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.

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”

Thanks folks for the nice words.

If Neil does a recap somewhere, I will clue y'all in.

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.

So, the pic of Medusa as a super hero didn’t quite meet Death Tribble’s request. I missed the part that she was to be a patriotic super hero. So I did another version, but I admit, I was pretty subtle with the flag motif on her outfit. DT wanted it to be pushed a bit more and I came up with the final version for him. I will present all three for your viewing curiosity. Showing that sometimes, you have to sneak up on a concept. Also, I did a crossbowman for yuks. I had doodled him awhile ago. Version 1. Version 2. Version 3. Crossbow guy!

I really don't do much superhero art anymore. Been really working in the fantasy genre more.. My long time patron Death Tribble gave me the challenge of doing Medusa as a super heroine. Seemed like fun and it was. I gave her a jaunty pose and smile. He asked for a long, slinky outfit, but I felt that was kinda in the vein of a villain, so I gave her a skirt, semi-grecian, instead. Hope he doesn’t mind. What do y’all think? Next are a couple of images from Green Ronin’s Cosmic Handbook. Got to trout out my Kirby homage and my love of sword and planet motifs. I went with some super vibrant colors on these both, trying for “alien and cosmic” after looking at a lot of what Kirby did back in the day.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

I remember doing some artwork for him, yah! I think it was some pulp stuff, right? (and forgive me if I'm remembering that wrong.... i have done a lot of commissions over the years)

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!

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.

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…

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

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.

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.

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.

The maid is much more than a maid. She is a main character and my favorite in what I've read of the script.

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!

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!

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: