images, mate. Lovely work.

Crow


----------



## Storn

Scarecrow said:
			
		

> I always love the composition, viewpoints and poses in your images, mate. Lovely work.
> 
> Crow




gracias


I like to keep trying new techniques (for me, they are probably from centuries to decades old).  And sometimes it is a good thing to play around before trying it on a job.  Ten Ton Studios weekly challenge is a good way to play.

I have done watercolor and I have done brush inking before, but I've only tried combining it a couple of times, about 12 years ago.  Doing watercolor over black india ink results in a thin discoloration over the black line I do not like.  This time  I inked it AFTER the watercolor was put down.

 I wanted to see if it would work for the "right vibe" for an upcoming job.  It doesn't.  But it is still a fun thing to try and it might work for some other kind of job down the line.

This weekly's challenge is Witchblade.  Here is the link to the sketch challenge so y'all can see (and vote for your fave) the plethora of scantily clad, phallic wielding, warrior women.  Voting begins and ends tomorrow (Thursday).

http://www.tentonstudios.com/forum/index.php?topic=5612.msg89001#new

And after all that babble, here is my entry:


----------



## Storn

A crane samurai for a Legend of 5 Rings game...






And wizardess.  I presume for a d20 fantasy game, but not entirely sure.








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----------



## Storn

First up, let me lay another Ten Ton Studio weekly challenge on y'all.  The challenge is "What Would Hellboy Do on Summer Vacation?".  Here is my answer... or rather, this is what I do in the summer a lot and I have even been teaching a wee bit.  

Here is the link to Ten Ton, so y'all can see what my fellow wacky artists have come up with...

http://www.tentonstudios.com/forum/index.php?topic=5691.0

Voting starts tomorrow.  gotta join the forum to vote.  






Next, last night I got the chance to get in on a 4th ed D&D game.  Or the prelim discussion, as the books have been ordered by several of us.  Hopefully, we can start next week.

My character is going to be from a kinda gypsy faction of the Eladrin, but the GM, B., wanted to kick it up to 11 on the weird, fantastic, mystical scale.  So instead of wagons and ponies, after a bit of discussion, my "tribe's caravans" actually teleport around, courtesy of the Master or Mistress of Tents.  A powerful otherworldly fey entity that supports 6 or 7 of these caravans.

Unfortunately, my PC's call to action is the utter wiping out of his family, caravan and Master of Tents.  But while we were b.s.ing our way through this all, I quickly sketched the Master of Tents.


----------



## Storn

More art from our Tues (or Weds) 4th ed D&D game.  

First up is Judd's PC, Elias Corvus... a Paladin of the RavenQueen.  Judd was pretty evocative with his description.  I had a pretty good sense of where to go with his pic.






Next is A.'s PC, Exile.  A once masked, mute tribal warrior (_but is actually a rogue)_, he has found language and struck out into the wide, dangerous world.  He is ritually scarred.  The climate we are in, is near Exile's jungle... so I supposed a serengeti, african analog, as we are outside of the jungle, in rolling hills, grasslands etc.  This climate influenced both Exile and my PC's pics... with Corvus sweating in all that heavy, black plate.  






Last one is my PC... Methamere Dray.  I wanted him to influenced by the climate, hence the bare legs... He looks like a rogue, but he is really a wizard.  Being an Eladrin, longsword is a proficiency weapon.  Doesn't look much like a mage and I'm cool with that.  Originally, last night, I drew him with long black hair... but I decided this morning to erase that and show him with shorn, short black hair.  I think this is a sign of morning amond the Eladrin, after all, his entire family and the extended caravan that Meth grew up with has been wiped out.  I like the short hair.  

I dunno why, but the face and Dray's calves look a bit like John Byrne's work.  Just one of those odd influences that can sneak into one's work, especially when doodling away.






If you are interested in the campaign at all, check out this thread on En World.

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=229295



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----------



## Storn

And I got into ANOTHER 4th ed D&D game.  This time, smaller group, again with Judd.  These characters really came together in a cool way during character creation.  Judd and I were coming into an existing game, so we decided to tie our PCs together in the backstory.  

And then I was simply "on" while doodling that night at the table.  Might have something to do with the cardstock that I had JUST bought that day from OfficeMax...that I prefer drawing on.  The way the pencil makes its marks and the ease of the stroke.... I just really like that surface to do pencil on.

So without too much more blah-de-blah blah... here are the pics.  

First up, Bok, an Eladrin mage, who is awfully "bishi" and gets rather upset when we call him, her.  Which has happened several times.  When I heard the concept, I was mentally..."wow, that is going to be tough to pull off....that adrogyny."... but I think I nailed it.  






Then, we are going alphabetical, is my PC, Kendrick Dell.  His 4 brothers are cops (city watchmen/guard), his father and uncle are cops.  His 3 sisters married cops... and Kendrick WAS a cop.  He loved being a cop.  But, a stoopid noble got all drunk and pissy and came at Kendrick with a sword... even drunk, the damn noble was good, and Kendrick was forced to kill him in self defense.  Problem.  Noble family not happy.  Kendrick is on the run, an outlaw and a criminal.  Kendric is a fighter class.






Melech the Red's family also has a long tradtion.... of being assassins.  Once for the Duke.  Now, the family has fallen on hard times, and are knives for hire in "the City".  Melech decided that his family was too far gone and made a run for it.  Running into Kendric (they knew of each other prior) on the run from the law, the two teamed up to get outta Dodge and into a life of adventure.  






Petal is a cleric of Bahamut, like her mother.  C., the player, told me that she likes to pick flowers and bonk evil on the head.  Petal is pretty damn cool.  She weaves flowers for each good deed that she does, hopefully looking to weave each Point of Light into a flexible fabric of Light.  Making something lizard-y look feminine...not easy, but I think this came off well.






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5


----------



## Storn

With 4th ed D&D coming out, it seems like lots of folks want commissions along those lines.  Here is something a bit different, a prop.  A mystical sword that has been shattered into 5 parts and must be reforged as part of one group's quest.  






And this LOOKS like a fantasy character, but is actually a trans-dimensional superhero character.  I think it could work for a fantasy game too.  Does 4th ed have rules to do other races besides its core?  Cat people just seem to go with fantasy.  






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5


----------



## Storn

Here is some more oddness from Death Tribble, Frank-einstien.  boy, I love these strange requests I get sometimes.  This was fun.  






A more traditional villain from Death Tribble, Snowstorm






And this sketch was done last night while playing 4th ed... the Beetle Matrons are tough, undead squad leaders we've fought a few times over the last few sessions.  My GM, B., made these guys up as a test of how quickly a monster could be made on the fly during a session.  Pretty fast, it turns out, and very, very cool mechanically to fight.






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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----------



## Storn

Here is a buffy-esque type, but with a beeeg spear...







...and a 60 year old Tonto...






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----------



## Storn

Death Tribble and I discussed "Flag" characters, perhaps combining it with Power Armor Suit characters and how many countries never really got represented in comics.  DT worked up a list of 15 countries, I took a look at their flags.  

I settled on Kenya... liked the iconic Masai shield quite a bit and worked that into a power armor design.  The other discussion that was happening on a few boards was females and power armor... how to do it, make it look practical, (in a paranormal sense and setting), yet still register as a female under all that muscle weave and servos.  So I wove that element in as well... so here we have a female Power Armor suit from Kenya.  Hope y'all like.






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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----------



## Wik

Y'know, I come to this thread every few months, and just stare.  You have a gift, man.  I really love the B&W on post 301.  

I have a question, though, regarding Creative Commons.  Namely, by what I gather, you have no problem with, say, my "swiping" the stuff and putting it in my (completely free) Creative Newt e-zine?  Cuz, your stuff is a helluva lot better than clip art.


----------



## klobbermeister

The sketch of Petal is pretty awesome...wow.


----------



## Storn

Wik said:


> Y'know, I come to this thread every few months, and just stare.  You have a gift, man.  I really love the B&W on post 301.
> 
> I have a question, though, regarding Creative Commons.  Namely, by what I gather, you have no problem with, say, my "swiping" the stuff and putting it in my (completely free) Creative Newt e-zine?  Cuz, your stuff is a helluva lot better than clip art.




As long as you are not making money from my art, and I get credit... I have no problem with it.  Be even nicer if you can reference my website (in my sig).  I appreciate you double checking though... and I would love to see your e-zine when you get it ready.

On with more art...

A 4th ed dwarf for a long time client.  Kinda neat that he is a wizard instead of the usual dour fighter type.  






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## Angel Tarragon

Storn said:


>




 That dwarf rocks!


----------



## Wik

Cool, thanks Storn.  Will do exactly that.


----------



## Storn

A bit of an unusual commission (for me).  Friends of mine wanted a sumac leaf, as they have several of the trees on their property, painted onto their sink cabinetry.  Thought I would share.











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## Roger

Neat!  Did you freehand all that?


Cheers,
Roger


----------



## Storn

Roger said:


> Neat!  Did you freehand all that?
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> Roger




Yup.


----------



## Storn

Got a chance to do a cover for "Messiah".  This was one fun cover to do!  It was fun researching all the different faces... and finding a sweatshirt that would work.  

Wanted to share and to shill for Chris Perrin, the game designer of the game.
Here is a link to what Messiah is about.  Sounds like fun!

http://knrpg.blogspot.com/2008/07/introducing-messiah.html

And here is what I did for the project:


----------



## Storn

Here is a winged dude with a bow for a supers game.






And this one has a bit of a story behind it.  

I met Millie 23 years ago.  She became my wife after 4 years of living together.  We broke up a year later.  But parted on very good terms.  I always thought the world of her, but we simply where too young, too different (she is Puerto Rican, I'm a white guy without an ounce of religious upbringing, she comes from a huge family and is a twin, I come from a tiny family.  I was a raving geek, she was not etc. etc.) 

18 years pass and we meet again and rekindle our romance this last xmas.  She is now moving to my home town and I'm very happy to have this 2nd chance.

One of our causes of friction was she thought role playing was "stupid".  Now, many years later, and because she is a nurse instructor, she uses roleplaying as case study-teaching aides every semester.  When we rekindled, she expressed large interest in trying out this odd hobby of mine (ours).

This picture is her first character, done during play.  She played 4th ed D&D this last Saturday and had a great time, wants to do it again.  She was very nervous, but my fellow gamers did a wonderful job of embracing her and her character.  I had a great time.  So... there's the story behind "Midnight aka Serielle, Paladin of Avandra".. Millie's first character.  






These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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## Amphimir Míriel

Storn, congratulations on the reconciliation, I wish you guys the best.

...oh, and your art is great, too!


----------



## Storn

Amphimir Míriel said:


> Storn, congratulations on the reconciliation, I wish you guys the best.
> 
> ...oh, and your art is great, too!




Thanks!!!

I've been a bit busy of late, with paintings for publishers and web banners, I haven't been churning out the commissions of late.  I also am homeless...well... not really, I'm house-sitting for my aunt who is in Italy.  But it does mean that most of my studio is in my folk's barn.  

But, between cleaning and painting my new apartment for september, and moving my stuff around, dashing down to Philly to help my girlfriend on her move, I am starting to crack down on my queue of commission art.

Got a couple of "fiery" concepts... one superhero, one fantasy.  And one more fantasy.  I'm loving 4th ed D&D simply because it is giving me a chance to do a lot of fantasy characters!!!  <g>.
















These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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## Harsh

Storn,
I missed you this year at Gencon. I gather from the above that you did not make it. I'm also glad to hear life is treating you well. My wife is Puerto Rican to my midwest whiteness so I totally feel you, but when there is chemistry, then well, there's chemistry. Cultural differences can be a good thing. 

The art is looking great, man. All the best to you!

Harsh


----------



## Storn

Harsh said:


> Storn,
> I missed you this year at Gencon. I gather from the above that you did not make it. I'm also glad to hear life is treating you well. My wife is Puerto Rican to my midwest whiteness so I totally feel you, but when there is chemistry, then well, there's chemistry. Cultural differences can be a good thing.
> 
> The art is looking great, man. All the best to you!
> 
> Harsh




Thanks man.


----------



## Storn

It has been awhile since I've posted anything.  I've been busy with a couple of covers, a couple of interior assignments and had to put down private commissions for a bit.  

One cover should be forthcoming, as the publisher is going to allow me to post it.  But I'm waiting for a "cover blurb", something to give y'all an indication of what it is all about.

Meanwhile, I have managed to get a few commissions done, a couple for 7th Sea, a couple of fantasy, most likely 4th ed d20 d&d.

Enjoy!





















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## Storn

Here the cover to Winterweir, by Phipps Studios.  A Dark Fantasy setting for Savage Worlds.  Oil, original is about 15 inches wide.






(this is not a creative commons image)


----------



## Storn

This odd one is another from the Hero Games boards semi-contest hosted by Death Tribble for unusual superheroes/villains.  





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

And I finally, finally got around to entering another one of Top Ten Studios sketch challenges.  This time around, it is Supergirl, and we can re-imagine her costume a bit.  I didn't stray too far though...  If you like, come to Ten Ton Studios and vote on yer favorite sketch!





(not creative commons)

ten ton studios link:  <<SKETCH CHALLENGE 3.45: Supergirl >>* POST NOW !!!! *


----------



## Storn

Anyway, I did the local con here in Ithaca awhile back.  I had a guy ask me for sketches, the Adam Strange one is an alphabet book of sketches for his new son.   He just sent me digital camera shots... not the best quality... you can see "B is for Batgirl" on the next page, but I think these have a fun vibe that I often get when working in public.  It was fun to doodle in front of folks, almost as performance art.  The little Ithacon is a fun little show and I really enjoy doing it.
















(these 3 are NOT creative commons)


----------



## kroh

Very cool sketches!

Regards, 
Walt


----------



## Storn

Some more supers commissions.  A shapechanger and a martial artist who can split into 6 versions of himself.  I only showed 3... seemed a bit redundant visually to go to all 6.  <g>












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----------



## RangerWickett

Storn said:


> seemed a bit redundant




You can say that again.

Good stuff as always. I dig the Winterweir cover. I guess people don't commission backgrounds for their characters very often? Too bad, because you're good.


----------



## Storn

RangerWickett said:


> You can say that again.
> 
> Good stuff as always. I dig the Winterweir cover. I guess people don't commission backgrounds for their characters very often? Too bad, because you're good.





That is a cover for a publisher... which has a different visual problem solving equation than a character portrait.  Character portraits are about the character, what they look like, body language, social standing (ie, what they wear).

Covers are about evoking a mood, setting, locale etc.  So it is simple different.

Occasionally, folks want backgrounds that are tied into their character, I do charge for that... so it tends to be rare... but it happens.  

Cause games cannot have enuff anthromorphized-cat-puma-were-folks...






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## Storn

Ten Ton Studios is having another weekly challenge.  It is Trigun, an anime, which I only have seen an episode of... and didn't care for (Cowboy Beebop is soooo much better, as is Black Lagoon).  But it is a fun visual to doodle.

Come to Ten Ton forums and check out the various Triguns that will be posted until midnight, Weds.  Voting begins on Thurs and ends Thurs.








(not creative commons)


----------



## The Green Adam

*Blast from the Past*

Hey Storn,

We haven't spoken for a while but I've been a fan ever since we met some, geez, 20 years ago...really?

To drudge up some memories and put them in a time and place...Dragun Z, Ilan, Joe, Grey Bowman, The Forbidden Planet, Kendo in the Mud and The Compleat Strategist, all in NYC.

I was wondering if you had any illustrations from that time period? Do you remember or ever re-draw any of the old characters from our games? If so I'd love to see them and your fans here would certainly find them cool and possibly a hoot to compare to your current stuff (your work was great back then as well but the contrast and comparrison would be extraordinary).

I'm also really happy to hear about your recent personal developments. As someone who was once married to his best friend and fellow gamer, I can tell you there is nothing in the world like having someone understand you and your interests and love you for it. Though we are still great friends, I miss her being here with me very much.

Take care, keep'em coming and hope to catch you at a con one day. One round on me.

Adam Dickstein

AD
"Never Give Up, Never Surrender!"


----------



## Storn

The Green Adam said:


> Hey Storn,
> 
> We haven't spoken for a while but I've been a fan ever since we met some, geez, 20 years ago...really?
> 
> To drudge up some memories and put them in a time and place...Dragun Z, Ilan, Joe, Grey Bowman, The Forbidden Planet, Kendo in the Mud and The Compleat Strategist, all in NYC.
> 
> I was wondering if you had any illustrations from that time period? Do you remember or ever re-draw any of the old characters from our games? If so I'd love to see them and your fans here would certainly find them cool and possibly a hoot to compare to your current stuff (your work was great back then as well but the contrast and comparrison would be extraordinary).
> 
> I'm also really happy to hear about your recent personal developments. As someone who was once married to his best friend and fellow gamer, I can tell you there is nothing in the world like having someone understand you and your interests and love you for it. Though we are still great friends, I miss her being here with me very much.
> 
> Take care, keep'em coming and hope to catch you at a con one day. One round on me.
> 
> Adam Dickstein
> 
> AD
> "Never Give Up, Never Surrender!"




I still have a couple of comics somewhere in my collection.  But sketches from games... nah... not so much.  

What are you up to these days Adam?  it is good to hear from you.  Nice trip down memory lane.


----------



## Storn

The Evil Hat folks behind Spirit of the Century are coming along the pike with some 4th ed products.  I got to do the cover (and a few interiors) for "The Shroud".   A "world-seed" product about a necrotic fog blowing in from the north and Ape and Witch Doctors as PCs... there is much more to it... here is their website on it:  

One Bad Egg » The Shroud

and here is my cover I did for it.  






(rights owned by One Bad Egg)


----------



## Altamont Ravenard

*looks at Storn's art*

*looks at his own matchstick figures*

*cries*

AR


----------



## Storn

I'm pretty excited about Starblazers Adventures... a game running on the FATE engine and is space opera based on a british comic series of the same name.  I don't even have the rules yet.  But I did glean a bit from their pdf preview.  
And I'm a pretty experienced Spirit of the Century GM and player and Starblazers is it's kissing cousin.  

And I did sketch up a "Wraith" insertion ship for my upcoming game.

My basic idea is to have a ship that can do fast FTL, great anti-detection and eccm and is only lightly armed.  Thinking it can be piloted by 2, have a AI named Sarah, and can, in a pinch, keep 8 alive, but more comfortable at 6.  

I have no idea why the AI is called Sarah... it just seemed right.  <g>

You can check out a pdf preview of Starblazers Adventures here:

Starblazer from Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd






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----------



## Storn

Here are some 7th Sea commissions.  The first one is a witch who "gloves' her fallen opponents for some more mystic mojo... that kinda creeps me out.  Appropriate for the upcoming holiday!  <g>
















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----------



## Storn

Are you in the mood for some Pulp Adventure?  I've done a several interiors for:



> Max Davies, aka the Rook, wages relentless war against diabolical foes to save the innocent from obliteration! Aided by his beautiful wife Evelyn, police chief Will McKenzie and the Russian superman, Leonid Kaslov, the vision-haunted vigilante battles vampires, zombies, Asian super-villains and demon worshiping cults!
> 
> barryreese.net




I believe it is for volume 3.  I've read vol. 1 and it is pretty rollicking good fun!

Here is a taste of the art I've done.  The first Rook (there are other generations that I illustrated) and an undead pirate foe.











(not creative common images)


----------



## kroh

I LOVE undead pirate foes!

Cool that there is a lot of pulp surfacing right now.  Guess everyone is gearing up for the Spirit.

Regards, 
Walt


----------



## Storn

Got a small convention here in Ithaca, NY this Saturday called Get Your Geek On a Thon.  I'm running Starblazer Adventures.  Here are a couple of quick doodles for that con game.  I'm doing pre-gen characters, and here are the 5 Star Patrol officers done up. 






And this is the mysterious "dead" space station that they are sent to investigate.  






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## kroh

that looks pretty cool. Love the Space station!
Regards, 
Walt


----------



## Knightfall

Storn said:


> And this is the mysterious "dead" space station that they are sent to investigate.



This image is all sorts of awesome. Well done.


----------



## Storn

A couple of superheroes.  Star is for the Ten ton studios weekly challenge.  A quickie watercolor over ink.











Star is not Creative Commons, Half Skull is.


----------



## Aikuchi

Storn said:


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




Gahhh!, the blonde guy looks HOT! 

(( blush )) ... ahem 

carry on ... 

---


----------



## Khuxan

Hi Storn,

I love your work. Are you aware some of your Photobucket-hosted images are missing?


----------



## Storn

Khuxan said:


> Hi Storn,
> 
> I love your work. Are you aware some of your Photobucket-hosted images are missing?





Yes.  Started to run out of space, so I've been taking some older stuff out... and stuff that I might not have done, but posted to use in another context.  Or stuff I just don't like.


----------



## Storn

Here is two more of Death Tribble's commissions.  The first is Mr. Brains.  A character who came about on a thread about what I should draw.  Mr. Brains sounded kinda gangsta to me, and without a face... being smart and sharp dressed man seemed the way to go.

Next is the Anti Pope.  I went with a dark green because black seemed like too much of a cliche.  Yet it is nicely far from red and white of the usual papal palette.













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----------



## Storn

A two fisted priest, fighting the good fight against EEEEEEvvviiillll.






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----------



## Storn

Big Superhero dump of art here.  The three males are Death Tribbles, the other two, are longtime patron RT.  The first is actually Myrlyn's idea although DT so nicely paid for it.


























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----------



## Storn

Chimera here is one I did awhile ago, but forgot to post.  Another commission that the idea came from someone else, but Death Tribble so nicely paid for it because he liked it.  






Next is another one of Death Tribble's ideas, which I think sorta fell out from the thread on the Hero Boards on what I should draw next.  Very much a Msyterio homage...but with a twist and a call to not do the green color scheme.  






And this last one... well... it should be bloody obvious.  This is to all of my fans and patrons...






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----------



## Storn

Death Tribble has a soft spot for WWII flag characters... I have done a Canuck (Red Ensign, one of my favs) and a Yank (Grunt) with a definite WWII uniform/ weapon feel...but still got a touch of superhero in them.  He asked for a russian one (I did a russian tanker turned cryokinetic awhile back)... but DT specifically wanted the PPsh (I added the Makarov).... I think we might eventually have an entire international flag WWII squad at some point.  

I called the character Red Star, I know that there are a couple of actual comic characters named that.  But this is my take on the name.  Maybe someone can come up with a better name... the only one I thought of was Bolshevik Bruiser... just cause I love alliteration.   And that is too long for a file name (along with sk for sketch, F for final or 72 for 72 dpi).  






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----------



## Storn

Hi folks, I do the occasional map as well.  This is for Paka's Burning Wheel game.  Hope y'all like seeing something a bit different from me.







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## Knightfall

Storn said:


> I'm pretty excited about Starblazers Adventures... a game running on the FATE engine and is space opera based on a british comic series of the same name.  I don't even have the rules yet.  But I did glean a bit from their pdf preview.
> And I'm a pretty experienced Spirit of the Century GM and player and Starblazers is it's kissing cousin.
> 
> And I did sketch up a "Wraith" insertion ship for my upcoming game.
> 
> My basic idea is to have a ship that can do fast FTL, great anti-detection and eccm and is only lightly armed.  Thinking it can be piloted by 2, have a AI named Sarah, and can, in a pinch, keep 8 alive, but more comfortable at 6.
> 
> I have no idea why the AI is called Sarah... it just seemed right.  <g>
> 
> You can check out a pdf preview of Starblazers Adventures here:
> 
> Starblazer from Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
> Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Generic



Okay, I'd like to "yoink" that image for my Arcanum of the Stars social group, if you don't mind?


----------



## Storn

Knightfall1972 said:


> Okay, I'd like to "yoink" that image for my Arcanum of the Stars social group, if you don't mind?




Nope, that is what is put up for.

Here is a superhero commission based off of Odin's ravens and valkyrie concepts.






The next three sketches were a visual pitch for a comic series of interdimensional evil empries and a young teen sorceress.  Unfortunately, the financing wasn't there and I had to pull out.  But I thought I would share.
















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## Knightfall

Storn said:


> Nope, that is what is put up for.



Cool. Thanks.


----------



## Storn

Hi folks, some of you may or may not have followed Catspaw, my webcomic from awhile back.  Well, Sword and Sorcery never really backed up their plans for it and eventually that website fell apart.  

I've relaunched Catspaw on WebComics Nation.  Here is a link to that:
"Catspaw" Written by John C. Hocking. Art by Storn A. Cook

I will be doing a new page every week.  Unless it somehow starts to make me money, I cannot do more than that.  But I do need hits, so eventually, I can get some advertisers and pay for the more advance site features, like advertising.  So please, come and visit.  Often!  <g>  Please forgive the shill.  

Let me also mention that John C. Hocking is the author of Catspaw, who wrote Conan and the Emerald Lotus, about the only pastiche I've ever liked... and is a damn good friend to boot.  Note:  I did read his book before our friendship was formed.  <g>

To whet y'all's appetite, here is the first and sixth pages.


----------



## Storn

I have got another pitch.  I am 1/3 of the Sons of Kryos podcast show, a show about gaming and what happens at our gaming table.  We are no longer doing the podcast.  We've gone to video.

Our first video show is up.  Our subject for this show is "pitch sessions", some pitfalls and advice for starting new campaigns.   If that interests you (or you just wanted to see what I look like), come check it out here:

The Table- SOK Home Page


----------



## love.christine

Storn said:


>




Oh wow, thats awesome!

Hope you don't mind if I swipe this for my homebrew.


----------



## Storn

love.christine said:


> Oh wow, thats awesome!
> 
> Hope you don't mind if I swipe this for my homebrew.




No.  Not at all.

Our martial arts fight continues with a new page today!  Come check out Catspaw!  Page 9 of Chapter One is up!

Catspaw


----------



## Sigurd

Really like your art for Catspaw. Good layout for the panels, consistent character portrayal, interesting perspective and scene depth.

I didn't see much of the story, but I really like the artwork.

Sigurd


----------



## Storn

Sigurd said:


> Really like your art for Catspaw. Good layout for the panels, consistent character portrayal, interesting perspective and scene depth.
> 
> I didn't see much of the story, but I really like the artwork.
> 
> Sigurd




yeah.  One drawback to the weekly webcomic is that the pace of the story being released is slower than I would like.  I would really like to put up 2 pages a week.  But alas, a Catspaw page is a good chunk of weekly time.  So  unless it makes money, I will only be able to put up one page per week.  

And this fight scene does go on a bit, slowing the pace of the story-telling.  I was still finding my rhythm at this point in the series.  It has been a real learning process.


----------



## Storn

Another exciting, action page is up on Catspaw!  The fight with the sellswords ends abruptly.

Catspaw


----------



## Khuxan

I've created a free product for the public domain superhero role-playing game _4C System_, lavishly illustrated with Storn's art. Check it out.


----------



## Knightfall

Hey Storn,

I'm posting this message just to say keep up the great work on this thread. It's become one of my favorites here at EN World.

Also, feel free to take a read through the thread listed below . . .

http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...guardian-chronicles-m-m-campaign-concept.html

I hope you gain some inspiration from it.


----------



## Storn

Knightfall said:


> Hey Storn,
> 
> I'm posting this message just to say keep up the great work on this thread. It's become one of my favorites here at EN World.
> 
> Also, feel free to take a read through the thread listed below . . .
> 
> http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...guardian-chronicles-m-m-campaign-concept.html
> 
> I hop you gain some inspiration from it.




Thank you!



> I've created a free product for the public domain superhero role-playing game 4C System, lavishly illustrated with Storn's art. Check it out.




Awesome, thanks for the cross marketing plug here!!!

Meanwhile, a couple of commissions.  We have a super-ized Joan of Arc and Winter Wolf from Death Tribble.  I sorta went winter camo based off some russian camo that I looked up for Winter Wolf.  











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----------



## Storn

I didn't update last week, but a page of Catspaw DID go up.  In fact, first page of Chapter 2!  

Catspaw continues as Talene awakes from a dream that seems to come from the Philospher's Spike itself.  Danger lurks, kick in the door, send in the ninjas.  Is Talene up to the task of keeping ahold of this strange mystic artifact?



Catspaw


----------



## ATOM

Great Artwork and style there Storn! Impressive!


----------



## Storn

I've been on hiatus as I've been dealing with increased workload and some tough times on the home front.  Which means Catspaw has just not been getting loaded up.

I just got back from LunaCon, which was a blast, learned a ton.  So, I'm reinvigorated on getting back into the saddle on many of my projects.

So, here is the link to the new Catspaw page, uploaded this Weds. morning...

Catspaw

and as an added bonus, here is private supervillain commission...







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## Storn

A new Catspaw page went up yesterday.  Here be the link:

Catspaw

Also, starting on this huge pile of commissions to get through, today, we've got two powersuits and a female mage.  So, enjoy.  If you have a commission in with me, be patient, I'm working my way through the queue.  
















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## Quickleaf

Hi Storn, I've enjoyed looking through your art, especially the 7th sea witch with the human flesh glove and the faun/cow shaman. Beautiful work! 

I'm curious, do you do ink/coloring commissions of existing pencil work? 
I'm doing a set of character studies of the different cultures in our campaign setting, but I'm still learning how to do digital coloring.


----------



## Storn

Quickleaf said:


> Hi Storn, I've enjoyed looking through your art, especially the 7th sea witch with the human flesh glove and the faun/cow shaman. Beautiful work!
> 
> I'm curious, do you do ink/coloring commissions of existing pencil work?
> I'm doing a set of character studies of the different cultures in our campaign setting, but I'm still learning how to do digital coloring.




No I don't I just prefer working over my own pencils.  

Best way to learn is by doing.  I highly suggest getting a wacom tablet if you don't have one.  I also highly suggest painting in oil, watercolor or acrylic...because what you learn in real paint relates back to digital...and vice versa...  

Another eclectic post today.  We've got a goth girl, a somewhat alien powersuit, a super team and my newest incarnation of my d&D 4th ed character, Kendric.

Kendric was kinda fun.  New technique (started to use "wet" oil brushes in Painter on a ground, been using oils in Painter before, but the wet ones really work differently (and awesomely)).  Kendric was a warrior/fighter, but a recent appearance of an ancient, unknown god (the god of secrets), Kendric swore feality and became an invoker.  (I was bored being a fighter... this made sense in the in-game fiction as well as providing new toys for me to play with.) 

 I really like Kendric as an invoker, but kept a lot of the look from the original pic.  Kendric was a cop in The City (never was named in our fiction) and then went on the run.  See here:  






And now, here is the "transformed by divine fires and a year long search for arcane knowledge" pic... Now, he is kinda cross of a noir private investigator, the Shadow, and your typical fantasy ranger look (I think it is the hat).  Also my take on the Sunleaf Armor (hide).  Off beat, but fits the character I think really well....






And onto the other folks commissions... nuff talk about my character... Alien-guvyer inspired power armor...






The goth girl is for Death Tribble, not really sure of her power/skill set.  The info given to me was ambiguous in that sense.






And havent done a super villain team in a long time.  The fun thing was this was a team of folks I've drawn in the past, so I got to revisit them.  I think some where actually heroes, but the patron liked them as his premiere villain team and ta-da, here we are!!!






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## Storn

Okay, still trying to work my way through a bunch of commissions.  Here is one, an aura-tyger burning bright type character.






And this is from my saturday night 4th ed d&d game, being C's new elf wild chylde ranger archer.  I really like this doodle.







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## Storn

I don't often do an entire team together... but lately, I got a chance to do a villain team.  The upcoming characters are all heroes of a Golden Age superhero team.  Not only do I get to do them as their individual character shots... I get to do them in a group shop with a very strong theme (which I will not talk about).  

The single figure shots have been done for a few days, but was waiting for the patron to game with his group to show them off.  That happened... now I can show them.

Sometimes, you just get in a groove.  And I think I did get into a groove with this group.  I'm going to show you three today.  Three tomorrow.  

Here they are, Raven (I think this is about the 5th guy I've drawn called the Raven.  Popular moniker that!)






I really liked this concept, the Crimson Palm.  Just so 30s-40s pulpy comic adventurer sounding...






And Tarot, we worked in a few Tarot elements for this one...






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----------



## Storn

And here are the next three that I promised.

We've got Doc Rocket!






Guardian Angel with his "divine wings"






And Justice






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## Storn

More superhero/villain pics from various commissions.

First up we have a female master of all 4 elements...






Then brief I got on this one was one spike per hand wolverine clone (except with blond hair, trim close to skull) and an alternate form that was similar to Colossus.  






Next, we get a mentalist for Death Tribble.  Wanted a strong pose, but no hands up to forehead ala Prof X.  






And lastly, a quick sketchy CD cover for my good friend Eli who is collaborating with a dj.  It is a hip hop group is just called DJ SpeedDemon and Figadowdme.






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## Storn

Continuing on with my painting via stages, here is the underpainting.  I scanned in the pencils and did the underpainting in Painter and Photoshop.  

Now I will print it out and in my copious spare time start the oil painting process.  I will seal it on a masonite board.  Seal it with acrylic medium.  Start painting.  If I can find my digital camera, I'll take a few shots of interim steps. 






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## RangerWickett

Ooh, what's this one for?


----------



## Storn

RangerWickett said:


> Ooh, what's this one for?




Melech vs. the Green Dragon is a birthday present for my friend Judd, this incident took place in our 4th Ed game a few weeks ago.  I'm going to work it up as a painting sample.


It is nice to do something kinda sweet instead of all the sturm and drang, blood and violence that is part and parcel of rpg adventure illustration.  I got a chance to do a druid with red pandas.  Not sure if they are her "familiars" or just something she has come across.

I used to live right next to the National zoo in DC.  Red Pandas were about 10 minutes walking distance from my apartment.  They are awfully cute and heck of a lot more interesting than their bigger holstein cousins.

Anyway, enuff blather from me.  Here ya go:  






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## Storn

My private commission production is going to slow down quite a bit for the next few weeks due to my workload for Hero 6th Edition.  But I will continue to try and get a few here and there out.

This was a different, fun commission, asking for a Red Dragon coming out of Fog/Mist






And this was from Death Tribble's "what should storn draw next" thread over on Hero games.  I've always had a soft spot for Adam Strange (who is such an ode to Buck Rogers)... and a chance to do Captain Gorilla of the Star Patrol was waay too much fun to do.  






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## Storn

I did this as a gift for a friend of Millie's.  Watercolor.  If you have never been to Ithaca, this is a beautiful gorge that one can walk up through from downtown Ithaca to Cornell/ College Town.  Great walk, we do it about twice or three times a week.  






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## hero4hire

Very nice! I am from Syracuse and used to visit Ithaca often. Though it has been some years I very much recognize this.


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## Storn

hero4hire said:


> Very nice! I am from Syracuse and used to visit Ithaca often. Though it has been some years I very much recognize this.




neat.  glad you recognize it!!!

It's been awhile since I've posted anything.  Been really busy with finishing up a ton of fantasy artwork for the upcoming Hero 6th ed.  I got the fantasy section, so I was pretty damn stoked.  

Starting to work on some painting for Warlord, the CCG, won't be able to show those until they get published.  In the meantime, I'm starting to tackle the huge list of commissions I need to get to.  Here is a famous moment in an alternate history of WWII with the inclusion of golden age superheroes.  You might recognize these guys.  They are earlier in the thread when I did each one as a separate pic.

Folks who've been waiting for theirs... I'm getting to them.  






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## Varianor Abroad

Lovely job on the gorge! I didn't quite have the scores to get into Cornell (25 years later they'd give me a full scholarship - LOL), but I walked across that and the bridge that the engineering students built. Quite a pleasant surprise to see Storn watercolors.

Also, excellent Hero/Iwo Jima flag raise render.


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## Storn

Varianor Abroad said:


> Lovely job on the gorge! I didn't quite have the scores to get into Cornell (25 years later they'd give me a full scholarship - LOL), but I walked across that and the bridge that the engineering students built. Quite a pleasant surprise to see Storn watercolors.
> 
> Also, excellent Hero/Iwo Jima flag raise render.




awww..thanks.

A couple of superhero/villain commissions.  First up, we have another flying, superman type, although this one is supposed to be more like superboy.






And next is Stonefist, a commission from long time friend, GM, RDUNeil for his current Champions chapter that is a Tekken type story.  Stonefist is a villain and not well-loved by the PCs from what I have heard.  






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## Storn

A while back I did a sketch of Judd's pc taking on a green dragon.  Well, I finally got off my duff and finished it.  Here are some of the interim steps.  This was done digitally, mostly in Painter IX, but with a bit of photoshop too.  

Getting in the background, noodling a bit with the color of the dragon skin.






Got quite a bit of the dragon blocked in.






Finishing touches on the dragon..






working on the figure...






By the way, I will be at Gencon in this upcoming week.  So my production will slow down on private commissions.  

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## Rhun

Cool, cool stuff here Storn! Keep up the great work!


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## Storn

Getting back to work after Gencon has been slow going.  I was very wiped out by the con.  Thanks to all the folks who stopped by my booth and said hello.  It was nice putting faces to some online handles!

I actually got these done before Gencon, but was too lazy to put them up.  Here are a couple of characters from a B 50s horror type scenario... the Menace of the Manpillar!!!!  (my title...<g>)

The Manpillar himself:







And the bird watching sherrif






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## Storn

Folks, I've been gone a long time from posting.  I came back from Gencon with a ton of publisher deadlines to hit... then I went straight into a bout with H1N1.  The last two weeks have been spent taking care of my 2 cousins (who are teenagers) as my Aunt was in Germany/Italy for her job and the Franklin book fair.  

If I owe you a commission, I'm sorry.  I am working on the pile in my queue in bits and pieces as I do still have deadlines for publishers.  

But!!!!  I've got some done and here they are:

oddly, bunch a female in a row, plus a couple of sketches just for funsies....

Here is a 50s sci-fi/horror movie victim....






Another period piece, first time I've done bomber art...






And Death Tribble's evil cheerleader...






This one is a sketch from a RPGnet thread about pulpy sword and planet Mars world building.






and here is the thread that spawned the sketch

Cavaliers of Mars (I think I have my Thanksgiving game) - RPGnet Forums

And lastly, my PC from the Burning Wheel solo game I'm in with Judd/Paka






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## snotling

Glad you are back and drawing again.  Thank goodness the H1N1 was not as bad as it  could have been.

Looking forward to seeing more.


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## Storn

A couple more superhero commissions.  Speedbump the "accidental speedster" is for Death Tribble and Bob G.






The other is Enermatrix... a power armor energy manipulator.  






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## Storn

Here are couple of color interior pics that I did for Hero 6th edition and now that it is out, I can share...

This first one was really Fred Hicks baby, he is the art director.  He came up with the idea of a evil bard as the main antagonist for a intrepid band of adventurers.  I really thought that was cool.  I sorta went pied piper.  






This one was the 2nd in a series about this heroic duo that I made up to represent the more sword and sorcery vibe that Hero 6th could do (as opposed to D&D vibe, the band of heroes thing).  I knew Fred loved Apes and Gorillas...so I made one of the duo just that.






images are shown with permission by Hero Games


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## snotling

I totally dig the pied piper.  I love the idea of necromancy by flute.


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## Storn

I thought I would share a couple of my favorite splash pages from Hero Games Book of the Machine











images are shown with permission by Hero Games


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## Storn

This is a character for Diaspora, a sci-fi game that is pretty solid in its science.  My character is Anton Kilkenny and is basically Bret Maverick who is an ex-starship engineer.

The "VA" was my quickie logo for "Valiance Arms", a sorta proxy for the Dutch East Indian Company for this scifi world.  We work for Valiance Arms as explorers, diplomats and traders in the game itself.  





Next up is the spaceship, Libertine.  Which is based on some concepts from Atomic Rocket.  These ships are never atmospheric.  It was my morning warm up sketch this morning.  






