Nick Thornborrow

14 Dec 2024

Fresh intro for the newcomers! I’m Nick, concept and storyboard artist, 17 years in game dev, BioWare veteran, illustrator and most recently cinematic director at Humanoid Origin before its unfortunate closure. Here’s some of my personal art. Barbarians are my comfort food. Unroll for more.🧵

Baby’s first industry gig, 2007-2008 These were for BioWare’s brief foray into handheld market with Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Every level was meticulously hand painted.

BioWare funerary slideshow

Nick Thornborrow reposted

Trick Weekes

@trickweekes.bsky.social

One more for the afternoon crowd. Two of the last lines of dialogue I wrote on the last BioWare game I shipped.

North Mist is one of a few new homes for former BioWare devs. Do that thing where you follow them.

North Mist Studios@northmiststudios.bsky.social

Very heavy news as our former studio, BioWare closes its doors today. It was a formative place for many. However, many former BioWare devs are scattered around the industry. Find them, support them. Like, follow, comment and help us prove there is still support for the types of games we make!

The very last task I had at BioWare before I left to pursue a new opportunity was to paint this pose of Solas embracing the Inquisitor (I didn't paint this entire image, it was just the figures). Even at the time it felt poignant that this would be my last contribution to Dragon Age.

Caitie@ghildirthalen.bsky.social

at the end of the day, i still have this

I had an incredible high school teacher whose words feel so relevant today. Paraphrasing (cuz it was years and years ago) If you want a strong indicator of the health of a society, look at how that society values its artists.

BioWare closing is so depressing. Compounding it for me is how predictable it is at a time where creative institutions --studios where artists were nurtured, resourced and trusted to MAKE THINGS -- are being harvested for parts. Emblematic of a soul-sick world.

The allegory of returning to your childhood home to find it bulldozed doesn't suffice. Because a few new houses might replace the old house and become homes to new families. No, this closure only serves the parasites.

Innumerable ageless beings.

A goddess of medium significance and exceptional cunning and her attendants of no significance.

Nick Thornborrow reposted

My imagination’s cosmic background radiation is mostly barbarians, stone plinths, and foggy hills.

My imagination’s cosmic background radiation is mostly barbarians, stone plinths, and foggy hills.

Still trying to decide if pencil crayon is a medium I like working in. These last two drawings make me feel like I do. I think it's important as artists to muck around with mediums that make us struggle and then not give up on them when we feel like we've got no idea what we're even doing with it.

Pencil cray opposes my instinct to mix colours (both with gouache and my digital work.) It's much more about adhering to more precise colour selection on the page. They also demands a more patient approach for someone used to knocking in big shapes of colour with a fat brush.

Pump track at the local park. Pencil Crayon which is 🇨🇦 for coloured pencil. Which is 🇨🇦/🇬🇧 for colored pencil.

8 Sept

The illuminated years ended long ago and we are grateful for our protectors in these dark times.

Mind palace transposition

Big sister and little brother. Members of a settled clan in an age of darkness and fear.

View full thread

Big sister and little brother. Members of a settled clan in an age of darkness and fear.

2 Sept

History buffs: the book I illustrated, "Did You Hear What Happened at the Alamo?" is now on shelves. This is the second in Katie Kennedy's "Did You Hear What Happened..." American history books. Also available, "DYHWH in Salem?"

29 Aug

Sword and sorcery aura in ballpoint pen.

28 Aug

One passenger, two tolls paid.

20 Aug

Pencil crayon be hard.

10 Aug

“Did You Hear What Happened at the Alamo”, comes out September 1st. The second in Katie Kennedy’s “Did You Hear What Happened…?” series features a wry account of the iconic event and 20ish black and white illustrations by me.

9 Aug

Edmonton folk fest Stage 6

9 Aug

Edmonton folk fest panorama sketch

9 Aug

Edmonton International Folk Fest August 8, 2026 Ballpoint pen in a big ol' sketchbook

28 May

@faitherinhicks.bsky.social - Loved it. Equal parts trip down memory lane and overdue emotional processing. Made me want to dust off my animation disc.

12 May

Maybe you’re not the audience for smut. But be clear eyed that Kickstarter TOS, payment provider TOS, book laws in Alberta, these are all fascist foundations for even more insidious intrusions into the things we take for granted.

12 May

Maybe you’re not the audience for smut. But for the love of art, your lgbtq+ friends, small l liberal values, defend it being allowed to exist. There’s a long list of things they object to and depictions of sex are just the first line item.

arcanautstudios.comStudio | ArcanautMeet Arcanaut Studios, an Edmonton and Kelowna-based game development studio creating magical interactive storytelling. Learn about our mission, values, and founding team.

4 May

Happy #StarWarsDay! We at Arcanaut Studios are making something awesome, and we're growing our team. Have a look at the link below to see our open positions, including a cinematics animator. #SWFOTOR

Arcanaut Studios@arcanautstudios.bsky.social

Happy #StarWarsDay! Meet a few members of the team making #SWFOTOR on our website. We can't wait to show you more! arcanautstudios.com/studio #Maythe4thBeWithYou

4 May

The Pett. Medical drama but the cast is all Henson style puppets.

Merlin G.G 🌻🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ VisDev Artist

27 Apr

I’m a published illustrator through Hachette. This is a big deal! Very happy and supportive to see this initiative!

Hachette Workers Coalition@hbgworkers.bsky.social

We, the employees at Hachette Book Group, are proud to announce that we are unionizing with Washington-Baltimore NewsGuild-CWA Local 32035, of the AFL-CIO, in order to ensure better benefits, protections, and rights for workers as well as increased equity, transparency, and agency in the workplace.

Nick Thornborrow reposted

MOC (they/them)

@miraongchua.com

31 Mar

happy #tdov 🩵🩷🤍

Nick Thornborrow reposted

Chloé Stawski

@chlowski.bsky.social

31 Mar

🏳️‍⚧️ Trans Day of Visibilty 🏳️‍⚧️ means you have to look at my art again, sorry I don't make the rules I'm Chloé, an artist who happens to be a trans woman, working in comics & video games ✨🌸 #tdov #transdayofvisibility

Nick Thornborrow reposted

@everydaymerlin.bsky.social

31 Mar

🌈 trans day of visibility baby!! 🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ i’m merlin! a transmasc concept artist, illustrator and brush maker, i make adoptables on my free time too (you can support me by getting some brushes and adopts below 👇) [ #tdov #transdayofvisibility ]

28 Mar

Happened to be a Schiele exhibit in NY when I took a trip there in college. So expressive but still structural anatomy. Three cheers for Schiele.

Rabih Alameddine@rabihalameddine.bsky.social

Egon Schiele. Self-portrait with hands on chest. 1910

Nick Thornborrow reposted

Jeff Simpson

@jeffsimpson.bsky.social

12 Mar

Open for work! 18 years experience in AAA games film/tv. What have I worked on? 6 Assassin's Creed games, Marvel MCU shows and films, Magic the Gathering cards, shorter stints on franchises like Deus Ex, Halo, Paths of Exile, Ghost in the Shell, Pirates of the Caribbean and many more.

11 Mar

Plein air season is almost upon us. I'm always a little FOMO about April when all the plein air artists I admire are out there painting the spring colours. Where I live we don't get much green til the end of the month and it can still be too cold for wimpy old me. Here's some of last year's fun.

5 Mar

I enjoy working with my game dev colleagues over the years, Dan, Dan, Dan, Chris, Chris, Ryan, Ryan, Shawn, Sean, Sean, Chris and Dan, Matt, Matt and Matthew. Shout out to all y'all.