Art by Storn

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 12:32 pm

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.

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MrJupiter · Post by **MrJupiter** » Mon Oct 14, 2013 2:40 pm

Hey Storn, I love the comic panel art pieces done in your last post. They look great and really had me wanting to see them as part of a complete comic story.

Also, The Devil is a great piece. I was suprised to learn that it was actually composed of three separate elements all brought together to form the final result. It looks like they were all made as one organic undertaking. It looks great and would be a great piece for someone else's appropriate product (and at a great discount to boot)!

How much lead time would you give a commisioned piece before openning it up for other commercial use? I think that this is a great for generic, non-intellectual property works.

Artists should be able to continue to profit from their works, in some form or another, after the original use of the art is in the wind-down of the product life-cycle.

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 1:04 pm

That is a good question Mr. Jupiter.

I guess it depends on what the piece is and does it fit into the next portfolio compilation or not. Sometimes, I turn it over to LPJ Designs in a couple of days. Sometimes it can be 6 months down the road. I know that is a wishy washy answer, but I don't really have just one process for this.

Thank you so much for the comments and the question.

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Tue Oct 29, 2013 1:35 pm

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).

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Tue Nov 05, 2013 1:19 pm

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/121 ... Storn-Cook

http://lpjdesign.rpgnow.com/product/121 ... 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/inde ... pic=9973.0

And here is the artwork in case you don't want to go over to Ten Ton.

Shazam! It's Captain Marvel!

MrJupiter · Post by **MrJupiter** » Tue Nov 05, 2013 7:34 pm

Wow, Storn. That is a great sketch of Captain Marvel. You probably won't need a lot of it, but good luck on the competition!

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 2:57 pm

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.

MrJupiter · Post by **MrJupiter** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 12:45 am

It sucks to lose a computer. Hopefully it won’t be too long before you get your new one set up again. Your picture for “Wield” is really great. The character is very engaging, and the sword looks fantastic (almost like the glowing blade is the dragon’s breath weapon).

The transparent section of the Legionnaire’s shield is a fantastic idea. In fact the overall design for it is great.

Croc-Man is really great. Excellent scale-work on the character (so good in fact, that he might end up as a pair of boots or a woman’s handbag)! The grey-blue cuffs, belt and boots really work well against the skin tone.

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Mon Mar 03, 2014 10:26 am

Thank you Mr. Jupiter, I really appreciate your keen comments and observations.

Here is some more!

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/galv ... twork=true

MrJupiter · Post by **MrJupiter** » Mon Mar 03, 2014 4:23 pm

It looks like a copper dragon (at least by standard DnD categorizations) standing at the edge of the forest, looking somewhat resentfully at the village beyond the fields. Great work. I love seeing these kind of images as much as action scenes depicting heroes in battle with monsters, wizards, warriors, or whatever. These serene scenes really help to establish the feel of a fantasy world (it's not always epic battles).

I think that you've got a great idea going on by offering prints of your work. I hope that you get a decent cut from their sales.

Post by **BASHMAN** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 5:43 pm

Those look really neat, Storn.

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Tue Apr 01, 2014 11:51 am

MrJupiter wrote:It looks like a copper dragon (at least by standard DnD categorizations) standing at the edge of the forest, looking somewhat resentfully at the village beyond the fields. Great work. I love seeing these kind of images as much as action scenes depicting heroes in battle with monsters, wizards, warriors, or whatever. These serene scenes really help to establish the feel of a fantasy world (it's not always epic battles).

I think that you've got a great idea going on by offering prints of your work. I hope that you get a decent cut from their sales.

Thanks Mr. Jupiter!!! I really responded to artwork in games in the past that sorta imagined the worlds settings as well. Doing the serene stuff if just as fun as doing the action stuff. In fact, if I have done a ton of action stuff, I really yearn for doing more non-violent storytelling. And vice versa.

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 · Post by **Storn** » Wed Apr 02, 2014 9:45 am

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!

MrJupiter · Post by **MrJupiter** » Wed Apr 02, 2014 7:09 pm

Wow! Great stuff all around. The ribbons mock-up looks fantastic and I can see what you mean about offsetting the title. It creates a great effect and will look incredible with colour!

The washed effect used on page 1 is great (especially the background scenery view. Revealing the bare sketches of the next two pages really peaks my curiosity. This looks like a great graphic novel idea and really hope the campaign is a knock-out success.

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Thu Apr 24, 2014 11:12 am

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/st ... lling-game

And here is my doodle of my character, Alton alMazeer, ex psi-op, reluctant bounty hunter.