Atomic Rocket:  Atomic Rocket main page

Here is our actual play report and set-up:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/story-...friday-night-science-fiction.html#post5015741

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## Storn

Once in awhile, I get the urge to show the steps I take in creating a painting.  This is one of those times.  Partly because I have a tough job ahead of me.  This private commission came with sketches from the client.  The one I worked from the most from is this:






Added to that was 3 staves and a rod... oh...yeah, that doodle of the rod of splendor was done by me at Gencon in front of the client while I was writing down notes from him.  

But there is a real joy in working on the imaginations of others.  It takes me out of my comfort zone.  Like, wow, those are some seriously Georgia O'Keefe inspired staff heads!  Not something I would do if left to my own devices.  Nor do I tend to do sexy outfits all that often.  

Here is my version in pencil sketch form.  You might notice there isn't any of the wire/bead/thong holding up the halter and girdle.  And the hair is just kinda blasted in there.  That is because I find it is much easier to paint those details on top of the skin or cloth or the background than try to paint around those little, thin shapes.  

note:  I skipped the roman sandals bit.  I just couldnt' get it to look right with those bends in the toes.

As soon as I get the underpainting done, I will put that up too.


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## Storn

Continuing on with the underpainting.  Now, i am just getting values down, not so concern with chroma of the color or it's hue... like I know her skin tones are going to be cooler and darker, keeping with a drow skintone.  Having a warm  underpainting, I hope, will keep that cool skin tone believable, yet still read as alien and drow.  A tough tightrope to walk.  






And an extra.  A very late commission for a Scion game (White Wolf) I believe and this is the daughter of Thor.  I drew her for the patron one time before and this is her "more experienced"... and there hopefully will be a third.  The patron was very specific about the "power pose" and provide reference for everything from the goat head, the motorcycle to what the t-shirt sez.  I LOVE working with patrons like that, who do a lot of the reference grunt work for me!!!






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## theskyfullofdust

I love your artwork. Things like this have inspired to learn to draw, with the idea that one day I can draw, paint, sketch something like these... although I doubt I'll ever be that good!


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## Storn

theskyfullofdust said:


> I love your artwork. Things like this have inspired to learn to draw, with the idea that one day I can draw, paint, sketch something like these... although I doubt I'll ever be that good!




nah... with work, you can be better!


I worked on this commission painting before the holidays. Work, both freelance and part-time got very busy during the holidays and I'm only getting back to this today. But I thought I would scan it in and share where I am up to this point.

I find drow skin tones very difficult. I'm not going to worry to much more about them until the whole painting is blocked in. Then I'll go back and tweak. Very difficult, but a blast to play with. Somehow working in that dark blue for someone's skin is a total hoot!

Well, here is the 1/2 or 1/3 point. Comments and critiques are welcome!


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## Storn

Okay, all blocked in. I have to change the boots, I hate them. I've got work her hair over her shoulders, I have a nice pic of a model that has hair cascading interestingly. Got to start in with all the chain work...ugg.... that is going to be tough, don't like the buckles-snap thingees, I think I'm gonna make them gold, bronzish.

But, it is coming along.


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## theskyfullofdust

It is very interesting to see your process. Both enlightening and educational.  Thanks.


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## Storn

theskyfullofdust said:


> It is very interesting to see your process. Both enlightening and educational.  Thanks.




Glad you find it interesting!

I finished Kalhandrha here. She has been done for a bit, but oil can take a while to dry and then I was just waiting for a day that I could gang up a lot scans all at once. Yesterday was that day. Now, I'm posting her.






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## Storn

I got a chance to do entire team of Golden Age superheroes for someone's Champion's game.  


























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## Storn

A couple more superhero-villain commissions.  First up is Riptide, for my longtime Champions GM.  I've been playing (and occasionally GMing) in Neil's RDU for over 2 decades.  While we don't live near each other anymore, I get to participate in an play by email game.  Riptide is an old villain who just popped up again and Neil wanted a commission:






Then longtime patron, Death Tribble wanted a smoky, fire-y guy named Pyroclastic.  I did this one with out inking it first, which is normally my "fantasy" style... but I wanted more grit, more texture to come through on this one...not such a clean, hard line, clean color as I tend to do for my supers.  You be the judge if it was the right choice.






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## Storn

A recent digital piece done for ArtBlog.  A non-literal translation of the following quote:

"A sword, a spade, and a thought
should never be allowed to rust"
~ James Stephens
Irish poet and storyteller, 1882-1950

I call mine:  "The Sorcerer-King didn't care for his Tune."

This was a fun, if time consuming piece to do.  Digital does make things faster, but not THAT much faster.  I still make decisions about color and line and shape as slow as I do in regular traditional paint.  But  the ability to work in layers, to save the original pencils as a layer, hide it... boy that is cool.  

And I'm loving my new wacom tablet and Painter XI.  My new intuos 4 allows me to change my brush size with a dial that is one the side.  And I change brush sizes a WHOLE lot.  This is my first substantial image with the new toys, oh, i've gotten out several smaller pieces...but having to contend with the whole surface of the image is something that is much harder for me than having to do vignettes.

If any art director can use such an image, it hasn't been published, and I would love to get it a home.






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## Piratecat

That's just glorious!


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## Storn

Piratecat said:


> That's just glorious!




Thanks PC!

Last week, my players and I got to a game of Danger Patrol run by Pete.  And it was a blast.  It is a solid little game, even though we were playing off of a beta.

An actual play went up, JC launched it off with a hilarious Mac Mercury newsreel framework for the AP.  I followed up with a tape recorder report of my PC.  And while I was at the table, I was sketching, as there was a bit of down time as we were learning a new system and it was a boisterous table o' fun.  Here is the link to the actual play, Planet X Blues:

http://story-games.com/forums/comments.php?DiscussionID=11544&page=1#Item_0

So here are those sketches....

First up the trio of PCs, Singapore Sam, Shaolin two fisted warrior, Mac Mercury, the Atomic Flyboy, and Doc Tangent, Genius Explorer.






My character, Damian Dagger, Mystic Detective






Mac Mercury's bomber, the Enola Ray... bad pun I came up with for the bomber name... but it fit.






And lastly, Anthony at one point shouted out about Air Sharks... and lo!  They were in the game.  Had to draw those suckers.






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## Storn

A trio of fantasy warriors.  Although #1 and #2 are the same character.  I thought I would amuse you all with my mistake.  I had done a quick read through of the character and totally missed a couple of things, it wasn't normal fantasy... it was Exalted, which is more over-the-top.  And he had big, stompy boots and gauntlets.  So I redid him.

But I still like the first image, just not for Exalted.

The last one is a cleric of Tempus.

















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## theskyfullofdust

Very cool


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## Storn

Here are three more...

 "Putsch" means coup detat in german according to the patron.  

The Owlbear I did more as superhero/villain movement than the typical fantasy shot...

















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## Storn

First is a version of Sagittarius based on voodoo like magics.  For patron extraordinaire Death Tribble.

And second is a Ptolus character as a birthday present from husband to wife....awwww....











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## Colmarr

Storn said:


> The last one is a cleric of Tempus.




Yes. Yes he is. 

Thanks again Storn, I love him!


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## Storn

Colmarr said:


> Yes. Yes he is.
> 
> Thanks again Storn, I love him!




Glad ya like.


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## Storn

Well, I've been happily burbling and churbling out private commissions at a pretty fast clip.  And I thought I had no publisher deadlines for some time.  How fast things can change in my world.

3 publishers over the course of 2 days gave me work, all of it due on March 15.  1 publisher has a small job needed at the end of the month.  Another publisher has two covers needed at the end of the month and I want to finish a contest piece, full painting, by April 11th.

Hopefully, some of these publishers will allow me to place some of the artwork up to promote their games (and to self promote myself, I will not lie <g>). 

So, my pretty fast clip of finishing private commissions is going to come to a crawl.

Please be patient, I will get everyone's done.  I love doing them, and if I can, I can slip them in between jobs occasionally.  

Here is my latest, a victorian steampunk character, albeit more of western vibe... I believe this is for a Savage Worlds game, but I'm not totally 100% on that.  






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## Storn

I thought folks might like to see a rejected piece.  Not because it was bad...well, the client said they liked it.  I like it.  But just because it wasn't a "standing" figure.  I was going for something dynamic, but it just didn't fit what the client needed to use it for.  Hey, it happens occasionally.  

Still, I like it.  If anyone has a use for it, I could color it...  let me know.






Next up is some pen and ink work, something I don't do as much as I used to.  Always kinda nice to dip my pen back into ink.  It is for SilverGryphon Games and will be coming out in a bit.  The actual product is "A Death Undeserving".  Check it out.  Their website is:  Silver Gryphon Games

And here is the artwork:






No CC on this one folks, Silver Gryphon owns Schaeffer there...


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## Truth Seeker

Okay, I haven't been in this threads, maybe about 3 or 4 years.

First thing, please PM your price for only face (from shoulders up) to full body and group shots. (and anything else you do). THX

Great frakkin' art here.


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## hero4hire

Truth Seeker said:


> First thing, please PM your price for only face (from shoulders up) to full body and group shots. (and anything else you do). THX
> 
> .




Or click the link in his sig.  45 bucks per character IIRC.


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## Truth Seeker

Thank you...


hero4hire said:


> Or click the link in his sig.  45 bucks per character IIRC.


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## Storn

hero4hire said:


> Or click the link in his sig.  45 bucks per character IIRC.





Yup.  hero4hire is right.

The next 4 pics are from our Danger Patrol game.  The last two sessions, over the last 3 weeks.  DP is a retro scifi rpg.  And does the breathless pacing, cliffhanger action that was so indicative of yesteryears action scifi. 

 Here is the link to the Danger Patrol website, which is just the rules.  Beta rules are the better ones and the latest ones.  This is a fun game, always generates images for me to doodle at the table.

Danger Patrol - Action/Adventure Roleplaying in the World of Tomorrow

First up is the "Carniforous Rex", the terrible pun given vicious life by our GM, Pete.






I drew Max Mercury in an early game, but I thought he was a robot... he ain't.  He be a cyborg with a toothy smile.  So, its a redux sketch time!






The Thorn Samurai were definetly a thorn in our side 2 eps ago.  Trying to sacrifice a few of members in the jungles of Venus.






Lastly, was definitely a "gal with guns" night... as both Nikita and Princess Alura had impact on the ep.  I also noodled the kumite opponent for Singapore Sam, Ivan Ivanovitch, the Sultan of Sambo, the Crimson Terror.  And i did a quick noodle-doodle of one of the 3 Pyramids of Mars, the runic, mystical starships that were causing so much trouble.  







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## Storn

a couple of sketches from our Burning Wheel game. You can see the latest actual play report here (and in that thread are links to earlier actual play reports in 13 Cities game down at bottom in "tags" section)

In which the god-killers are given their bullets...

First up is Aaron's Marcus, the senator and gray knight of Occulae.  A master politician and a fierce halberd wielding warrior.






And Pete's Nikodemus, the assassin who now is finally a licensed godkiller.  






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## Storn

Well, it is that time again.  Time for the Art Order contest.  We had a good month and 1/2 to complete it and I took advantage of that, doing mine in oil.

Here is the gist.  The setting is Gamma World.  We were to take 2 critters and mash them together.  I went a bit out of the box and did cyberlife and veggie life.

My idea was to mesh plant and cybernetic life and I got the Cyber Veggie men. Bleh... really need a better name for them. Basically, in faux science terms, plant life got enough brain power to merge with bits and pieces of computers from yesteryear and create superfast connections and become sentient.

Anyway, since they don't really sleep (get sluggish during the night), don't eat (photosynthesis takes care of that) and they process information at lightning speeds, they are voracious readers. They consider themselves caretakers of knowledge and histories and lots and lots of useless information... they will read anything, car manuals, old People magazines of people long dead and even something called role playing games.

Like I said, Oil, 11.5 x 15.  The original is for sale.  As are printing rights, if it can fit anyone's needs... this is truly an odd one!






If you want to see the other folks submissions and we broke the record on this contest for number of submissions, check out the Art Order link here.  (you do have to scroll down a bit as other posts have been put up):

ArtOrder


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## TarionzCousin

Storn said:


> My idea was to mesh plant and cybernetic life and I got the Cyber Veggie men. Bleh... really need a better name for them.



How about "Vegepygmies"?  (Expedition to the Barrier Peaks)

In your Gamma World, is Manhattan flooded?


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## Storn

TarionzCousin said:


> How about "Vegepygmies"?  (Expedition to the Barrier Peaks)
> 
> In your Gamma World, is Manhattan flooded?





yup, that was what I was trying to convey, it is flooded somewhat.


First up, my good friend John C. Hocking won the Harper's Pen Award for his short story, Face in the Sea, published in Black Gate Magazine.  And your's truly did the artwork.  An excerpt is over at Black Gate, Link Here:

Black Gate » Fiction Excerpt: The Face in the Sea

By the way, Black Gate consistently puts out great short stories and has a nice little RPG review section.  If you haven't checked it out, you owe it to yourself, you should.






Next up is a Battle Nun for Death Tribble.  






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## marketingman

Good to see your artwork agian storn.


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## Storn

Sorry folks, I've been quite absent from the various forums and threads that I usually post to.  I've been busy with a local move, my studio is still only 80% set up.  I've been working on publisher's stuff that is NDA and cannot share.  And I've been a bit overwhelmed energy-wise and enjoying a few hours loafing at Cayuga lake this summer.  

But I'm back and I'm posting artwork again.  Here are a couple of pieces.  

First up, another WotC artblog contest from awhile back.  This time we had to work from a particular model,  Veronika Kotlajic, who so generously gave us permission to work from several photographs she supplied.  NOT WORK SAFE!!!  Here is her website:  Perfect Muse - Home of Model & Muse Veronika Kotlajic  NOT WORK SAFE!!!  

I supplemented her photos with some of my own girlfriend holding the sword there...but y'all ain't gonna see those photos.  Heh.  So, in this challenge, I was going for a 50s crime novel covers (like those of my fav, R.A. Macguire) crossed with those sorta collage/movie poster covers of the 60s but smack dab in the fantasy genre.  This is oil.  About 35 hours.   And it is up for grabs if anyone has a project that it could be used for...






Next is Turtle Armor for Death Tribble.  Modify a Star Wars At-At, driven by a dwarf...and this is what tumbled out.  I kinda like this one.  






Lastly, we have Heart Girl.  A super heroine created by a 6 year old girl and I worked from her sketches!   This was just a fun, sweet commission to be working on.  Her dad wanted Heart Girl in 3 poses and that is what I did.  











Veronika is NOT creative commons.  The others in this post are:

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## marketingman

As always storns artwork that delivers on so many levels...


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## Cor_Malek

I like the idea of re-making kids drawings  I first heard of something like that with Dave Devries' The Monster Engine - A Journey Into Children's Imaginations ,  but it was focusing a lot on the expressionistic aspect. Gogo, Heart Girl!


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## Iron Sky

I just looked through all 30 pages.  I'm not much for superhero or "pulp" games, so much of it I skimmed through despite its quality, but your fantasy portraits were great and your maps and the few oriental-themed "backgrounds" blew me away.







This is my new desktop background, first time I've changed it this year.


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## Hunter

Hey Storn! All of these pics rocks but I really dig Turtle Armor!

Cheers,

Hunter


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## Storn

Iron Sky said:


> I just looked through all 30 pages.  I'm not much for superhero or "pulp" games, so much of it I skimmed through despite its quality, but your fantasy portraits were great and your maps and the few oriental-themed "backgrounds" blew me away.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is my new desktop background, first time I've changed it this year.




Thanks, that piece was a fun experiment, I did a watercolor wash on illustration board, with sepia tones...but the color was done in Painter... I really like how that turned out.

I actually prefer doing fantasy portraits over the superheroes (although, don't get me wrong, i love doing supers too).  But I get called upon to do more superhero artwork than fantasy.

Spread the word!  I LOVE doing the fantasy stuff.


...
Hi folks, sorry for the long absence.  I've had a few things on my plate, but I've been cranking away.  One choke point is that I'm switching computers... but my scanner and a lot (hundreds!) of files are still on the old computer.  New computer won't run my scanner, Windows 7 issues with my SCSI card.... yup, my massive scanner is THAT old.  

While I've had some of Death Tribble's commissions to put up, I've been lazy about getting them off the old computer, up on to my photobucket and posted in the various threads I've got around.

Anyway, here are some of those commissions...

First up is the Terrible Terrapin, a concept from over on the Mutants and Masterminds boards...






Next we have one of Death Tribble's contest entries, Acylla.  I am always excited to tackle a "national" hero that seems to be a bit out of the norm.  She is Peruvian and it was fun doing the research to put this one together. 






Lastly in our trio of ladies is another of Death Tribble's, his concept of a Super Drow.  Somehow, the theme to Shaft is rattling around in my head.  'nuff said.







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## Storn

This is Achilles.  He was the PC of Andy Matthews, art director for Hero Games.  Andy passed awhile back.  His great friend Jack B. commissioned this picture in Andy's honor.

I didn't know Andy super well.... but I enjoyed working for him.  I was honored to do this tribute.  Just in case you are interested, Jack's art brief it is below.






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> This commission is a special one for me.  This is for Achilles.  He was the primary player character of the late, great Andy Mathews (of whom I am sure you are familiar).  Andy was one of my best friends; he quite literally saved my life, and was there when I needed someone to be there more times than I could ever count.  He was as close to a brother to me as he could get without actually sharing a parent.  He was a long-time player in the Guardians universe, and this was the guy he played:  Achilles.
> 
> 
> Achilles is a combination of Batman and Captain America.  He is the leader of the Global Guardians team, and is the son of Lord Doom, one of the world-beater level villains (naturally he rejected his father's plan for world domination and works to oppose it... something that hasn't actually spoiled his father's opinion of him, to be honest).  He's been genetically engineered to be at the peak of human physical and mental condition, and is a highly trained.  He is an intense, goal-oriented person who rarely if ever let's emotion get in the way of what he sees as his "job", which is protecting the innocent and repaying what he sees as a "Karma debt" owed through the actions of his father.  He is 6’6" tall and weighs about 230 pounds. He is in near perfect physical condition. He has black hair and blue eyes that seem to move almost constantly. In costume, he wears a silver body suit with red boots and gloves. Over this, he wears a red hooded tunic, that is belted with a "utility belt".  I've attached an early picture of him, produced by painting over a piece of comic art I scanned.
> 
> Powers-wise, he's basically the ultimate in "trained supernormal",  He's hyperaware of his surroundings, is naturally intimidating, and a frighteningly effective hand-to-hand fighter.  As I said, he's got the best of both Batman and Captain America's abilities.  While an action shot would be cool, I'd think I'd prefer a standing shot... something of him just standing there, being intimidating.


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## snotling

Heart Girl rocks!  I love that a 6 year old's vision has come to life like that.  Awesome job!


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## Storn

snotling said:


> Heart Girl rocks!  I love that a 6 year old's vision has come to life like that.  Awesome job!




Thank you!

Let's see.  I took some time off after a long NDA project, just to turn around and enter into another long NDA project, which I still am in the middle of.  But I have been lazy and have not been putting up the artwork that I could of late.  And the last couple of weeks, I've been fighting a cold.  Despite that, the artwork has been produced.  Including some multiple figure fantasy commissions, which I treated as full blow paintings.

 So here come a couple of posts with a bit of artwork.  Enjoy.

1st up, Death Tribble's Crossword and VoidWalker.











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## Storn

So, like I said elsewhere, long absence from posting up artwork.  Colds, large NDA projects, laziness etc etc.  But the other significant thing that happened (besides setting a date for my upcoming re-nuptials) is that I got a new monitor for my birthday.  My old one was really starting to go.  And I've been dumbstruck at the art that I produced on the old monitor.  My Art Directors must think I have no sense of value.  My new monitor has been calibrated and the artwork done on the old monitor looks AWFUL to me.  

But let's have an experiment.  Let's see if the new monitor is actually doing its job.... or do I have to tweak its settings even more.

