Art by Storn

MrJupiter · Post by **MrJupiter** » Fri Apr 25, 2014 5:04 pm

Ribbons looks like a really great web comic story and the b/w art you have done for it is fantastic. I really hope that the Kickstarter for it is successful (I can’t contribute right now, but I gave it a share on Facebook).

Your vampire picture is very good. I really like how it captures the wet and gloomy alleyway of an old city. Details, like having the flowing blood follow the contours of the victim’s neck muscles and collarbone, are a real nice touch.

Firefly and Army Ant are excellent insect-themed heroes. I really like colours, symbols and styling for the costumes of both characters. Your Storium, sci-fi character looks great and I love the hair streaks. His name, Alton alMazeer, sounds cool.

I love the design for Manta Ray! Great job of incorporating the technological elements into the costume, Storn. The headpiece is great and the gill-like structures at the character’s shoulders really add to the design. I honestly like this costume more than the one for Black Manta. It’s probably because the helmet (which looks more interesting on your Manta Ray piece) incorporates the manta-like cape.

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Thu May 15, 2014 12:50 pm

Thanks Mr. Jupiter!!

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/20 ... ent-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.

MrJupiter · Post by **MrJupiter** » Sun May 18, 2014 9:35 am

WIELD is certainly an interesting twist on powerful magic item possession concept (who wields what/ what wields who) and the sword for the cover looks great and is obviously the centerpiece that the viewers eye is drawn toward. Great work! Also, both of the interior art pieces are well done and imaginative. Did you envision the dragon-girl’s talisman/necklace as the artifact power source?

As for BACTERIONOMICON, wow! Not only is this a novel approach to a fantasy world, but it is certainly done with amazing style. Readers of this book will sure learn some names of nasty, vile microbes and helpful medicines for real world bacteria and drugs. It actually looks cool!

Streptomycen, with her varicose vein-like markings and pale skin, definitely looks like a character that has come from something unhealthy and yet you have still managed to render her to be quite beautiful. The glowing nodules on her staff are a great touch!

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:01 am

MrJupiter wrote:WIELD is certainly an interesting twist on powerful magic item possession concept (who wields what/ what wields who) and the sword for the cover looks great and is obviously the centerpiece that the viewers eye is drawn toward. Great work! Also, both of the interior art pieces are well done and imaginative. Did you envision the dragon-girl’s talisman/necklace as the artifact power source?

As for BACTERIONOMICON, wow! Not only is this a novel approach to a fantasy world, but it is certainly done with amazing style. Readers of this book will sure learn some names of nasty, vile microbes and helpful medicines for real world bacteria and drugs. It actually looks cool!

Streptomycen, with her varicose vein-like markings and pale skin, definitely looks like a character that has come from something unhealthy and yet you have still managed to render her to be quite beautiful. The glowing nodules on her staff are a great touch!

Thanks Jupe! You always have such nice things to say!!!

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:04 am

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/1 ... ok?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

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Thu Jun 05, 2014 3:31 pm

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…

MrJupiter · Post by **MrJupiter** » Sun Jun 08, 2014 10:21 pm

Great pieces, Storn, form the reinterpreted Star Wars characters, to the watercolour, speed paintings of the satyr-legged beast or “Tal on the Run”. The Death Tribble, femme-fatale and the Star Trek commissions are really impressive. My two favorite works from these latest batches are the 2nd interpretation of the Manta-Ray and the Ocean Princess.

The manta-man has a great menacing look that fits perfectly with this manta-monster interpretation. The picture inspired a couple of ideas that I wish I could afford to explore. I don’t know if he transforms into this manta-form or just evolved this way but I wonder what he might look like if his shorts were instead, some kind of dark, scaled, carapace-like material with a more natural, evolved feel but yet still serve to hide his unmentionable parts. Also, it might be a neat thing to see his arms incorporated into his wings (either fully integrated or partially so, toward his mid-forearm area).

Ocean Princess is a very fun picture. I really like that she is seen wearing modest swimwear rather than the bikini attire that most other aquatic females seem to find more fashionable. I agree with the dad that your superhero art postings make a great resource for original super characters. I really like it when players want to make a character that isn't Batman, Captain America, or some other well known super. Your pictures can inspire players to create heroes that are freshly unique.

Speaking of your super art, I'm looking forward to seeing what characters will be in Basic Action Game’s upcoming CROOK BOOK 2.

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 10:44 am

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.

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Fri Sep 26, 2014 9:44 am

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!

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Sat Oct 25, 2014 7:57 am

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.

MrJupiter · Post by **MrJupiter** » Sun Oct 26, 2014 8:36 pm

Great arty postings, Storn. I love the Vulcan and the Death Tribble, Multi Morphing Mobile! Your last two pieces, the water-colour under painting and the finished piece featuring the Cap-inspired Marshal, is fantastic. I really like seeing the Mind-Flayers in the Cthulhu inspired setting of the image. Thanks to the Fiend Folio, I was exposed to Mind Flayers long before I knew anything about H.P. Lovecraft or the Call of Cthulhu rpg. Its funny how I never really made that connection between those two tentacle-mouthed creatures before seeing this. I had always equated the Mind Flayer name with the psionics rules for DnD instead of the mind-shaking effects of witnessing a Cthulhic horror from beyond! Thanks for the insight!

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Sat Nov 15, 2014 11:15 am

MrJupiter wrote:Great arty postings, Storn. I love the Vulcan and the Death Tribble, Multi Morphing Mobile! Your last two pieces, the water-colour under painting and the finished piece featuring the Cap-inspired Marshal, is fantastic. I really like seeing the Mind-Flayers in the Cthulhu inspired setting of the image. Thanks to the Fiend Folio, I was exposed to Mind Flayers long before I knew anything about H.P. Lovecraft or the Call of Cthulhu rpg. Its funny how I never really made that connection between those two tentacle-mouthed creatures before seeing this. I had always equated the Mind Flayer name with the psionics rules for DnD instead of the mind-shaking effects of witnessing a Cthulhic horror from beyond! Thanks for the insight!

I love me some Illithid as baddies myself!

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/Im ... rs=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

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Tue Nov 18, 2014 7:51 pm

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

Post by **BASHMAN** » Mon Nov 24, 2014 12:50 am

Very cool. I especially like the ones with Captain You Know Who and the Squid People.

Storn · Post by **Storn** » Wed Feb 04, 2015 7:03 pm

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.