The Town Herald

The netpaper about Elftowners, by Elftowners, for Elftowners.

Featured Cover Artist: Dr.No

Interview by [Kaimee], Intro by [Kaimee] & [Mordigen]

When it came down to choosing our Featured Artist for this issue, it was a hands down choice for Elftown Artist [Dr.No].
A 27 year old graphic artist hailing from Canada, Noah Stacey has an astounding and unique style of work that is both haunting and inspiring.
His pieces are known not only all over ET and fellow artist community DeviantART, in which his amazing visions and great attention to detail create images that jump off the page and strike up the imagination, but to gamers worldwide with his amazing concept and 3D pieces.
His unique style, though best known for his intriguing and somewhat disturbing subjects, range through a variety of subject matters and genres from the disturbing to the absolutely enchanting.
All of his pieces hold the same great detail that creates a not only beautiful image, but visions that seem to move from the page and spring to life. They work their way into our own thoughts and imaginations, provoking our own muses and creativity.
You could spend hours browsing through his galleries, but each time you return it's as if you're seeing them for the first time, the fresh and exciting images divulging more detail each and every time you explore them. 
Something new seems to come to life - something that you hadn't notice before.
It is no surprise we Heralders chose Noah as cover artist for our latest theme "Gothic Nightmares", as his incomparable talent for creating magnificent, intimidating and yet intriguing beasts and monsters is only surpassed by the extreme technical skill he employs to create them.
These dark and provoking images show great attention to even the smallest detail and undeniable talent in both the traditional medias as well as his forays into 3D graphic work. In all aspects, Elftowner [Dr.No] was the perfect choice for our feature cover artist, and Noah, we'd like to congratulate and thank you for lending your remarkable piece to the Herald's cover this issue, and keep up the fantastic work for all of us to enjoy time and time again.

--Heralders [Kaimee] & [Mordigen]



Name & Age: Noah - 27
Country of Origin & Residence: Vancouver, Canada!
Partners or Children: Many partners in crime.
Work: Artist.
Hobbies: Playing in Noobie Noobinson and the Double Boomskees, extreme hackeysack, buying fancy nerd toys, elaborate practical jokes, keeping a very loose grip on reality.

Education: Vancouver Film School
Other Training: Masters degree in Debauchery.
Favourite Medium and Techniques: Any digital program and a Cintiq.

Favourite authors and books: Any Chuck Palahniuk, Tom Robbins, Bentley Little....
Favourite artists: Wayne Barlowe, Dusso.
Most inspirational story, artwork, author, game or artist: Wow, broad question. Mmmmm, I'd have to say Wayne Barlowes paintings have had the biggest impact on my style.

Where your work has previously been published: Movies, video games, art galleries.
Where your work is available for sale: Galleries in Vancouver.
Where can you be contacted professionally: pallestrin@hotmail.com

How did you get started with your art, how long have you been drawing?
It was weird - I never used to be an artist. I was just a skater-drummer punk party-boy from White Rock until I was 20 - then I dropped out of high-school and went to art school and basically discovered myself. So I guess I've been drawing for 7 years.

Where does your art fit into your life, ie., hobby, career, entire life...?
Well I have a full-time career as an artist at Relic Entertainment, and I do a lot of freelance jobs after hours, so I guess you could say it's a major part of my life, Art and music are my twin passions.


How would you describe your pieces?
Hmmmm. Wierd. Varied.

What sort of technique do you use when painting or drawing?
Intuition. Exploration. Zest.

What would you consider your favourite or best piece and why?
I don't really pick favorites, but if I had to, I might say the piece called "ART". Its sort of a quasi self-portrait....

What piece is most important to you? Tell us it’s story!
The most important pieces would probably be the actual paintings I've done for lovers and friends. The new Noobie Noobinson cover is pretty hawt though. :-P

Where do you see your art going, are there any different styles, artists or subjects you’d like to experiment with?
I'd love to produce more high-end 3D cinematics - which is exactly what I'm cookin right now!

Will you stay with your current style/subjects, or do you think you’ll branch out?
I don't even think about it. Just paint each day as it comes.

Tell us about your life, and how your art fits into your life:
I live in a bohemian fantasy world in a groovy west end apartment by the beach which is full of 8 foot canvases and fancy computers and bass guitars and wierd artists and beer bottles and wires and smoke. I'm irresponsible, I'm super happy, I'm pretty wierd, I stay up insanely late and I basically haven't grown up at all.

What do you have to say to those aspiring Elftown fantasy artists and writers?
I'd say what will really set you apart is if you can focus all your artistic talent on a major project, instead of little, standalone sketches. Say you did 200 sketches last year, well, imagine if all of those were for a book or something! Dream up something grand, and then ROCK it.

What would you love to see from them, what do you warn them against, and what do you think they should remember?
I'd like to see more original styles - which is hard when there's soooo much art out there thats already been done. I'd warn against taking criticism too seriously - don't let anyone discourage you. Always remember - before you draw - forget everything you know about art!

What does your role as artist at Relic entail? I have to say, I rather like what comes out of that company! :P
Me too! I mostly do 3D modeling / texturing and concept art, but I sometime do more technical things like physics rigs and such. I also excel at showing up late and imbibing large amounts of coffee.


Are you in the games industry for life? Do you have any secret and scary ambitions of one day starting up your own games or 3D work company, or are you just enjoying working on some cool projects at the moment?
Totally not in the games industry for life, as most of what I do outside of work has to do with film or music. But it is a really nice industry to have a job in.....


We see a lot of your photoshop work up on the net, but is there more 3d work hidden somewhere?
Haha, there is - hidden is exactly right. :-P
I'm actually compiling my new 3D portfolio right now, so all the crazy new stuff will be up sometime in the near future.


Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of irresponsible adulthood, but are there any nagging thoughts of one day 'growing up'?
Haha, well not really, I dont plan on getting a car (I dont even have my drivers license!) or having kids or anything anytime soon, but it just depends where I am and what I'm doing - if I'm in a meeting or something I can do a really convincing "professional attitude". (But it's just an elaborate ruse!) That's usually not even required though - all real progress I've ever made has come through just openly being myself.


Based on the sudden change to artist at ago 20, can we predict a sudden change to.. oh, I don't know, investment banker or some such later on in life, or have you really found your calling?
Haha, no art and music are definitely my calling: I hear the whispers of the Art Gods on the tail end of every breeze, and their magic rages just beneath the surface of my everyday life.....


Are you in it for the money? :P
Pfff! Excuse moi madame? No, I was doing pretty much the exact same thing now as I was when i was a starving artist fresh out of school, living at friends houses, doing odd art jobs like chalkboard menus for Italian restaurants......I spent my years in the trenches. Every artist I've known who has seen real success just got to a point in their life where money didn't really matter - art was the most important thing, and the funny thing is: that's when the money just seems to show up.


Every artist I've ever interviewed has at one point mentioned magic you know, do you think your art is inspired by some sort of underlying sense of mystery, or magic (or mayhem) that is common to the 'creative process'?
This will also pretty much answer the question below, but I always get the sense that my art comes from some internal, undying fire....how it got started is a mystery. I don't wonder why it burns - I just roast marshmallows and make smores.

What does inspire you, prompt you to create, and drag you back to make even more?
The mysterious allure of the "Next Big Thing." Always just around the corner,


Any unfinished business, buried dreams, or vague plans for the future, whether for your art or just for your life in general?
Yeah, but I'm afraid my plans for adventure and danger on the high seas of life are going to have to remain top secret. :-P




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