So.  I'm posting up some recent artwork, some of the last done on the old monitor... and then a version of the same artwork "tweaked" on my new monitor.  I tried to get version 2 as close as I could to version 1 on the new monitor.   Which is better, versions 1 or versions 2.  Versions 1 are old monitor, V2's are new monitor.  Let my public speak and chime in on what works on all the aggregate monitors out there on the intrawebs!

So first up, we have Neko in Hell.  I did a pic of Neko many years ago as a private commission.... and as a bigger Xmas commission, now we have Neko going down into hell to rescue her betrothed.  

version 1





version 2





Next we have Dehna, a shadowy rogue.

version 1





version 2






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## The_Warlock

Well, the 2nd versions have much better saturation of color, and the shadows are stronger, providing an overall better contrast between regions of the images.

But they are also darker overall, which isn't necessarily an inherently good thing...as many painterly touches and fine details, like the hex pattern on the shadow rogue's armor, start to get lost in the dark.

On the other hand, that might just be because the subject matter has a lot of shadows, and the strength of the hues wouldn't seem so overcome by dark regions in a generally brighter composition.

That said, the second versions simply don't suffer from washout, which, in my opinion is a good thing. The colors overall seem truer to what you'd expect of the subjects.


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## Storn

My search for getting my new monitor's settings to something that works well has been ongoing.  But thanks to help from Aledin over on the ArtOrder site that I started a wee little blog on this particular problem, I think I've gotten much closer to getting it nailed.

So, let's revisit Neko in Hell, now under the NEWER settings... I tweaked it to look good on my monitor and as close to what I originally wanted on the old monitor.






And here is a private commission that was done completely under the newer settings.






And here is a piece that was tweaked under the new settings, but was done completely on the new monitor.  This one I spent some time on, multi figures do eat up the time!






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## The_Warlock

These newer version are strikingly improved over the prior post. Hues, tones, contrast all look much much more controlled, and intentional.

And awesome art to boot...


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## Storn

Got some new commissions to lay on y'all.  All three are for superhero campaigns, although Death Tribble's Roundhead might be skirting a line by looking pretty dated.

First up we have a nurse who can predict those who are to die...






Then the power armor of St. George






and lastly a "Round head"






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## Storn

I tend to get really antsy on vacations if I don't do some art.  I can go about 3 days before getting a bit itchy.  So, I've learned to always take my wee little windsor newton travel watercolor kit (which can fit in my back pocket, it really is awesome!).  Now I'm not the greatest watercolorist, I really only do a lot of it when I'm doing casual, fun stuff, art for play, as opposed to professional illustration. 

 So, here are some shady photos of the watercolors I did while down in Puerto Rico.  Since I couldn't get them to a scanner, I shot these with our digital camera.  

 First up, Mercedes, Millie's sister, loves angels.  Mercedes was always very sweet to me 20 years ago and now that I'm back with her sister, she picked right up where she left off.  Her son, Christian, was our guide on several days and is a real sweet young man.  So, here is her angel.






Next, Millie's folks go to this church in San Isabel, the town they live in.  It is in a nice little plaza square and this was actually the last watercolor I did in PR on this trip.  It was quick too.  About an hour and 1/2,some folks in the plaza stopped by and watched me doing it.  






Last, Christina, Mercedes daughter, really likes fairies.  Millie's dad had picked some fresh gondules, a bean that looks like it comes in a pea pod.  I've had them many times in PR cooking, but never fresh.  After Don Angel had picked them, Kristina and her husband Fernando and I shucked them while having a nice little conversation.  So when she asked for a fairy pic, I thought given our shared fun with gondules, it would make a nice PR fairy.






Hope you get a kick out of these.  

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## Storn

I have three superhero pics for y'all.  First up is another for a Death Tribble, a deep sea diver.  






Next, I'm trying to vary and push the action of my superhero commissions... it is always tough treading that line of being able to show what the character looks like and trying to put them into action shots.  One thing we take for granted in comics in multiple images of the same folks... so doing a super elongated perspective punch by spidy hides his spidey logo, but everyone knows that it is on his chest.

I felt with a sleek power armor guy I could get away without showing the chest area and that the hyper perspective is "in character" for the concept of this particular commission and personae.  






Thirdly, we have the ol' martial artist lady.  I was asked not to over do the cat motifs for this Cheshire Cat, to keep it subtle.  I was also asked for a practical martial arts costume, still superhero-y (or supervillain-y, not sure which CC is), but no plunging cleavage.  So this is what I came up with.

Sidenote:  I often clip this images fairly tight... but with this pose I let a lot of white space "breath" under the image, to help give the sense of height.






Lastly, my last pic I did in Puerto Rico, this one we actually kept, as it is Millie's birthday present, I did it on the beach, on her birthday.  Scanned it in this morning... and present for y'all.  






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## RangerWickett

Hey Storn, great as always to see your work. I dig the beach painting. Nice and relaxed. Actually, all the Puerto Rico pieces are beautiful.

What's the story behind the Neko in Hell piece? (edit: nevermind; I scrolled up and saw the earlier post about it).


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## Storn

Ok folks, a couple of new commissions for Death Tribble's supers game, as well as my concept art for the latest ArtBlog challenge, Strength Character for a "Roaring Skies" concept.  Think bikers on floating motor-air cycles. 

I took this opportunity to play around with doing an underpainting in liquid acrylic by hand, then scanning it in and doing the color via Painter and Photoshop.  Not quite happy with the paper texture, felt a bit "blotchy" to me.   

Here is the link to the blog, so you can see a bunch of other folk's concepts for "Strength"... and mine is below..

http://theartorder.com/?p=584






Now.  Back to superheroes.  Although Dirk Centipede is sure an odd one.  I gave him a sorta scifi tool use to make him look a bit more than a huge centipede.  And Dr. Dark, mysterious baddie.  











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## Storn

Over at ArtBlog, there will be a series of challenges based on the fictitious "Roaring Skies" concept.  Fantasy meets bikers.  Although, now Jon Schindette is challenging us to come up with stuff that doesn't have ACTUAL motorcycles.   But sorta gathers from that rebel, biker vibe.  With a large portion of Sundered Skies.  

I was inspired, and wanted to continue to push and play with my digital style, that I had this image in my head and had to get it out.  

If anyone can use this idea for publication, let me know, we can work out a very reasonable price.






Here is the link to the 2nd challenge which is upcoming and due this Sunday.  I've already got some ideas down for that.  Watch this space! <g>

http://theartorder.com/?p=606

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## Thunderfoot

Love your work!  Just went through the whole archive (how have I missed this?).  Love the Centipede, kind of reminds me of a mutant Sathar from Star Frontiers.  Of course, now you have me wanting to play a game, that no one around here plays....


Keep up the work, it is awesome.


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## Storn

Thunderfoot said:


> Love your work!  Just went through the whole archive (how have I missed this?).  Love the Centipede, kind of reminds me of a mutant Sathar from Star Frontiers.  Of course, now you have me wanting to play a game, that no one around here plays....
> 
> 
> Keep up the work, it is awesome.




oh, I know how it is when there is a lack of fellow gamers!  I feel for ya.


Yeah I think you might be right, that Dirk Centipede probably was inspired by the Sathar in the back of my dim mind.  I wasn't consciously thinking of them... but the pose really looks like a couple of those illos from back then.


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## Storn

The ArtOrder concept tuesday rolls along and this is the next installment.
Link:  http://theartorder.com/?p=606

This is my "swiss army knife" concept.  It is an Elven Sky Chariot, and it is tries to live up to Jon's expectation of
"This is a machine that has more add-on’s than you can imagine. It is the MacGyver of machinery. Able to do anything, anytime."

I actually kept the "add-ons" to a minimum, but the addition of manipulative "etherkinetic" arms I think gives it the aspect of being able to meet lots of mission parameters.  

I had an odd inspiration for this one... as a kid, I was very much into building Tamiya tanks from WWII.   Especially those from the North Africa campaign (Matildas, Mark IVs and Grants...oh my!).  Those models, especially the SAS lorries and jeeps really captured my imagination.  I love all the gear that was just slapdashed onto these vehicles.... shovels, axes, bedrolls, camouflage nets, you name it.  It was that practicality of the soldier that I tried to infuse into this image.  Yup, its fantasy, but ya still need a bedroll, cause you ain't sleeping that Elven "egg".  So there is all kinds of odd gear spackled to my Elven Sky Chariot.






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## Storn

Okay, y'all get a repeat of the elven sky chariot... but I wanted to gang up all three flier concepts for the upcoming Roaring Skies challenge over at the ArtOrder blog.  Link to the ArtOrder blog:  http://theartorder.com/?p=606

I really had fun with this... just goofy fun.

The Warforged is kinda Eberron specific... but the thought of giant dudes plugging themselves into even more gigantic machines seemed kinda fun to me.  

Illthids using their mouths to manipulate their machines seemed.... appropriately gross to me.

Hope y'all like...






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## Storn

Three super hero/villain concepts for ya peepers.  

First up, Quagga, which I didn't know until I took this commission, is an extinct animal, somewhat similar to the zebra.  The client had a very specific photo to work from and I gather she is a speedster.







Next is Carapace... big bruiser type.  






Last is a teke of some sort.  The patron wanted normal street clothes.  






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## Storn

Here is some fun feedback from the clients.  A friend of the below shown couple commissioned from me a picture of their characters as a wedding present.  They were so nice to send me a photo of them posing with the pic in question.  check it out.  gave me a wide smile when I got in the email.  











And then the same patron got one done of his very own characters done.  






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## Storn

I pride myself on meeting patron's visual requests and often times, exceeding them.  Yah, that sounds a bit boastful, but I would like to think I'm pretty good at this gig.  But boy, the last couple of days, I've been hammered by not quite meeting the expectations of the patrons.  On Tendril, seen above, the patron actually was quite clear on wanting the psi-tendrils to come from her hands... I just simply missed that in the reading of his write up of her.  Duh.  (I've since fixed it, it is why I try to save things on layers in a PSD format of my "in progess" art files).  Then I made Snipe's hair too orange-red... supposed to be more brown.  

Then there is doing art for friends and characters you know and love.  Any picture that I do for my own table based on established characters take about twice as long.  Because I'm fretting about getting that vibe JUST right.  And god forbid, I have to do one of my own.  Then it is 3x as long.  As I know that character so much more intimately than others.  Something about characters who I don't know, just working from their descriptions from patrons, is very freeing.  Or if they are very new to the table and not a lot of expectations have been built up.  For the record, I've tried about 6 versions of my main RDU Champions character, Vector, and have never been happy with the result.

So, when Neil and Geoff ask me to do Geoff's Hurricane for RDU, I said sure, because despite what I just said, I LOVE doing characters from our actual games.  Love it.  But this was a concept from, oh, say a couple years ago... and then I had both Geoff and Neil weighing in on the visuals.  Which is cool.  However, I went and emphasized all the wrong things.  Geoff mentioned Hurricane being a bit cocky.  But he also mentioned that he was immortal, born in 1588.  Neil wanted some real gravitas to this character, as in the RDU, Hurricane is supposed to be a BIG GUN.  Geoff really wanted the RAF symbol an the color scheme to draw from the WWII Hawker Hurricane fighter.  There was some talk between the two of them about retro looks and jumpsuits and so on.

Which I did.  And I did this.  And they weren't happy.  






So the word "regal" came up for the redux.  Wanted more intimidating.  Earth tones and no cape... tough to make regal, let me tell ya.  But I tried again.  We will see if this one passes muster.  And oh, yeah, then by looking at the character sheet, I noticed a whole mess of wind powers... so I snuck that into the visual as well.  






Now, I'm not complaining.  I'm actually chuckling at my own hubris.  I thought y'all might be amused as well.  And once again realizing what a responsibility it is to give a visual to such powerful imaginary constructs that exist in an entire table's imaginations. 

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## Storn

Here is my version of Tuatha for a Champions superhero game I've been involved with.  The character is a hybrid speedster-mentalist-mystic power armor conglomeration.  

This is the first time I've "inked" and "pencilled" totally digitally.  Usually I pencil and ink by hand.  Some fantasy stuff, I skip the inking and color over pencils.. for a non-comic look.  But with some new software, I wanted to see if I could do it.  

 It took me about 3x as long as a usual commission.  I find especially the inking, new to Gimp, very difficult... took me a bit to get a solid thick to thin and vice versa solid black line.  When I ink by hand, my hand doesn't shake, but the wacom -Gimp inking- I got some pretty shaky line as my tablet seems to be super sensitive... especially for long strokes along a horizontal plane.   But overall,  I'm happy with the outcome.  






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## Storn

AND HE IS BACK!  No, I'm not talking about myself.  But the THIRD rendition of Hurricane.  ... and the last one I do.  If this doesn't do it... I throw my hands up in the air and just say that I just can't get this character down on paper.  Dunno why this one has been so hard, but it has.

  I went more towards a Capt. Britain type helmet, but I was really thinking about the goggles of Kubert's Enemy Ace quite a bit, so the lenses of the mask are much more like that than Cap Britain's.  I went for more "delta" shapes in the pattern, paying homage to the shape of a wing.  I also brighten up both the green and tan/browns to make it a bit more superhero-y.






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## Storn

Another challenge at ArtOrder.

This one was to include a female knight fighting a beholder in a forest clearing.  But here is the rub.  While maintaining a "fantasy" vibe, it had to target a demographic that we don't usually work for.

So, the target audiences was broken down into these categories:

Under 2 (infant)
2-4 (pre-school)
5-7 (early elementary)
8-12 (tween)
13-17 (teen)
18-24 (young adult)
25-34
35-44
45+

Now, usually I work between young adult and 35-44... the rpg market.  So in order to go beyond my usual demographic targets, I had to go either to tween and younger or older.  

Well, my first instinct was to go younger.  But then the thread over at the ArtBlog showed me that everyone was doing that.  So I went older, for the 45+ market.  The retired folks.  And that made me think of AARP.  Then I knew I had a more editorial, political commentary idea to talk about.  I never get even think of doing something political, so I was kinda excited to do something along these lines.   So here is my entry.

By the way, I'm the only one who did 45+.  I have some small sense of pride about that!  

Here is the original link to the challenge:  Segmentation and Art | The ArtOrder

Here is the link to the 32 submissions, mind included:
http://theartorder.com/2011/03/21/segmentation-line-up/comment-page-1/#comment-3195

And for those who don't want to click through all those submissions, here is my artwork:


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## pawsplay

Storn said:


> AND HE IS BACK!  No, I'm not talking about myself.  But the THIRD rendition of Hurricane.  ... and the last one I do.  If this doesn't do it... I throw my hands up in the air and just say that I just can't get this character down on paper.  Dunno why this one has been so hard, but it has.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
> Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Generic




Well, speaking myself, I think you achieved something really iconic-looking this third go.


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## Storn

Another commission for RDUNeil.  This is Killenger, a Viper nest leader, but in recent years, somewhat of a sometimes ally to various superteams, including the Mavericks.






And another commission for Death Tribble, his idea was to combine a Bulette from D&D with a bullet train ala japanese rail.  






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## Storn

A duo of dynamic dames, thematically arranged around snake and spider.  Boa is up first and is another commission by Death Tribble.






Next up is Aranea.






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## Storn

Here is a blast from my past.  One of the trends I notice about myself is much of my artwork is NDA (non disclosure agreement)... and by the time the art is published and I can share it, I've moved on and forgotten about it.  

 I don't think I ever shared these publicly.  If I have, well, forgive my senior moment.   And while they are several years old, it was the beginning of my style of coloring digital "watercolor" over my pencil, letting the pencil texture bleed through here and there.  

I did these for Mongoose Conan supplements.  And I've always had a soft spot for them.  I really love the Conan books as a kiddo and it was really exciting to get to put my spin on these characters.  






















These are NOT creative commons, copyright Mongoose Games.


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## Storn

A couple more fantasy bits.  First up a duo of a deep gnome and deep dwarf.  Private commission.  






Next is yet another ArtOrder blog challenge.  This time, for the ultimate fighter!  There was 71 entries, including this one.  My concept is that this guy is such a bad ass that he can kick your ass without even seeing you.  While 71 entries are a ton to wade through, there are some real gems.  The link to ArtOrder is here:

Ultimate Fighter challenge line-up | The ArtOrder

And my entry:





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## Storn

There is a really exciting challenge over at ArtOrder, Eowyn vs. the Nazgul King..here at this link (be warned, it is many pages, many images, as this is a WiP thread):  Eowyn and the Nazgul - ArtOrder

I have a local comic convention this weekend, and I haven't done comics in quite some time.  So, instead of competing head to head with all the unbelievable painters, I decided to play to my strengths; my pencils and my action.  

Just so you don't have to sift through the entire thread for my stuff... I will condense it here:

Some prelim doodles





My thumbs for the 2 pages





First page





2nd page


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## Rhun

Great stuff, Storn! Keep up the good work.


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## Storn

I've been a bit quiet on producing commissions of late.  The above ArtOrder challenge (Eowyn vs. Nazgul) has eaten a lot of time, as well as some stuff for publishers.  But the number one time effort has gone into this piece!

This is DeathTribble's 100th commission, Arachnieda.  And we decided to do something special.  This is an oil paint, about 12 by 19 or thereabouts.  Done on a masonite panel.  

I feel like this is really the first superhero PAINTING i've done that has managed that odd fine line between "painterly" yet still feeling like some degree of the slick super hero (or villain, I wasn't told which) vibe that is expected for superhero art.  THIS is what I wanted to accomplish so many years ago when I was doing painted covers for Champions... and I just didn't have the skill to pull it off.  

So, raise a glass to Death Tribble and his 100!






btw, if anyone has a use for this image as a cover or something, let me know.  It is up for grabs.

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## Storn

It has been awhile since i've posted.  I've had this art done for awhile, but I've been lazy.   I've been busy with a few different things in my life.  The Nazgul vs. Eowyn challenge was hellaciously time consuming.  But here it is in it's finished form, i was going to letter it, but changed my mind since lettering isn't my strong suit and I wanted to put my best foot forward.

Donato gave me a nice mention in his critique.

And here is a link to the other entries:

“Eowyn and the Nazgul” Challenge Line-up | The ArtOrder

And the link to the judges comments:

Eowyn and the Nazgul Challenge Judging | The ArtOrder

And my pages so you don't have to sift through all the art on those links if you don't want to.











The other thing that is happening in my life is that I'm getting married (in just a few days).  Millie, my fiancée, also happens to be my ex-wife.... and I told our story in comic form for the invitation.  I've been really coming back to my beginnings, not only in my upcoming wedding, but by doing a lot of sequential art of late.

So, thought I would share my invitation with y'all.  And if you do drop by on my wedding day, bring a dish to pass or some beer.  <g>











more art to come.... I've got a few things done.  Probably post tomorrow


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## Storn

I promised some more artwork and here it is. First up, an illustration I did for Black Gate magazine awhile back.  Unfortunately, it printed a bit dark, but I like the composition.

If you are a fan of fantasy and you aren't reading black gate, you are doing yourself a disservice.  There are some very nice articles on gaming, history of past writers, very good reviews of up and coming novels and some great short stories.  It is really a privilege to do work for Black Gate.  Here is the link to their site:

Black Gate

And here is the pic:






And this is a companion commission to one that I did 10!!! years ago.






and here is the one I did 10 years ago...






And a recent fantasy commission. Of which, appears in Image Portfolio 3, if anyone wants a higher resolution.  I've teamed up with LPJ Design and will be releasing some artworks in higher resolutions to make an extra buck here and there.  Linkage:  Image Portfolio Platinum Edition 3: Storn Cook - LPJ Design | RPGNow.com

artwork:





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## Storn

Back to superheroes!  Here is a villain team done for Jeff W., the All-in Gang






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## Storn

Here is another one for Death Tribble, along with collaboration from Enforcer84, a frequent poster on the Hero forums.  The idea is Tiamat as a supervillianess.  I wanted her to not quite have "human" skin.  So she is slightly lizardy green in color.  

enjoy.






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## Storn

Here was a really fun one for me.  I was asked for a steampunk horse. Something I've never done before.   I think it came out pretty well, but your guys are the real judges. 

I'm hip deep in a full background, 3 figures, large landscape, lot of detail, commission and it will probably take another couple of days.  So, the output from me is going to be slow again.  






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## Storn

Here is another one from the fertile mind of Death Tribble.  Maybe we should say "fermented".

As I was drawing this, I kept thinking along the lines of:

*"In disguise, mild-mannered, vegetarian, history professor Archibald Reach teaches at a major metropolitan university.  But when the clarion call of adventure and danger is heard!!!  Off come the tweed and glasses and heeding the crescendo of crime EXPLODES AMERICAN REX!!!  The Titanic Tyrannosaur.  The Dinosaur of Dynamite.  That most beloved of Super Saurians!"*

p.s.  I totally think Archibald Reach is a giant dinosaur in professor tweed with horn rims.  He doesn't transform from man into dino.  But with his glasses and academic demeanor, no one knows that he is actually AMERICAN REX.  Except for his sidekick Anklesoar aka Andy Ackers, student body treasurer.  

_{sigh}....Freelance illustration is such a lonely profession...._






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## Storn

A cover done for small press.  Digital over pencil.  Used mostly Painter 11 and a bit of of photoshop cs2.


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## Storn

First up, I wanted to talk about something I've been meaning to do for YEARS!!!  And that is to offer originals and prints for sale.  The website Fine Art America has made this very easy for me to do.  So, if you ever wanted an Storn original, on the paper, canvas, board, with real paint, pencil or whatever I used that day... come check the below link out...

Maybe you would rather have a print of something, well, this link has that covered too.  Let me know if there is a piece of mine that is not up on Fine Art and you would like a print of.  I will continue to build up the Fine Art gallery, but it will take some time to get a lot of what I do up.  

I'm going to experiment with a combo of more expensive oils, acrylics and the like, along with the preliminary pencils of what often becomes digital colored.  Pencil originals will be quite reasonable.  

Storn Cook - Fine Art

Now, onto some recent private commissions.  

A golden elf





An interesting steampunk explorer with "sponge" cooling armor from Lethe





And two Death Tribble contributions...  This first one definitely follows his love of cheesecake <g>











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## Storn

A few folks have asked for some different types of originals and prints to be put up at Fine Art, here: Storn Cook - Fine Art  .  I've just kinda lost this week and haven't gotten the time together to get those up.  I hope to the beginning of next week.  So check back there soon!

Another Death Tribble, I believe this one had input from the Hero Boards.  I went modern in the dress, because I wanted the cool contrast, not only of modern vs. monster, but because the colors worked so well against each other.  The kanji is "Power", btw.... according to my google fu.  Hope you like.






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## Storn

I've been doing a sword and sorcery campaign online of late. Called the Swords of a Dying Empire. The Actual Play report is here:  (LoA) Swords of a Dying Empire... and we are about 10 episodes in. Using Legend of Anglerre as the ruleset.

Mostly, I'm doing the occasional map sketch that is barely serviceable to get the gist of the idea of where/what the party is encountering. And I just did a really quick sketch of two new, but important NPC allies.

thought I would share.

The Temple of Delleb, recent site of our anti-heroes attacking the Temple as retribution. Sorta Pyrrhic victory. Moving mazes of carnivorous plants, cultists performing sacrificial rites, y'know, typical S&S life in the day...






The City of Ahaan is the former Empire's capitol. The PCs just recently got there, trying to ascertain what the political mood was. But even more recently, run out of town for making things too hot.





The NPCs i mentioned...





And a sketch of the pavilion back of my house done for a party invitation. I just did it today and felt like sharing.  Maybe it would be useful for a fantasy game as a merchant's pavilion or something...






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## Storn

Now, up, something a bit different for me... I got to do 3 brothers, for a modern occult game, and they are Seelie or Elves or something.  Wanted the pose/photograph look as this actually happened in the patron's game, the posing for a photograph.  Thought that was kinda cool!






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## Storn

Time for the next artorder challenge.  I've been working on this in dribs and drabs over the last couple of weeks.  Thought I would show the beginning steps  before I take it to oils, after which it will have to wait for it to dry before I can scan it.  

The Artorder breakdown is to pick 1 of 3 covers described here:

Story Extraction ArtOrder Challenge | The ArtOrder

I haven't done a lot of scifi, thought this would be fun.  So I picked "Firaxe".  

What some of the other artists are doing, along with very good critiques is here:

Story Extraction ArtOrder challenge WIP - ArtOrder

Here are the pencils I've come up with:






And the underpainting, done in acrylic:


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## Storn

This was a bit of an experiment.  I have a style/technique I use for interiors off and on, for grayscale printing.  It is a combo of watercolor and liquid acrylic.  I thought I should try and use it as an underpainting for a digital colored piece.  I had this multi-figured private commission to undertake and thought this would be a good place to try that.

I've done underpaintings before, but using oil.  Oddly, doing an underpainting in oil, I am much more shape oriented... maybe cause I can push the paint around after applying it down.  

The "mistake" I made is that I used quite a bit of line in my underpainting, because it looks good for interiors... falling back into how I work for that context.  But then I had to kinda fight those lines in the digital coloring steps.  Some I left in.  Still, I like the solidity of the figures against the more nebulous digital effects in the background.  I like the texture of the watercolor here and there bleeding through.  Gives some life to my digital stuff, IMO.  

Next time, I will just try and keep to more shape oriented painting and really pick those lines carefully, so when I go to the digital steps, I am not having to "redraw" those lines or wipe them out completely.


----------



## Storn

I went on a mini-honeymoon in the middle of the week.  My wife, Millie, managed to trade some hours with other faculty (she is a professor of nursing) and all of a sudden, we had a few days to string together.  We had gone to Puerto Rico, but it was mostly to visit family, Millie and I didn't have much time to ourselves.  

Anyway, on the last day, under the grayest of skies, perched on a bridge that shook every time a truck went by, which seemed never-ending, I painted this quickie watercolor of the very full Hudson river.  We stayed at the Lamplighter B&B in Lake Luzerne, a very nice B&B and this bridge was walking distance from the B&B.  

This watercolor wasn't really planned, sorta a last minute thing, although I always bring watercolors with me on trips.  I even used water from a mud puddle, so a bit of the Lake Luzerne earth is in this sketch.  

On the way home, the flooding was pretty bad, forced off of Route 88 near Oneonta and had to go around 1 washed out bridge in the small town of Morris.  Adventures on our honeymoon.  

Well, enough of that, onto the art.  Thought it would be fun to show y'all EXACTLY where I was via google maps.  The "river" coming in from the side is actually from the man-made lake Sacandaga lake, ironically, created to help regulate the Hudson river flood control.  






And here is what I actually doodled on that bridge...






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## Storn

Thought I would show a bit of behind-the-scenes on this entry.  This is done for the Anonymous challenge over at ArtOrder.  You can see other folks entries, as well as a link to the challenge itself here:  Anonymous ArtOrder Challenge | The ArtOrder

Basically, we had to ape a cross between an anime and painted style that was used a lot in the Duelmasters CCG.  NOT my comfort zone at all.  But I did see that there is a lot of line in the original Duelmaster's art, combined with the digital painting stylings we see so much of in video game concept art.    Again, NOT my comfort zone at all.

I do not do line on digital well at all... so I fell back on what I think gives a more live line, inking by hand.  But since I knew that there was to be somewhat of a painting style, after inking and some erasing, I went back in with pencil to do just the hint of value shading... more like visual footnotes to myself while I went in and digitally painted.  So... here is the ink/pencil scan... just so you can see where I was before the color hit the piece.  I drew them separately, knowing I was going to move them around and get some overlap in PS.  I also knew that I was going to have to finish the foot placement of the troll/ogre digitally, because I wasn't quite sure how he was going to get grounded... the "kitty" was easy, because he is leaping away and is airbourne.  Reminds me a bit of Quinton Hoover's work, not as lyrical as his stuff, as I make marks the way I make marks (and he is so totally awesome!), but the strong ink line, backed with some lighter interior lines... similar vibe.  






Then comes the color work, the background was entirely done digitally.  It is an interesting "style", but I feel that it falls short of the Challenge, that to ape a particular style.  I just don't have enough experience in doing something like that, but it was sure FUN to try!!!





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## Storn

A trio of private commissions.  The Smilodon and the Type 5 demon futurized are both carrying over the technique that I did for the "kitty vs. ogre" just above.  That of using pencil to shade on top of a minimal ink line.  Then scan, color using mostly Painter, but some Photoshop.    It takes a bit of time, especially the Type 5 Demon, which has a lot of fiddly detail.  But I kinda like the solidity of it. 

"Riley" was just my usual technique of digital color over pencil.  

The Demon was also an experiment in warping textures for the snake skin.  Btw, the Demon and Smilodon are both Death Tribble commissions.  I like to give the guy credit for giving me so much work... and such fun concepts.  I really liked doing the Type 5 Demon with a m60 machine gun (although, it is a tough gun to draw)... the m60 was specifically DT's request.  

















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## Storn

Well, photobucket blocked that illo.  I thought the little magic, brass thingees on the nipples would suffice.  Guess I was wrong.  

Let's try this instead:


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## Storn

First up, a couple of character concept commissions from long time patron, Death Tribble.  (Kinda mouthful sentence there....sheesh.)  Anyway, he wanted an evil wonder woman type playing with short, platinum hair against the Amazon princess black locks, skull motifs instead of american flag motifs etc.  

Then, he asked for a super agent wearing a jet pack using a blaster.  And it was his idea of the sorta flight suit orange... a very cool choice in my opinion.  











Next up calls for a bit of explanation.  I did "Swords Defiant" several years ago in Genesis oils.  It is one of the few illustrations I have done simply for myself.  I had the pose idea in my head and I wanted to do it, so I did.  It wasn't for a publisher or commission.  However, Tim Gray of Silver Branch Games did eventually want it for his Jaws of the 6 Serpents RPG and so it became the cover... and I ended up running Jaws for a mini campaign of about 9 episodes and a very fun game it was too!

I don't think I've posted Swords before, or recently, Tim did point that I did not have it on my Photobucket.  Turns out I did, on the very first page of 17, on my Photobucket, understandable how it could be missed.  

Tim recently asked me to do a cover for the upcoming Serpents' Teeth, a Jaws expansion.  We talked about a few different predone things I had kicking around...and one was a sketch i had done for the sequel to that Jaws game.  A ninja-ish fantasy woman I had drawn for an NPC (who only appeared for in one episode).  Tim and I also talked about it being a nocturne, to contrast nicely with the first cover.  Yin-yang, day-night, desert-urban, male-female.  So taking that base sketch, re-working the face (we didn't want a mask on her) and working in some urban elements, here is what you end up with.

Link to Jaws of the Six Serpents:  Jaws of the Six Serpents - Silver Branch Games | RPGNow.com

The initial character concept sketch:





The original Jaws of the Six Serpents cover





And the follow up expansion cover for Serpents' Teeth:


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## Storn

Been meaning to put these up for awhile.  The book, Totems of the Dead, has been out for a couple of weeks now.... and I really want to give it a plug.  It is a really cool sword and sorcery setting using a mythical Americas (North and South).  The setting is for Savage Worlds and I've read quite a bit of the player's guide and some of the GM guide.  Really cool stuff!  Highly recommend!!!  Very good art, I'm just one of several, and all of them are excellent!  

link to the players guide:  Totems of the Dead: Players Guide to the Untamed lands - Gun Metal Games | RPGNow.com

link to the gm guide:  Totems of the Dead: Game Master's Guide to the Untamed lands - Gun Metal Games | RPGNow.com

And here are some samples of the art I did for the books.  I used liquid acrylic and watercolor over loose pencils.  

First up, Mesa Verde, which I've actually been to.  I've got a watercolor of it,  done on that spot during my vacation.  It was nice to "re-visit" it.






The Atlanteans in Totems are kinda melnibonean bad guys, slavers and possessors of higher tech and low numbers.  Very S&S.






The Vikings in Totems have colonized some of NE north America, called Skraelings, their iron weapons are feared and respected.  Who doesn't want to draw valkyries fighting aztec leopard warriors?  C'mon!?!?  I felt like Joe Kubert (not that I'm comparing his art to mine) on a run of Turok!






This has nothing to do with Totems of the Dead.  But a cool villain concept.  His parent was one of the astronauts on the space shuttle Challenger.  That seems like a really neat hero origin.  But to twist it... and make it a villain... pretty neat concept.


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## Storn

I've been working on a very large cover for Other Worlds in oil...so that has been eating some time.  I've also been working on a fun project, but it is NDA, something kinda different for me.  I'll share when I can.  I've got some card art coming up and some interiors for publishers... so it's been busy and will be for the next month or so.

But I will try to keep on top of the commissions pile here and there.  So here are a couple of private commissions, a  pair of lasses.  Thought i would share.

Death Tribble wanted something about colour, but not rainbow outfit.  White is the combo of all color spectrums, so this is what I came up with.






Next up is a pulp or superheroine sorceress, not sure which, but she wears Victorian clothes, the patron was kind enough to send me a couple of links of reference to ponder over.  Have I mention I LOVE when clients and patrons provide reference of the stuff they like?  Makes my job SOOOO much easier.  Because I know what they are looking for and I don't have to spend time looking for the reference myself!






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## Storn

Been awhile since I've posted anything.  I just finished a massive cover with a ton of detail.  Took weeks.  Hopefully I can show it soon.  And I'm in the midst of NDA projects, including card art for L5r.  So what I can show has been slim.  But I got these!

First up, it was my mom's 65th birthday yesterday.  I whipped up this quickie acrylic-watercolor of my folks' new puppy, Spenser.  Just thought I would share something light and goofy.






Next is the first of 7 character concepts to come.  Each figure is going to be a representative of space navy.  This particular one was based heavily on chinese uniforms, crossed with a bit of the scifi uniforms from shows like Babylon 5 and Firefly.  The patron provided the reference for this one and told me to mash them together.

It is also a bit different in the way I work.  Usually, I start my sketch with loose blue line pencil and then go on top with pencil to tighten up the forms.  Once scanned in, I eliminate the blue line in photoshop and then start laying in the value and color digitally.  

But I recently saw a demo of some character concept art over at Gnomon Workshop and specifically Sang Jun Lee... link here:
Creature and Character Design

And I was interested in how he used what looked like black coloured pencil over vellum.  Well, I couldn't find vellum at the art store locally, but still wanted to play with the technique.  I substituted tracing paper instead.

I think there is a "warmth" to the line and shading with the coloured pencil.  Maybe a density.  It isn't vastly different than the normal pencils I scan in (usually on just regular ol' copy paper), but something subtly different that I really like.  What do y'all think?






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## Storn

Continuing on with the Space Navies uniform commission, here is Tingwok.  I was mistaken, there will be 7 of these, not 6.  

One of the challenges that I will be facing on this one is that all of the figures will be facing "the camera" as per patron request.  Keeping that interesting across 7 figs will not be easy.  

Again, I am really liking the trace paper/black prismacolor for the sketch.  There seems to be a density that is lacking in my previous scanned in pencils.  Cool beans!

Anyway, here is Tingwok.  






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## Storn

I've been working on a game, Other Worlds, off and on for about 8 months.  I finished the cover a week and half ago, but was waiting for Mark (Humphreys) to give the go-ahead for posting and some guerrilla marketing synergy, linking up with his threads.  Other Worlds is a multi-genre role playing game, so I got to do all kinds of stuff.  Stuff that I tried to cram into the cover, without making it unreadable.  I am going to post up the pencils, so you can see that I did take a flying robot eyeball out in the paint.  This kind of movie style poster is NOT easy to pull off.  But I think it is one of my best paintings.  I'm pretty happy with it (watch, now folks will hate it... I'm rarely happy with my work).

The painting is oil on masonite 18 x 24.  The art itself comes out to about 16x22.  If you are interested in a print (or PLEASE!, the original itself!!), they are on sale here:  Storn Cook - Fine Art

Here be the pencils:





Here be the paintin' itself:





Like I said, I've been working on this project for some time.  I've done quite a few interiors for this project, and most are all pencil.  There are a couple of previously done art that was used that are not pencil, but they are the vast minority and I even "stressed" my inks to make it look a bit more pencil-y to fit into the vibe of the whole book.  So, I thought I would share a couple.  

One has to have the "world building" illo in any multi-genre roleplaying game.  This is mine.  I think the ol' video game Populous was the inspiration for this one.






Vikings.  Um.  'nuff said.  






So, I've seen Other Worlds text.  And while I haven't poured over the game, it does look pretty neat.  For one, it is a percentage system.  That is kinda old school, but it does have "Abilities" which are somewhat similar to FATE's Aspects and Skills rolled into one.  It looks fast and the conflict system is geared to handle any kind of conflict with the same mechanic.  Pretty cool.  Also, the layout is done by Fred Hicks.  And it is clean, clean, clean.  Easy to read.  I am such a fan of Hick's work.  

Here is me plugging some links for Other Worlds.

Their facebook presence:   Other Worlds | Facebook

Their RPGnet thread:  Other Worlds

enjoy!


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## Storn

Been a bit since I've posted anything.  Lazy.  I've had a couple of these done for a bit, but I just finished the one in the dress today.  

So these are character concepts for a space naval setting, where we have a representative of each faction.  

One note, I've been working a lot more with a sorta digital underpainting and then combining that with an "overlay" layer to do a lot of the lighter colors.  I've been using multiply layers for years, but just starting to venture into using overlay.  I'm pretty happy with the color on these, something kinda "chewy" about 'em.  





















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## Storn

Another one by the prolific Death Tribble; 






And Lethe has commissioned quite a few over the years, another one for him;






And these were done for an Xmas card for a co-worker of Millie's who is very into horror films and shows.  We all quite like American Horror Story (good finale last night, btw).  This was watercolor and acrylic over inked work.  the original has the zombie santa on the front and the cartoony verison of our cat Chrissie inside.


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## Storn

I've got a team of superheroes done as a bunch of holiday presents for the patron's gaming group.  So here is this girl centric superteam.  I am working on some fantasy stuff that I hope to post later this week.  Stay tuned.  





















If anyone is interested in 600 dpi versions of the gals (not the steel guy), they are for sale (and reasonably priced) through my Portfolios by LPJ Design.  there are a couple of others tossed in to boot.  Here is a link:  
Image Portfolio Platinum Edition 11: Storn Cook - LPJ Design | RPGNow.com

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## Storn

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.  







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## Storn

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.  

















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## Storn

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

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

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

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

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.


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## Storn

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


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## Storn

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!


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## Storn

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>


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## Storn

Yup.  I'm involved in another Kickstarter project.  And folks, I really hope this one gets off the ground, because I really, really want to do the "old school" dungeon module cover for it.    I worked up a bit of art for the interior, "The Beast", hopefully to drum up some support for JB Mannon and At The Table games.  

Here is the blurb that At The Table provided me:  

Within the Devil's Reach is a group of three adventures all set in the backwater town of Devil's Reach. The town was already about as close to hell as you could get but things are getting worse. All three adventures are great intro adventures for the Dungeon World Roleplaying Game. Dungeon World is a light weight game that is focused on delivering an old school, dungeon crawl experience.

Now I haven't had the opportunity to play Dungeon World, but it gets great buzz from Story Games.  More importantly to me, my good friend Judd, has really enjoyed running it.    From what I can tell, it is D&D old school, but lighter and tightly integrated mechanics with a lot of flavor for each "class" you play.  Kinda the best of "old school" combined with "new school" game design.  Dungeon World is reasonably priced too, although only available at the moment as a pdf, print is coming out this Gencon.  

Here is a link to the kickstarter from At The Table:  Within the Devil's Reach - Dungeon World Adventures by Josh Mannon — Kickstarter

Here is a link to Dungeon World itself:  Dungeon World :: Home

And here is my teaser art, "The Beast".  I haven't inked in some time for a project that is to remain black and white.  I ink all the time for my "superhero style", so it was fun to go back to an old friend and ink this up as a piece of black and white artwork.


