Artist Spotlight: Stephanie Brown of Offbeat Worlds

Tomorrow we’ll be revealing the cover of Wings, sequel to Scales in the Spirits of Chaos series by Nicole Conway. The covers for both Scales and Wings were illustrated by the incredibly talented Stephanie Brown of Offbeat Worlds. Since Stephanie has done two AMAZING covers for us, we thought it would be a great time to help you get to know her a bit better!

Thanks for joining us, Stephanie! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hi, so happy to be here! I’m a freelance digital illustrator who mostly specializes in D&D/fantasy characters. I also have a number of fantasy, scifi, and horror stories that I’ve been working on for years in my spare time, including creating art of my original characters.

What made you want to be an artist?

I was always kind of good at it, and I also loved to create stories. In high school I finally realized that I could use art to help present my stories in a visual way, and decided to go to an art school in college to pursue that path. I also had a great teacher in high school who encouraged me a lot.

What types of illustrations do you like working on the most?

This might sound kind of shallow, but I love painting pretty people. My favorite illustrations to work on are of handsome boys and beautiful girls in lovely dresses or cool armor. But strangely I also like to paint scars and injuries. And any kind of illustration that takes me out of my comfort zone with color, as I use way too much blue in my work.

Who/what are some of your influences when it comes to your art?

Movies are definitely a huge influence. One of my professors in college once called my work “cinematic illustration” and I completely embraced that. Other artists’ work that I admire is also a huge influence, I’m always looking to them for inspiration. One of my biggest influences to this day, even though she hasn’t posted anything new in many years, is digital painter Linda Bergkvist.

What was challenging about working on Scales and Wings?

I think the biggest challenge was just painting all of those dragon scales and horns on the characters! Haha. Actually it was trying to make the two characters on the covers look similar but also different in their design.

What was fun about working on Scales and Wings?

Definitely painting the characters themselves, designing how they look, giving them expression and life. And of course the dramatic lighting, especially on Scales.

What’s the coolest thing that has happened so far in your career as an artist?

I always feel so blessed when awesome opportunities come up, it’s hard to pick the coolest one. I think probably the coolest thing is just that I have the best followers. Even though their numbers might be smaller compared to others, they are all so awesome, they leave the nicest comments, and they’re super supportive. They’re just the best.

What are your favorite movies, TV shows, or books?

Movies: Lord of the Rings, Mad Max: Fury Road, Brendan Fraser’s The Mummy, Inception, How to Train Your Dragon, Rogue One, and many more. Like I said, movies are a huge influence.

TV shows: Haunting of Hill House, Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Xena: Warrior Princess, Brooklyn 9-9.

Books: Harry Potter, Six of Crows, the Illuminae Files, the Obsidian Trilogy

Any tips for aspiring artists?

Don’t give up. Keep practicing and studying, and always experiment. Play with colors and style. Practice is something that cannot be skipped, and should never be stopped either, but you can have fun with it by trying new things. I am constantly pushing myself with each new piece of work, whether it’s a commission or a personal work. It’s the only way to grow.

Where can we find you online?

I’m @offbeatworlds on all social media, and my website is offbeatworlds.com. You can also find me on Patreon at patreon.com/offbeatworlds.

Thank you so much, Stephanie! We loved learning more about you, and we’re absolutely in love with the cover art you’ve done for us. Hopefully we’ll work together again soon! 

Follow Stephanie on social media or jump to her page to see more of her amazing work! And don’t forget to join us tomorrow for the incredible cover reveal.