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## Storn

It is odd how sometimes character concepts and commissions seem to run in similar thematics.  I remember getting a few years ago, 3 speedster archtypes in a month.  While 2 is not quite a trend, they did sorta tumble into my to do queue at the same time.

First up, we have a samurai for Death Tribble that called for a pretty straight forward treatment in the concept description.






Next, we have a character from a Legends of the Five Rings campaign.  A monk who started out in the Spider Clan, became disillusioned, and went over to the Phoenix clan.  But the white swash is symbolic of Takijiro being of two worlds.  (Very similar to my own Tsuntake PC who was of Dragon Clan, but his mom was Unicorn and she died saving a lot of face for the Dragon, so Tsuntake was raised knowing he would go serve Shinjo Shoji of the Unicorn...also a young man of two worlds.)  






Lastly, for today, I've got another one done for Inkwell's Monster Project kickstart.  This time, I got to do a White Dragon.  Dragons are tough.  So many artists before me have done Dragons, hard to bring your own stamp on it.  I think it is informative to show my mistakes and missteps.  The first draft of this was rejected by Inkwell and rightly so...although when I had done it, I was too close to it and thought it was fine.  I was rather happy with it.  But after it's rejection, I started to see its flaws and a talk with my wife about it really cemented that it, well, sucked... and that I needed to do better.  So here is the first sketch:






And here is what a good art director, a good wife, a couple of tossed away sketches, and drawing with chums at a coffee shop can accomplish.  In my opinion, so much better.  Joe over at Inkwell deserves a lion share of the credit for pointing out a much better wing attach to body arrangement.  I also wanted to say that I really enjoy working in light colors sometimes.  It is fun to do almost watercolor over pencils digitally.






Let me know what y'all think...

And here is the link to Inkwell's Monster Project kickstart in case anyone missed it before and are interested:  Monster Stock Art & Minis by Joe Wetzel — Kickstarter


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## Lalato

Definitely like the second Dragon better, though I must admit that I didn't notice the wing attachment on the first right away.


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## Storn

Lalato said:


> Definitely like the second Dragon better, though I must admit that I didn't notice the wing attachment on the first right away.




Thanks!!  It is why we artists have art directors.  Good art directors are immensely helpful...even though I sometimes feel a bit pained at their suggestions.  Good for me though.  Gotta keep growing!!!

Two commissions, but first I wanted to let folks know that 6 supers are up in the latest portfoilo from moi and LPJ designs.  So.  If you are looking for superheroes (or villains) clipart that is print quality and reasonably priced, look NO further.  Well.... look further by clicking on the link provided.  This, by the way, is my 15th!!!! portfolio.  So thanks to all the patrons who keep my drawing their characters and cranking away.

Here is the link:  Image Portfolio Platinum Edition 15: Storn Cook - LPJ Design | RPGNow.com

This commission has been done for awhile and goes with the fantasy group that I've posted earlier.  But I simply forgot to stuff it onto my photobucket so I could link it here and show it off.  I like this one, I felt that young mage as gunfighter was kinda fun concept to play off.






Next is another for patron unstoppable, Death Tribble and it is request for a cheongsam wearing korean (beautiful) martial artist.  This was a fun one to do because I was breaking in a new brush pen from Pentel that I picked up that day.  To be honest, the paper was bleeding just slightly and I spent a bit more time doing clean up than I liked.  But the brush itself, the Pentel GFKp rocked for doing the inking.  I usually ink with winter sable kolinkskys from Weber, dipping it in india ink (or sometimes using dip pens too, depends on my mood).  But the GFKp (I have no idea what the initials stand for) is a nice portable inking tool.

And since I was working at one of our Thursday coffee shop work sessions, I bought the Pentel GFKp (not easy to type that) at our brand new awesome art store that happens to be right NEXT door to the coffee shop!  How cool is that?  Well, y'all out there in internet land probably don't care... but I think it is very cool.  Went in for a new kneaded eraser and came out with a very cool new tool.  By far the best mechanical brush pen I've used.

Anyway, that was waaay too long discussion about my passion over art supplies.  Here is the art and I will shut up.  Enjoy!


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## Storn

You now can wear *ME* on *YOUR* _chest!!!_

Silver Branch games has taken two of my covers and made them available as t-shirts.  They look kinda snazzy, if I can say so myself.  I want one.

Check dem out here:

Silver Branch Games


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## Storn

Folks, there have been several events in motion behind the scenes at Studio Storn.  I am about to embark on a 3 month (or so) project involving a comic book/video game that I am NOT at liberty to discuss.  But it is a ton of work.  I also have been working on a facebook game, helping with art chores on that.  And several covers have made it to my desk.

So.  I am raising the price on my private commissions from $45.00 to  $60.00.

I have several reasons for doing this.

1) So, while I absolutely LOVE doing private commissions for folks, I need to slow down the rate of which I've been receiving them.  A price increase will do that.  The demand on me sometimes gets in the way of taking on publisher's paying work.

2) I haven't raised my rates since I've started to doing this (I lowered the prices when I very first started this gig).  

3)  I feel that I spend more time on each commission than I did when I first started, and there is a higher degree of polish and finish on my commissions and that takes time.  While I am fast, a living wage is in danger of being a barely making it wage the more time I spend on these.  

If and when my business gets sparse, I might lower my prices.   I wholly admit this is an experiment and I expect folks to be a bit bummed about the price raise.   So I might have to change my mind.  

 I really appreciate all the acceptance and support and work I've gotten over the years and I don't do this lightly.  

So.  Now that is out of the way, let me lay some art on y'all.  This is a superhero group of past commissions gathered into one group shot.


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## Storn

Things have been really, really busy here at Studio Storn.  I just spent a wonderful extended weekend in Ohio and Michigan.  My step-grandfather passed at 89 in Dayton and  he had a wonderful life and a wonderful family.  I love 'em to pieces.  So, please, no condolences.   So, we passed through my old haunts in Michigan on the way to the memorial.  Had a wonderful time with Eric, Rick and Neil, my old gaming buds.  Had an awesome time at the memorial seeing family I haven't seen in decades.  It was a very happy time!

And oddly, the best service in Ann Arbor ever!  Way better than when I actually lived there.  Kudos to Zingermans and Red Tractor BBQ.  Just the nicest folks working there.  Millie, my wife, loved Ann Arbor.

Getting back to the studio has been really busy with my NDA project and wrapping up other projects.  So I have not been posting anything.  I've got a couple of things to lay on ya.

First.  I don't do many logos... but Darren Watts, formerly of Hero Games, asked me to do this one, because I've done Apes for him before.   He is starting up a publishing company called Silverback Press.  Here is a link to Silverback's facebook page:  Silverback Press | Facebook

And here is the logo:





Next up is a private commission I of a character I believe is in a 7th Sea/ Legends of 5 Rings game.... so I went sorta fantasy-ish in that direction.





Lastly.  Another LPJ Portfolio of my clip art work has come out.  This one is fantasy, some pics are much more fully illustrated than the single figure, no background thing.  A preview is available here:  Image Portfolio Platinum Edition 17: Storn Cook - LPJ Design | RPGNow.com

So.  Yeah.  Posting from me is going to slow down a bit, as I won't have tons of new art to show as I work on the new NDA project.  Millie's daughter has moved in with us, she will be going to school at Tompkins Cortland Community College for free, where Millie is a professor.  And we might have to seek a bigger house.  I so love moving.

I know that I have one painting that has been done for a couple of weeks, just waiting on the client to get his ducks in a row, so I can give him some free guerrilla marketing.  And I will hopefully get some of the smaller commissions out here and there as we go along.  Check  back in a few days!


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## Piratecat

I'm not sure it's said enough, but this thread is wonderful. Thanks!


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## Hal G

Agreed PC, great thread and sorry for your loss, Storn, we have not worked together in years, but you have always been a stand up guy!


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## Storn

*phew*  It has been awhile since I've posted anything.  I've been doing my art and I've had things to post, but I've been trying to put to bed the first 8 pages of the comic I'm doing for Time Tribe.

Why I am bringing this up, is because Time Tribe has just launched their kickstarter looking for some funding.  Here is the link:  The Time Tribe - Episodic time travel adventure game by Karen B Wehner — Kickstarter

But just to give you some background, Time Tribe is a video game.  I'm doing some artwork for the in-game comic book, where pages will be unlocked as the player proceeds through the game.  It is a game aimed at kids and teaching them history as the 4 young kid protagonists have the ability to travel through time to visit various eras.  I could tell you more but the link will be a lot more clear and succinct than my poor writing skills.

Luckily, I have other skills.  Like drawing.  And my clients have given me permission to put  up 2 pieces of artwork.  Actually, I will be putting up 3, as 2 images are of the same thing... the gift shop.  The first sketch I did was not the right angle and when I got a map of the actual mansion where the kids live and explore helped tremendously, so I wanted to show my evolution to the 2nd one.  They really needed a ground floor view for the video game in-scene.  Unfortunately, I never finished the gift shop as I had to move onto painting some NPCs and get started on the comic pages.










And here is an example of the digital color over pencils style I'm using for the comic pages.  This happens to be page 13 (we are doing them out of order because certain pages are needed in-game more dearly than others).






So.  There you have it.  A taste of what has been consuming much of my time over the last month or so.  Hope you are intrigued.  If you have kids, really consider backing Time Tribes... I think it is an awesome way to spark some interest in history.


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## Storn

I have been working on this oil painting off and on for quite some time...having started it in the middle of the Time Tribes project, then having to rush a couple of other jobs in front of it and lastly, having appendicitis and going into the hospital suddenly.  I am fine and recovering.  Just played light tennis saturday night.  I can resume swimming in the lake this coming Saturday.  So, no worries.  But it did enforce a serious art break.

Past viewers might recognize this party as private commissions I did earlier in the year.







Then, here is another concept from Death Tribble.. Eskimo Knell.






And lastly, I've got an Elven archer (or aka Noldor in Prophesy of Pendor).


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## Storn

Death Tribble, my commission patron extraordinaire came up with these three concepts.  

I am working on another kickstarter, some news on that soon, I think.  

And some Legend of 5 Rings cards...but it will be months before they come out... and the NDAs on those are tight.  Don't want to show them until they are published, which can take some time.  

But anyway, enough of my babbling, onto some art!!!

First up, British Badger.  Sort of a laid back sort.  






Next, we've got a Bollywood dancer






And lastly, Leopard Seal!


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## Mutant Lord

*Always admired your work*

Hey Storn,

Really enjoying seeing your work here. I've always admired your clean illustrations.


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## Storn

Mutant Lord said:


> Hey Storn,
> 
> Really enjoying seeing your work here. I've always admired your clean illustrations.




Why thanks!!!  Here are more:

So, I got the chance to do some art for a very intriguing kickstart called Sixcess Core Rulebook.  They've given me the approval to show some of the art and to do a wee bit of guerrilla marketing for them.  

The link will take you to the kickstarter, with a nice video, and there is a quick start pdf available too.

Sixcess Core Rulebook by Harsh Realities — Kickstarter

And here is some of the art that I did for them.  First up, is a painted piece that was asked to be a "faux" Tarzan.  We talked about how to make it a bit different than the Tarzan we know.  Red hair was requested and that led me down a sorta viking cum jungle man character.  And since the game is capable of multi-genre, it was asked to have a hodge podge of genre characters being stalked.  The Harsh Realities crew asked specifically for the stalked characters, like Star trek wannabe and cowboy.  I didn't make them up.  






Next up is a sorta Mexican-cowboy-shaman.  The character illustrations were requested to be done in my digital color over line art.  So, I complied.   This was a really cool concept presented to me by the Harsh Realities crew.  I think they have very solid imaginations, I got to draw some characters that were a bit different for me.... and that is really saying something, considering how many character concept illustrations I've done over the years.






And here is the last one I'm gonna show (if ya wanna see more of my art, go support the kickstarter! <g>... my blatant attempt to always leave 'em wantin' more!).  I really like Torque, as I came up with a bit of action to show off her post apocalyptic vibe.  Of course, y'all are better judges than I.  I'm always waaay to close to my artwork to really see what people like or don't like.  








p.s.  I've also been involved in the preliminary stages of a kickstarter aimed at Mutants and Masterminds ruleset.  Those folks are not quite ready to put up their kickstart, when they do, I will let y'all know about it!


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## Storn

I mentioned that I would let you know about another kickstarter, this time, aimed at making a bunch of villains for the superhero role playing game, Mutants and Masterminds.

Okay.  That was a bit of a run on sentence.  But I'm leaving it.  Because I'm amused.  Sorry, that kind of day, as I'm knee deep in digital work for Legend of the Five Rings Collectable Card Game.  Painting always leaves me a bit loopy.  

Anyway, Robert Grady, the man behind this Kickstarter, had me do one art piece as a sample.  So, first, here is the link to the Kickstarter:  Do Not Approach, Villains Super-Powered by M&M (RPG) by RJ Grady — Kickstarter

And here be the art:  






Seems pretty interesting bad guys for a pretty awesome game.  Check it out!


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## Storn

My latest collection of fantasy pics for my clipart portfolio series is up at RPGnow.  Link is here:  http://www.rpgnow.com/product/107417/Image-Portfolio-Platinum-Edition-22:-Storn-Cook?filters=0_0_0_0

This collection has 6 different pics, ranging from a jungle ranger to a sorceress to a studly swordsman.  Check it out.  A sneak peak of all the art is available, so you can see what you are getting.  All the pics are print resolution.  

Just to whet the appetite, here is the cover to the collection.






I also have more from the fertile mind of Death Tribble.  He wanted a "real six shooter" loup garou and a boxing british bulldog.  His wish is my command!


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## Storn

More from the fertile imaginings of patron extraordinaire, Death Tribble.   Nuff said.


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## 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!!!


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## 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/jbmannon/the-skies-over-danbury-dungeon-world-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.


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## 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....


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## Storn

wow.  sorry to hear about the hacking!

Thanks ftjedi!

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.


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## 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!!!


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## 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/jbmannon/the-skies-over-danbury-dungeon-world-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/502760470/do-not-approach-villains-super-powered-by-mandm-rp






note:  This was also digitally inked.


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## Mutant Lord

*Cintiq question*

Hi Storn,

 Nice stuff man! Just curious about this whole inking on the Cintiq thing. So... what size of Cintiq did you get? Also, so, you ink right outa your head or do you ink over a pencil sketch that has been scanned? If over a pencil drawing, then I guess you'd have original sketches in graphite someplace. I always dread inking over a pencil in case I screw up and loose the graphite drawing beneath the ink. 
     Finally, got any more post-apocalyptic art to add to the other collection?


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## Storn

Mutant Lord said:


> Hi Storn,
> 
> Nice stuff man! Just curious about this whole inking on the Cintiq thing. So... what size of Cintiq did you get? Also, so, you ink right outa your head or do you ink over a pencil sketch that has been scanned? If over a pencil drawing, then I guess you'd have original sketches in graphite someplace. I always dread inking over a pencil in case I screw up and loose the graphite drawing beneath the ink.
> Finally, got any more post-apocalyptic art to add to the other collection?




My Cintiq is the 22".  And I digitally ink over a scanned in pencil sketch.  Although, I've been inking traditionally for so many years, I don't really worry about losing the original pencil.  The cool thing about doing the digital, and I did this a bit in the archer above, was I digitally inked on a separate layer and I knocked back the pencil, but kept just a bit of it for some grit and texture.  Because I've inked the outside lines, clean up of any stray lines (which I usually have quite a few of, I'm a messy penciller) is a breeze.  

I don't think I've got any post-apocalyptic stuff at the moment.  No one is hiring me to do that at the moment.  


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.


----------



## Storn

First up, a couple more of the Vampire Hunters club.  I will have more details, as in a link, when that becomes available from the client.  


Joe. Vampire Hunter





Sister Howley. Vampire Hunter





Then here are two more from Death Tribble.  A shooter and a Virgin airlines air stewardess with super powers.  The model used for the Virgin airlines gal is the same model that DT ask me to use for one of our very first collaborations, Brittania.  


Shooter.





Virgin Air Stewardess super heroine


----------



## Hussar

Storn said:
			
		

> Virgin Air Stewardess super heroine




Y'know, I mentally added a pause after the first word there that totally changed the meaning of that title.


----------



## Storn

Hussar said:


> Y'know, I mentally added a pause after the first word there that totally changed the meaning of that title.




Yah, I suspect that might happen when I wrote that sentence.  Glad to see it worked!

Here are a couple of fantasy pics.  Trying to get a tad more movement and action into these  character concept shots.  It isn't always appropriate, due to the tone or personality of the character... but I try to remember to do action occasionally instead of just a pose where possible.  Let y'all be the judges... enjoy!

I've done Wilson down there twice before.  He has been upgraded with mystical armor, as per the patron's request.  






And to make this guy's 2 handed warhammer a bit on the large side.﻿  I aim to please.  Should I have pushed it even further?  To, say, some anime or online MMO stylings of large hammers?  I still shirk towards the realm of "somewhat believable .  Again, y'all be the judges!


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## Storn

..on what I can share these days.  I've got a big project on my table for a movie.  NDAs are in place, so I can only talk about it in limited fashion.  But I'm doing sorta mini-matte paintings for a fantasy movie that the actors are going to be in front of.  It is really cool, hard and fun.  

In between approvals and fixes... I will still do my private commissions, but I might not be getting quite as many of them done as before.  But here is one, just done for Death Tribble.


----------



## TheTraveler

I gotta say, this certainly gets the mind going and makes me start to think of plenty of adventures... Excellent art and beautifully done! I had to sit here and go over it all, but it was well worth it and very inspiring


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## Storn

TheTraveler said:


> I gotta say, this certainly gets the mind going and makes me start to think of plenty of adventures... Excellent art and beautifully done! I had to sit here and go over it all, but it was well worth it and very inspiring




That makes me very happy.  I hope to inspire adventure ideas!

So, the series of modern vampires and their prey and hunters I've been doing are for a collection of characters for a novel by Paul Leone.

Here is Amazon link:  http://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Vatican-Vampire-Hunters-ebook/dp/B00BRIENTS

And here is the link to his website with cool notes and background stuff:  http://paul-leone.com/miscellany/

And here is another one of the above mentioned characters, fresh off the Storn Art table.





Next up is a "post-modern" superhero...




And then we have fantasy duo versions of Caliban and Prospero


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## Storn

First off, lets get the marketing/business thing out of the way first.  Its been some time, but I just released another clipart Portfolio from LPJ Designs, the 24th!   And this is a big one, 8 pics of art!!! I really appreciate all the commissions that I get, to continue to be able to provide this reasonable priced art for indie and small publishers.  So thank you all who give me your character concepts to bring to visual life.

The link to the the portfolio is here:   http://lpjdesign.rpgnow.com/product/113898/Image-Portfolio-Platinum-Edition-24:-Storn-Cook
and remember, you can preview the entire portfolio (or any of them) before buying, so you know exactly what you are getting.  

Next up, Paul C. has me take concepts I've already illustrated, from his games, and put them into actual scenes.  It is a ton of fun and Paul's descriptions are excellent and I think I've really gotten better at painting from the practice.  

First up, Vampire and Tiefling vs. Dryder.   This is my first all-acrylic pic I've painted in quite some time.  I use acrylic often as an under painting, but after talking to fellow artists, Jeff Szuc and Steve Ellis, I decided to use clear matte medium as my glazing medium, instead of water.  I tend to like to sneak up on color with glazes and tints.  With water, I always got this kinda blotchy glazes and tints and wasn't happy with it.  With matte medium, I got a nice even distribution and it handled like oil paint.  Score!!!

And I decided to not really go for a cover format, allowing myself to use all the space, especially at the top for action.  




Commissions are my experiment time.  And this next one was a real experiment for me.  I did the WHOLE thing digital.  Now, I tend to do somewhat tight pencils for paintings.  Here are the pencils for VnT vs D above.  




V n T vs D sketch
Then I went in on that and did a fairly tight underpainting.  But here is my digital sketch, which, was made possible by my cintiq and Manga Studio 5 made the perspective stuff really quick.  So, really sketchy and loose.  Paul asked for a stone golem, which I slipped sideways in concept to a stone marble golem.  



This painting is "designed" to be a cover, even though there is no actual product for it to be on.  But after the Dryder painting, I didn't want to get lazy in thinking about that.  


And here is the finish.  I really like Manga Studio 5 more and more.  I used it for about 70% of this digital piece, bouncing to Painter and Photoshop for specific functions.  Manga Studio's pencil and oil tools are few, but I really dig their them.  And the blending tool is as good as Painters, which I love...and far superior to Photoshop's.  




So.  There you have it.  A peek behind some recent experiments.  And by the way, these are both available as prints at:  http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/storn-cook.html?tab=artwork&deleteartworkid=3825803&page=
Also, if there are any publishers who want 1st print rights at a reasonable rate for either (or both), drop me a line at storn.cook@gmail.com.  These won't ever be in a clipart portfolio, as too much time went into them as well as the specificity of their narrative.


----------



## Storn

Long Hiatus

I've been very busy this summer, some of it not art related, some of it was.  Went on a very nice vacation to Salem, Oregon with my wife to visit her daughter.  Had a wonderful time.

Came back to Grassroots here in Ithaca (Trumansburg), NY, 4 days of bands from around the globe.  Just 4 miles from our house.  Unfortunately, Millie, my wife, got some kind of allergic reaction to something and we ended up waiting in a lot of medical waiting rooms.  She is fine now.  We are not quite sure what triggered it.

And I've been working on doing "plates" (re: backgrounds) for a movie... off and on.  Which was really fun and difficult.  Lots of new terminology to learn, lots of hard mental thinking trying to marry the actors in front of the green screen to the creators vision of what the background was supposed to be.  Really neat job.  I hope to share some of that soon.

Right now, I have 3 Legend of the 5 rings card art on my table and I'm pleased with how they are coming out.  I'm doing 2 traditionally (combo of acrylic underpaint, oil finishes) and 1 digitally.  But all three start out as pencil drawings.

Commissions really took a back seat while doing the movie job.  But I've gotten a couple done recently for Death Tribble, both anthromorphics.  One, of course, is a bit of a pun... courtesy of DT.  I do love a bad pun!  Presenting Hippochondria.  Zebra was kinda interesting, because the description pushed him towards "Brick" archetype instead of the speedster like archetype.  I love going against type.  Check 'em out!


----------



## Storn

Well, my site caught hacked again, after I wiped out everything.  So, I went to Securi, spent the money and had them clean the site and together, a bit more security (hopefully) was put into place.

Meanwhile, I've been getting artwork done.  Here are a few pieces!  Here are one from Paul L., his last of his oddball religious illos he had me do.  And the Decathelete (my title) for Death Tribble as a new take on the "weaponmaster" archtype on super-hero/villain. 

Working a lot with toned paper on these, doing both pencil to darken, and white acrylic for highlights.  Then working with multiply, normal and color overlay levels in Photoshop and Manga Studio.  I'm kinda digging it.


----------



## Storn

Here is some work I did awhile ago, but got permission to post.  It is for a virtual card game for facebook, and the working title is Phaeton.  I don't know how far along it is, or quite how it is played.  But the core concept is based around some kind of school for teen supers, ala X-mansion.  

My friend Steve Ellis was lead artist and art director on this one, and it was both fun and tough to work with the constraints and character concepts he had set up.  Tough in that we have very different ways of working, especially when it comes to inking.  So, I was trying to come close to his inking style.  But that was fun too, because it pushed and prodded me to really think about how I do things and I learned a lot.

So here are a smattering of images that I done for the game.


----------



## Storn

The Devil is in the Details.

Well, in this case, Devil is coming out of the arch way.  Here is a commission done for my awesome patron, Paul C.  This one was a lot of fun to do, especially while watching my beloved Packers beat the Ravens yesterday.  (I have two monitors, so I can watch stuff while I work).  But I did the finishes this morning, early afternoon.

I had the layout in my head before starting the painting.  I pencilled both the demon and Dana there on separate paper, scanned them in, created the cathedral and statuary in Manga Studio 5, combined it all in Photoshop and then did a semi-sorta digital underpainting.

I have not released a lot of the Paul C commissions as LPJ Design Portfolios because the time that goes into them, I don’t want to release them at the price point those portfolios go for. So.  If anyone needs some 2nd use printing rights for covers or what have you, these paintings will go for a lot less than 1st use artwork.  And I will make some extra monies that is more reasonably compensation.


----------



## Storn

Painting on a different canvas

I painted on Saturday.  That is not particularly unusual for me.  What was unusual was that it was on my friend Pete’s face.  I’ve done a couple of wounds for my wife, when she does roleplaying scenarios for nursing students.  My wife is a professor of nursing and recently, she “played” a patient who had fallen and had a huge gash on her leg, bleeding.  The students have to access and figure out what to do.  It is startlingly real for 1st semester students and they get all kinds of flustered.

So.  I’ve had some experience doing blood trails, wounds and puss with cheap make up.  But Pete, who is a drummer in the heavy-metal Ire Clad, was doing a gig at the Haunt, here in Ithaca, on Saturday as a zombie.  Pigment is pigment, hopefully, I could pull this off.  So, here is my very first horror make up job.  This is all brushed on.  No cool airbrushes like on Face Off.  Pete did the clothes with a belt sander for the distressing and watered acrylic through a spray bottle for the blood.  I think his clothes came out better than the make up.  But it was a ton of fun to do.

Here be a link to Ire Clad’s own facebook page with more pics.  https://www.facebook.com/ireclad

And here are my pics!











Also, unrelated, I needed to do a warm up the other day, so I decided to do the Ten Ton Studio’s sketch challenge.  Which is DC comics’ Mad Dog.  Come on by the Mad Dog sketch challenge thread and check ‘em out.  You can vote on them too.  So, if you like one sketch in particular, please vote, you do not have to belong to Ten Ton Studios to do so.  Voting starts tomorrow (Wednesday).


----------



## Nellisir

Storn said:


> 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!!!




Naginatas are tres cool.

</g>


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## Storn

Agreed, naginatas are tres cool.

A couple of post ago, I mentioned not wanting to release the more "cover" oriented private commissions as clip art.  Well, LPJ Design and I worked out a price point that, yup!  We ARE releasing some artwork as Single Portfolio pieces.  Yes, these are more expensive, but compared to a cover, which I charge from $400.00 to $1000.00 depending on complexity, these are a STEAL!  So, if you are a publisher who needs some fantasy adventure artwork, please consider my offerings:

Check out the Single Portfolios, 1 and 2, here:

http://lpjdesign.rpgnow.com/product/121045/Image-Portfolio-Singles-001-Storn-Cook

http://lpjdesign.rpgnow.com/product/121046/Image-Portfolio-Singles-002-Storn-Cook

I'm about to enter into a contract with a ton of work that needs to be done in a month.  So my posting will probably be a bit spotty, if non existent.  I don't think I will be able to put up the artwork I will be working on for awhile.  But it is fantasy art for "digital" card game.  

But to leave you with a bit of artwork, here is another Ten Ton Studio challenge.  This week, it is Captain Marvel!  I did this sketch on vellum with pencil and black color pencil... mostly the color pencil.  I kinda like the waxiness on the smooth vellum.  

Here is the link to Ten Ton Studios.  Voting begins tomorrow on it.  

http://www.tentonstudios.com/forum/index.php?topic=9973.0

And here is the artwork in case you don't want to go over to Ten Ton.  




Shazam! It's Captain Marvel!


----------



## Storn

HUGE art dump!

Folks, I've had such a horrendous time with my failing computer.  I won't go into it, except I'm still down a video card (which I love having dual monitors, having reference on one screen while working on my Cintiq), but the rest of the machine is up and running with new motherboard, new processor, a bit more RAM, new power supply etc.

But I've been plugging away at doing art, sometimes pilfering my wife's laptop and using my ancient wacom while the main puter is all in pieces.

So, got a ton of images for you.

First up, I was honored and lucky to get a chance to do the cover for "Wield!", John Wick's RPG on being powerful, mystical, highly intelligent and cunning artifacts and trying to get that lame brain barbarian who carries you to do the things you want him to do.  Or that pathetically weak, sorcerer king to give you something for all that strength you lend him.

Check out John Wick's Kickstarter video...  http://youtu.be/UIy8j7i8l9M

On that youtube site are links to the pdf of the game itself.  Seems really cool.

So.  Without more rambling, here is the cover!  Hope you like!





Next up, I have several commissions for Death Tribble I've been meaning to get up for some time, but computer woes, deadlines and sheer inertia have prevented my from getting these up til now.

Here is a bobby with some kind of shadow powers...





Next.  Death Tribble wanted a straight up Kendo master, no apparent super gadgets or anything...




Next, we have a huminoid crocodile.  DT picked up on what I thought was pretty subtle Egyptian motifs immediately.  Can't get nuthin past that guy...




Next, a modern-ized Roman Legionnaire.  I got this one today, having put it off for deadlines for the video card game, Clash of Dragons.  I am not sure when I can show CoD artwork, still checking in with the client on that one.  But this was one I really was looking forward to doing.


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## Scott DeWar

Storn,
     I have been following your art for sometime, but when I got ill in October 2011 I lost track of a lot of threads I had followed. I am very glad to have re-found this thread.

I just want to say, as you have heard so often, Your Art ROCKS, dude! Keep up the great work!


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## Nellisir

Storn said:


> Folks, I've had such a horrendous time with my failing computer.  I won't go into it, except I'm still down a video card (which I love having dual monitors, having reference on one screen while working on my Cintiq), but the rest of the machine is up and running with new motherboard, new processor, a bit more RAM, new power supply etc.



I realized the other night that, years ago, I told you I'd buy you a beer or something when I moved to Ithaca.  I've been here five years and some months now. Let me know if you ever want it.  Or a coffee or something.


----------



## Storn

Scott, I'm glad you refound my thread!  I'm thrilled to hear that you like my stuff.  

Nellisir, drop me a line at Storn.Cook@gmail.com.  I love beer!  I will never turn down a free beer!!! 



Still waiting for my video card to show, but I am at least working.  And I can share some more recent work.  This is for an upcoming module called "The Inheritance" and definitely done in the old school aesthetic.  I did a couple of interior illos for it as well, but the credits haven't shown yet.

What is cool, is that I think the backcover was done by Jeff Dee, a very powerful and early influence on me back in the day.  Kinda neat sharing a book with a childhood hero!

Here is the link to the module:  http://www.mischiefinc.net/1a---the-inheritance.html

And here is the artwork itself.  It is acrylic underpainting with oil finishes on masonite.  Art measures 13 x 20.   I will have prints available on this one at (or if you are interested in the original, I'm selling for $750.00):  http://fineartamerica.com/featured/...-for-her-eggs-storn-cook.html?newartwork=true


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## Nellisir

Storn said:


> Scott, I'm glad you refound my thread!  I'm thrilled to hear that you like my stuff.
> 
> Nellisir, drop me a line at Storn.Cook@gmail.com.  I love beer!  I will never turn down a free beer!!!




Email sent!

I like this painting. There's something about it that reminds me of...Howard Pyle, I think. Like a dragon accidently wandered into Treasure Island.


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## Scott DeWar

What system is this module? I has first ed look to it, like you mentioned as 'old school'


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## Storn

Scott DeWar said:


> What system is this module? I has first ed look to it, like you mentioned as 'old school'




I believe it is 3rd ed Open Source-ish.  Not entirely sure about that though.  

Cancer Benefit for Danielle snapshots
My wife, Millie, is a professor of nursing at Tompkins Cortland Community College and her fellow teacher, Danielle, has been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.  She is a single mom of 4 and is an adjunct professor (no health insurance).  So, we've been involved for the last couple of months helping to put together a benefit for Danielle.  It was this last Sunday and it was amazing.  Lots of people showed.  Lots of gift baskets were raffled off.

So.  I did this painting to be raffled off.  The couple who ended up winning it were thrilled.  Saying it was to go above their fireplace and replace their picture of Jesus Christ.  That was awfully nice to hear.  That my artwork was going in lieu of Lord and Savior.  They were so happy, it was a gift to me.





Angel of Cancer Research
About 3 weeks ago, Millie and I shaved our heads in support of Danielle.  We had a mini-fundraising at TC3, where other students shaved their heads and folks paid a couple of bucks to touch Millie's head.  On Sunday, I re-shaved Millie's head for the Benefit (I wanted to do mine too, but we ran out of time and had to get there!).  Our neighbor, Denise, does these amazing face paintings and asked if she could paint Millie's head.  Viola!  Got the pic!!!




Millie's Face painting at Danielle's Cancer Benefit
I also had a table right next to Denise doing sketches for kids at the Benefit.  It was fun.  I'm only sorry that I thought of taking photos of my sketches at the tail end.  It was really interesting.  I did a lot of animals.... 3 owls, 1 buck, 1 wolf, 1 king cobra among others.  Frozen characters were also the big request, I did 3 Annas and 2 Elsas and 1 Olaf.  I haven't seen the movie yet, thankfully, my iphone could bring up reference on all of these things.  

So I got a couple of sketches from the Benefit to share.  Not the clearest snapshots, I played with them a bit digitally trying to punch the contrast in Photoshop:


----------



## Storn

Finally, I get to talk about a project that I've been sitting on for awhile!  Ribbons is a comic Kickstart, created by its writer, Justin Evans.  If the Kickstart succeeds, I get to do the art chores.  The tagline is this:  What if Las Vegas was a battleground for souls ... and you just inherited a brothel? 

Here is the link to the Kickstart page and will tell you plenty more about the Ribbons graphic novel. Including a video for folks who don't feel like reading at this very moment (but I would think folks who like comics tend to like to read!  <g>)

The link:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/851906653/ribbons

And now to tease you and hopefully entice you into backing said Kickstart, some art I've done for Ribbons!

Here is a mock up of the cover.  I slapped down that type face just to show what I was thinking while I was working on it, just to show Justin that we could possibly put the title in the lower quadrant than the more traditional, up at the top.  Not sure if that is going to stick yet.  Justin liked it.




Here is page 1 and example of the final product.  I'm doing  pencil with sorta digital washes to allow the pencil grit to come/seep through.  Which I think is appropriate for a urban mystic noir vibe, yet still be readable.




Next are pages 2 and 3 and these are just pencils and are a bit rough and sketchy (by design).  These will go to finishes if the Kickstart gets Started!


----------



## Scott DeWar

Hey, uh, Storn, erm, that might be a bit over the limits of the 'grandma rule', jus sayin.


----------



## Storn

First off, if you love comics and you haven't backed Ribbons, my possible modern mysticism noir series... you should.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/851906653/ribbons

I've got some cards and such to do, which I can't show until they are released.  At which point, I always forget to post them (reminder to me, post some AEG L5r cards that just released soon!)  But I do have some odds and ends of commissions and some doodles for a Storium game.

First up, another in Paul L's ongoing Vampire realm...




Vampire and Victim

Next, another one of death tribble's commissions.  This time it is Manta Ray (which has been used in other places).  I tried to keep him aquatic, but obviously suit like and while the DC Manta Ray was to be referenced, it wasn't to be copied out right.  I actually looked at a lot of pics of real manta rays while trying to design the costume.  I liked how it turned out.



Manta Ray

Next up was a duo commission.  Don't do those very often and this was fun.  Army Ant and Firefly.  Very specific color choices asked for by the patron.  And that AA was shorter.  As a short guy myself, I was really happy to have such a heroic guy representing us vertically challenged folk.



Army Ant and Firefly

Lastly, this was a doodle bust shot of My character in a scifi Storium game about space repo/bounty hunters.  Storium is really a cool web based game system, very simple, very elegant that I am in the beta of and am supporting through Kickstarter.  I'm really impressed.  It uses cards to overcome challenges set by the Narrator (re: GM/DM) and the cards also determine who gets to narrate the outcome of the challenge.

If you haven't checked out Storium, you should, here is the kickstart link:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/stlhood/storium-the-online-storytelling-game

And here is my doodle of my character, Alton alMazeer, ex psi-op, reluctant bounty hunter.


----------



## Storn

First off, John Wick's Wield kickstarter is off and running today!!!  And it already has met 2 of its stretch goals as I write this.  It seems like a really cool little game where you play an artifact, like Stormbringer, instead of "human" protagonist like Elric.  I posted the cover art before, but will do it again, as well as two of the interiors I did for the book.  
Here is the link to the Wield kickstart:  https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2006204732/wield-a-little-game-about-ancient-powers

And here is the cover and interiors:  









Next up is a new project for me.  I call it the bugs and drugs.  I'm working with Mitreos development and this is a Kickstarter project that already was successful before I was called in.  The idea is to take various viruses and illness as well as beneficial drugs and such, and make a fantasy world out of them.  So, for example, I was called upon to do Streptomycin.  

Here is my exact illo brief:  A shepherd (female) guarding horses, cattle, sheep, and orchards, with a glowing Shepherd's staff. She recently changed sides to the forces of good even though she used to be a bacteria (the antibiotic is actually a byproduct of bacteria)
From little I have seen, it is really neat stuff.  My wife, the nursing professor, was mildly amused too.  And from the art side, it is an interesting challenge, as the art serves quite a few masters.  There is a roleplaying tome like two page spread (so the character is alone, no background), as well as posters, as well as art for the collectible card game.  I did the art quite large for the poster size stuff and worked down from there.

Next, I'm working on Ertapenem, another "good guy" heroine drug interpretation.  

The link to their website is here:  http://bacterionomicon.com/
And the art!




Hope y'all get a kick outta the artwork.


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## Serendipity

Fascinating idea - and incredible artwork as always.  Are you doing any more interiors for the book?


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## Storn

Serendipity said:


> Fascinating idea - and incredible artwork as always.  Are you doing any more interiors for the book?




I did 4 interiors for that book.  

And I just got the word that they are doing a follow up and I will be doing the cover and more interiors for that one.


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## Storn

Well folks.  I'm at that rare crossroads of not having much work.  My schedule is wide open.  So, if you have private commissions you've always wanted to have done... let me know.  Or if you are a publisher or art director and have projects that I would be use for, please contact me.  Storn.Cook@gmail.com

I just found out that I'm doing a follow up to John Wick's Wield cover.  So I am excited about that!

And I got some images together for another clip art portfolio for LPJ Designs.  Some of the artwork is from a passion project of mine of doing a really high quality art for a fantasy web comic.  So.  I've been exploring some media and techniques to be able to do quality, yet make it fast enough that I can justify playing and not making money on it.  The below is one example of water color pencils (once drawn, you can add water and smear it around) with a bit of watercolor (just grays) on top of it.  Then digitally colored.  Louis over at LPJ even picked it to be the cover of this particular clip art collection.  

It is a fun technique for me, something fresh, as opposed to just doing pencil, then digital...because it becomes a bit more about shape than just line.  Something I'm really interested in pushing, as my comic book past is so strong and the art is SO much about line.  

Anyhoo... here is the link to the Portfolio:  http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/130508/Image-Portfolio-Platinum-Edition-30-Storn-Cook?src=sub

And here is the art:  Tal on the Run!



Next up, Death Tribble was still interested in another Manta Ray, but this time, not a techno suit, but an organic monstrosity as villain.  Which was really cool to do a variant of something I had just done recently.  This was also watercolor pencils and watercolors plus digital...
Manta Ray 2



Next up are a couple of entries into TenTon Studios weekly challenge.  I thought this one was particularly clever.  "What IF Geiger had been the art director behind Star Wars?"  What a cool mash up.  So, here are my doodles imagining such a thing....
Princess Leia via Geiger



Boba Fett via Geiger


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## Storn

Three ladies and a.. a.. what.


I got a really nice commission and a nice letter from a dad who was commissioning his daughter’s character, Ocean Princess, from their regular mutants and masterminds game.  She is 9 years old.  The dad said that they often use pics that i’ve posted over on the Green Ronin boards for their characters.

So, here is the pic:  




Next up, I did another Death Tribble commission, this time a victorian lady with what he called a “tricked up parisol”.  So, this is what i came up with, going for a femme fatale vibe.





Then I got a chance to do a Star Trek commission…not something I do all that often.





Lastly, this is a wee sketch, still trying out watercolor pencil, playing with digital watercolor on multiply layers.  This is something from a web comic idea that is slowly gestating in me head.  Hopefully, more to come…


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## Storn

This summer has been very busy.  I’ve moved my parents from their farm of 37 years and a barn full of stuff, some of it mine.  I’ve worked a longer than expected contract for a local company.  I’ve moved my step daughter from DC back to upstate NY so she could go to school.

I’ve been doing artwork, but I’ve neglected to put anything up in awhile.  Or post.

So, here are some things that I can show.  First up is a follow up to my Wield cover.  Not sure of what the follow up is going to be called (I’ve been calling in Wield 2, how original!)




Next up is Endiku, a sumerian “monster” guy done up as more Hulk superhero-y mode.




Here is the Marshal.  I will have a follow up action scene with him to do a bit later this month.



And lastly, a star trek character called Talon.


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## Scott DeWar

As usual, Its awesome! I love it. beautiful workmanship!


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## Storn

Scott DeWar said:


> As usual, Its awesome! I love it. beautiful workmanship!




Thank you Scott!  I appreciate it!

Wow.  I have done 150 (and counting) commissions for uber patron Death Tribble.  He asked me to do a vehicle of his Avatar logo (for those who haven't seen it, a ball of brown fur with cartoon eyes with an angry furrowed and flaming brow).  I've been planning this one for a long time, knowing I was going to go a bit beyond that.... so Presenting!  The Mighty Multi Morphin Death Tribble Mobile!!!!




Death Tribble Mighty Multi Morphin Moblie.
And oh yeah, I've got a couple of Fading Suns commissions to show too!


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## Storn

Scott DeWar said:


> As usual, Its awesome! I love it. beautiful workmanship!




Thank you Scott!  I appreciate it!

Wow.  I have done 150 (and counting) commissions for uber patron Death Tribble.  He asked me to do a vehicle of his Avatar logo (for those who haven't seen it, a ball of brown fur with cartoon eyes with an angry furrowed and flaming brow).  I've been planning this one for a long time, knowing I was going to go a bit beyond that.... so Presenting!  The Mighty Multi Morphin Death Tribble Mobile!!!!




Death Tribble Mighty Multi Morphin Moblie.
And oh yeah, I've got a couple of Fading Suns commissions to show too!


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## Storn

I am probably a bit late in getting this posted, but I didn't know I was going to do this until the last minute.  I'm doing the Big Draw event tomorrow (Sun, 10/26) with my friend Camilo at the Johnson Art Museum at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY!  Here is the link to the Big Draw event for locations all over the world:  http://www.thebigdraw.org/

So, if you are in the area, consider coming up the Johnson Art museum.  There are a couple of AMAZING exhibits going on at the moment.  A collection of Tawainese modern artworks, including a huge bas relief that evokes a new civilization... or maybe that is an old civilization.  Anyway, Camilo and I will be serving as psuedo art directors for a class of Ithaca College students who are to interact with this bas relief and then do a blog/'zine that is rooted in the civilization the bas relief alludes to.  

Also, a very, very cool exhibit on "Magic and Surrealism".  Some very nice juxtapositioning of magic texts, surreal art, even early movies of prestidigitation.  

Going to be a total blast.

Meanwhile, here is a private commission, thought I would show the underpainting for funsies.  The underpainting is a combo of pencil, watercolor pencil, watercolor and acrylic.  The actual painting is digital on top of that.   And oh yeah, the mandate was for a fantasy version of a certain shield wielding avenger.


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## Storn

Last night was the grand opening of the temporary art gallery down on the Ithaca Commons as part of the Ithaca International Fantastic Film Fest.  It was a hoot!!!  Steve Ellis, the coordinator of the whole dang thing, put up a 12' canvas on the wall and a bunch of us threw some acrylic paint at it.  I got pics to prove it!












So.  Top pic, from left to right Steve Ellis, Steve Walker, Fred Harper, Cesar (who's last name I don't know but he is awesome!) and Jen Lightfoot.

2nd pic, John Haeffner, Cesar and Jen.

Note for next year, prime that dang canvas!!!!

So.  Today at the IIFFF gallery, there will be a whole gaggle of us artists doing life drawing from live models from 11 to 5 today.  IF you are in the Ithaca area, want to hang out with a whole bunch of cool, weird, creative types, COME ON DOWN!  Or.  If you like horror films, man, IIFFF has some really great, unknown gems as well as a couple classics.  Please check out the link:

http://ithacafilmfestival.com/

Meanwhile, let me drop some my art on ya!  Both of these are private commissions and the tavern scene is available as part of my LPJ Design's Portfolio Single series .


Tavern Cheatin'





Here is the link to stock art:  http://www.rpgnow.com/product/139870/Image-Portfolio-Singles-007-Storn-Cook?filters=0_0_0_0

The next one will be released soon as stock art, and I will let folks when that happens.  And is another of the fantasy Cap America with the serial numbers filed off.

Marshall of the City


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## Nellisir

Storn said:


> So.  Today at the IIFFF gallery, there will be a whole gaggle of us artists doing life drawing from live models from 11 to 5 today.  IF you are in the Ithaca area, want to hang out with a whole bunch of cool, weird, creative types, COME ON DOWN!




Sure. Tell me AFTER I get home.  Sheesh.


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## Hussar

Too weird.  [MENTION=70]Nellisir[/MENTION] has a post in this thread, apparently above mine, that I cannot see and my "unread threads" list won't remove it.  Funky.


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## Storn

So, I’ve been a bit more in the public with my art than usual.  The 2nd day of the Ithaca International Fantastic Film Festival Art Gallery events was a 2 live models posing for all of us artists.  It was funny watching other artists sketch and the “table” talk was a hoot, as was the jockying for a better position to do our sketches <g>

The 2 Liz’s from Whiskey Tango Sideshow were awesome!  They brought very cool costumes and props and a lot energy and fun to their posing.  And yes!  I wasn’t making up any costuming, that is what they were actually wearing.  And yes, balancing sword on her head was held for the entire 10 min pose without a wobble.  True pros!

Thought I would share some of my sketches done that day.  Every sketch except the sitting pose with the scimitar on the shoulder was 10-20 min poses.  The scimitar on the shoulder was a 40 min pose.

3 poses





Headmistress Liz





Sitting Liz





A few weeks ago, I talked about a doing some art at the Johnson Art Museum at Cornell University.  This was a sketch I did then based on the “future civilization” of this massive instillation from China.

Future father


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## Storn

Here are a couple of concepts I have done for Death Tribble.

We have Sea Slug and Ghost Train.  I will let you guess which one is which.  

I am pretty happy with how both of these turned out, there is something really fun with dealing with color in a very non-comic book way, ie, no real inked lines, but still reading as a comic book concept.  The original of Sea Slug didn't have any inked lines, I actually came in AFTER the color and did those digitally with Manga Studio 5.  About the only program I can even approach a decent ink job with.  I have a really hard time inking with Photoshop or Painter, but Manga Studio 5 does the trick for me.


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## Storn

Back from the ashes of yesterday... 

After years of hiatus, I will be in the Champions game (RDU: Red Dragon Universe) run by Neil C. again.  We are putting the band back together, using Roll20, Skype and such, hopefully starting soon.  We've been doing tons of emails back and forth.  

I have been inspired to draw the characters, although I only have 3 done.  I have to switch gears slightly to finish some interiors for Golden Age Champions.  
The New Pioneers are a group brought together after a decade long alien invasion of our original game.  My character, Hope,  is actually the daughter of my first RDU character, Vector.  Her red sleeve represent Mars, where she grew up and the blue one represent Earth.  Her powers are strength, mini-brick from her grandfather, Ultraman and light powers from her grandmother, Lady White.  She has some empathic abilities and strong mental defenses from her mom.  I eschewed telekinesis, because I played her dad, Vector, for years.  I've done pretty much everything I ever wanted to do with telekinesis over that time.  

The Terran, played by Joe C, is a martial artist, with earth shaping abilities.  Picked by the Gaea like force to heal the world.  We haven't played yet, so I don't know all he can do.  

Krys is a being of pure Crystaltech, given sentience during the long alien invasion.  Crystaltech was a HUGE plot point for years in RDU.   Played by Bill S.  He has the ability to mimic almost any energy ability.  

The campaign will be trying to rebuild Earth and reconnect it to the Mars colony.  Mankind has been devastated, population is down to 1 billion souls.  I am really looking forward to the next chapter of RDU.  










More to come, perhaps next week.  I still have Myrk, Shocks and The Blue to still do.  And oh yeah, I want to do a pic of our shuttle craft too.


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## Storn

My character, Hope, grew up on Mars and has a passing familiarity with spaceships and various vehicles.  I believe Myrk also has piloting as one of his skills.  Neil, the GM, sent out an email describing our approach to the Spire using the STS-014m, built at the martian shipyards and is a space shuttle and VTOL.  So damn… I had to draw that!

My sketch was done at lunch yesterday.. the prelim pencils were so quick, but I gotta love Clip Art Studio’s curve and straight line tools, much simpler than photoshops.  This is not a finished piece of work, just a quick, mostly digital doodle.  But it gets the concept across.  Hope affectionately calls the ship, “The Stork”


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## Storn

I shared a couple of pics from my upcoming Champions game earlier.  I’ve gotten a couple more done and now that is up as a Clip Art portfolio from LPJ Designs for publishers who might need some super hero art.  You can preview all 5 pics before you purchase.  And I have several fantasy and super hero clip art collections that might fit publishers needs in addition to the newest one.

http://www.rpgnow.com/product/202529/Image-Portfolio-Platinum-Edition-38-Storn-Cook?

Here are a couple of the pics that have not been posted yet that are in that collection.

We have The Blue, a Lemurian immortal mage, now coming out of seclusion to help rebuild the world.  Played by Geoff.  An extensive multipower of water based magics.






And we have Myrk, a hybrid of two alien races, one of which looks quite huminoid, the Tresselaines.  The published Herculon from Champions Enemies is a Tresselaine (I believe).  He was on Earth during the 10 year Invasion War fighting for Earth.  He is a brick with certain fungus and plant abilities like stretching due to vines and spikes.  Played by Rick.


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## Storn

Here is a private commission I finished a few days ago.  For a D&D game, hence potions and hand axes had to be incorporated somehow into the image.  He wanted a somewhat action shot.  Hope I succeeded.  Coming to a clip art portfolio near your home town soon!


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## Storn

This was a full page illustration that got away.  In the sense that it is supposed to be an interior illustration.  But the thumbnails that were more scaled to a interior didn’t suit the client.  He wanted a sense of scale and wanted bad guys and good guys and pretty specific visuals on the good guys.  This turned into full blown cover in its detail.  Took me forever.  I certainly lost money on this one.

But sometimes you have to take a bullet for the team.  It is better to have a happy client than to finish something too fast.


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## Storn

I used to partake occasionally in a contest over at Ten Ton Studios. I had a lunch hour free and thought I would do my first Ten Ton Studio challenge in several years. If you are a member of Ten Ton, you get to vote on the winner. This week's challenge is Superboy. The challenge just started and runs to 9am Thursday. Not a lot of time to get stuff in. But it is always fun to see what is produced.

Link to Ten Ton Studio Superboy challenge here: http://www.tentonstudios.com/forum/index.php?topic=10773.0

I did my entry in pencil, ink and color pencil.


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## Storn

Anyhow, I got asked to do a goblin who is a PC and is a kick ass monk for a D&D game.  That is a cool concept.  The patron was even specific with the pose.  So I hope I did the kung fu goblin justice!


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## Storn

So, my mother in law died last week, early Monday morning, to be specific.  Sad, but expected.  She was 80.  Much beloved.   I was in Puerto Rico for the funeral and just got back in last night, late.  But right before she died, I had done some artwork for commissions, the two superhero pieces.  

Happy accident time!  I totally had a dyslexic moment and the Honey Badger commission called for a male.  But in my brain, I thought I had read female and I drew Honey Badger as a woman villain. (It was the term "Honey" that threw me, so sexist of me).  The patron really liked it and didn't take me up on my offer to redraw her as a man after I found out my mistake.

I also really like the Cloud concept.  He is a shapechanging, digital entity who resides in the Cloud.  That is a scary concept, guess you have to lure him out to like rural-off-the-grid New Mexico or Canada in order to truly defeat him.  Good luck with that y'all.   

And I fooled around on a painted piece after watching Steve Prescott's painting video with heavy body acrylics.  After pestering Steve and asking a few questions about heavy body acrylics, which I had never used, I went and got a couple of tubes (burnt sienna, white, black).  I had doodled that drawing in my toned color sketch book and despite it being fairly thin paper, I went to town with the acrylics.  

The underpainting is the heavy body acrylic, but the color work was done with some guoache I had lying around.  Bottom line;  I really like the Liquitex heavy body acrylics, they stay wet a nice long time.  Easier to blend and mix.  So thanks Steve!


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## Storn

My entry in the latest Ten Ton Studios weekly challenge;  The Riddler.



Remember, you can swing by Ten Ton Studios and see all the art and even vote on your favorite (hint: vote on mine, that would be nice), later this week (after 9 am Thursday till 9 am Friday).


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## Storn

Let me tell you about my character.... I hope y'all don't dread those words.  At least this time, this character concept comes with a picture!

In my Thursday night role playing game, we are just starting out with Unknown Worlds, a Apocalypse Engine game ( like Dungeon World) but the genre is science fiction.  Pete, our GM, had been reading the Expanse books and is now watching the show and it is a big influence on our game.

So, set in our solar system, no Faster than Light, no Artificial Gravity.  Earth has a lot of rocks dropped on it by Mars 5 years ago and it is a Mad Max sort of place.  Luna has become the banking Switzerland of the solar system after Earth "fell".  Mars is a techno marvel, terraforming happening at an amazing place, one can walk outside without breathing equipment for short periods.  

My character, Tremaine "Trey" Sinclair, is from Europa.  Europa colonies are in the buried oceans under the ice, and are heavily into the bio-sciences, including gene splicing and manipulation.  Trey is Homo Aquaticus, he is amphibian, can breath under water, notice the gills and webbed, large hands in the picture.  He is a pilot (both submarine and starship) and yearned to see the outside world.  Left Europa to explore the "other" oceans (both stars and Earth's own oceans).  He is the pilot of the "Flying Fin" which was a museum on Earth as it was one of the first Europa probe ships (both starship and submersible), recently salvaged from the Atlantic off of Africa, by a Luna corporation with the Trey and the other characters help.  

It is a really interesting game as Unknown Worlds really lends itself to easy character creation with totally interesting results.  The world building we are doing is awesome!  I look forward to next week quite a bit!


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## Storn

A fun private commission that I got to do.  A Star Wars character.   I don't have a ton to say about it, although it was a totally digital creation.  Usually I do a pencil sketch, but this time I wanted to work a bit more with my cintiq.  The initial scribbles where done on separate layers, along with some reference that patron gave me.  I did this at work during lunch over a few days.  The camo texture was provided by the patron.


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## Storn

Scimitar and Buckler, variant on Sword -n- Board.  Here is another lunch time doodle.  Going for some rich colors while trying to make it readable.  Hope I succeeded.  I like working in vignettes like this, with the negative space allowed to exist almost abstractly.


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## Hussar

Y'know, that style of, what did you call it, a vignette?  - would make absolutely fantastic tokens for virtual tabletop.  Shrink that down to a 50 pixel square and give it a transparent background, and a series done in this style would be very, very cool.  Much more interesting than the usual top down perspective where all you see is a helmet and someone's nose.


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## Storn

Hussar said:


> Y'know, that style of, what did you call it, a vignette?  - would make absolutely fantastic tokens for virtual tabletop.  Shrink that down to a 50 pixel square and give it a transparent background, and a series done in this style would be very, very cool.  Much more interesting than the usual top down perspective where all you see is a helmet and someone's nose.




Yes, that would be a vignette.  I do sell some fantasy tokens over on Roll20 and I was waiting until I had enough of them to warrant another grouping of them.  I was very much going to do exactly what you suggest.  
Thanks for thinking of it though, because it is something I should revisit soon.


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## Storn

Here is a doodle, I was experimenting with a very loosed pencil sketch.  I wanted to see if I could work with that when I went to the paint.   I tend, especially with fantasy, to be a "bit" tighter with the pencil work.  

But I was quite happy that it came out the way that it did.  The face changed a bit, now looking at it, I like the angle of the pencil a little better than the finished.  Although I like the paint application in the face.  Ah, I'm picky.  

This piece, plus 4 others, are my latest Fantasy Clip Art portfolio from LPJ Design, available here: http://lpjdesign.rpgnow.com/product/207458/Image-Portfolio-Platinum-Edition-39-Storn-Cook

The preview of the Portfolio wasn't working for a bit, but it is working now.


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## Storn

Thursday night is my game night.  One of the other players is the amazing artist, Steve Ellis, http://steveellisart.com/.  We often talk art, share tips, what we are working on and the like.  This last Thursday, I came with a 1/2 sheaf of this thin yellow toned paper I had found at Hobby Lobby, because we both like working on toned paper.  To give to Steve so he could play with it too.  He, totally coincidentally, brought me a 1/2 sheaf of gray toned paper which had some tooth to it and some real thickness, like 80 lb or something.  

The yellow that i gave him  is really thin, only good for sketching, although the piece below that I doodled, was not inked, it did seem to hold up to some inking I did in the corner. I really like that yellow paper is not so dark that my prelim pencil lines are tough to see, which happens in anything nearing midtone paper.  But it is still dark enough that white pencil or white ink still is a viable way to work in the lights.   




I did two sketches (see below) Thursday night, one was of our actual player character, Xian Xiang, our diplomat turned spy turned ship captain in our Uncharted Worlds game.  And the hatchet guy.  I gave Xian to our player Mike and so the snap is with my iphone, the color of the background with this paper is much more french gray than the tan that the iphone picked up.  The hatchet guy was scanned this weekend and so it shows a bit closer what Steve's gray paper is like... but still came out a bit lighter and warmer than in real life, but it is off by only 5%.  

But Steve's paper has quite a bit of texture.  Which I don't love when I go with toned sketches to some kind of digital finish, because I tend to work with multiply and that texture can sometimes look crappy.  But because the paper was fairly thick, how would it stand up to acrylic paint?  Quite well, I think.  The paper did buckle just a small amount due to me using thin washes at time.  Steve Prescott (another fabulous artist: http://prescottartblog.blogspot.com/ who I happened to go to school with) turned me onto some heavy body acrylics of late and I'm enjoying them.  Can't wait to use them as an underpainting for an actual oil painting sometime soon.  







I love when art is play, because that is when some cool learning happens.


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## Storn

Across 110th Street

Ten Ton Studios has their new weekly challenge up.  http://www.tentonstudios.com/forum/index.php?topic=10784.0

This week it is Misty Knight.  Now, I'm not a huge Iron Fist/Power Man comic book aficionado, but the very first thing I thought of when I read the challenge was Bobby Womack's amazing soul tune, "Across 110th street" (I've yet to see the movie, although I payed homage to the movie poster too.  Tunage here:  https://youtu.be/UOg_8hCC4u4).  I met my wife and lived in Spanish Harlem at the ages of 19-21.  I lived on E119th street, Harlem was close by.    

Watching Luke Cage on Netflix was like going home for me.  Luke Cage is my favorite Netflix Marvel show so far and I LOVED Jessica Jones and Daredevil.  I was a bike messenger and would often cut through Harlem from Spanish Harlem to pick up packages at Columbia University (and then bike downtown).  One time, I even delivered to the Apollo Theater!  That was a thrill.  

So I am paying homage to stomping grounds of my youth.   Now, I wish I could get some of those empanadas from 116th street.

pencil and inked on marker paper, scanned, digital colors


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## Knightfall

Since I added some of @Storn's art to the EN World Art Show thread, I figured his thread needed a bump up so newcomers to the site can see more of his artwork. Cheers!


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