Crafting the Visual Story of Roshar with Katie Payne

The following interview includes paraphrased questions and answers to make it easy to scan through. These are not meant to be taken as direct quotes.

Q: What inspired you to become the art director for the Stormlight RPG?

Katie: My journey began with fan art. The first piece I ever did was back in 2017, and I showed it to Brandon at a convention. He encouraged me to talk to Isaac [Stewart], and that’s how we connected. Fast forward to 2020, I had a bit of a soul-searching moment. I realized I wanted to refresh my art and reconnect with what I loved. I’ve always been that crazy, weirdo art kid, and I wondered what happened to that girl. That’s when I decided to go all-in on fan art for Brandon’s books, and it led me here.

Q: What has the experience of art directing the Stormlight RPG been like?

Katie: This is my first time art directing, and it’s been an incredible journey. We’re talking about hundreds of images—now over 400. Each one requires an enormous amount of energy and attention to detail. Every canonical element needs to be accurate, and the visuals have to be beautiful. My goal has been to foster that creative fire in all the artists involved, and it’s led to some amazing work.

Q: What’s the most unusual visual detail you’ve had to work on?

Katie: The Singers! They have so many intricate visual details that we had to invent. From their base shades to the marbling, it’s all about getting it just right. Even the color red we use for them isn’t just any red—it’s a very specific one. We’ve had to tweak things like the sharpness of their carapace and the flatness of their hair, which is almost like glass or pasta. I’ve even sent the team images of pasta to help visualize it!

Q: How do you keep track of all the visual details and color codes?

Katie: I keep meticulous records of all the color codes and information. We also have Isaac Stewart and Ben McSweeney from Dragonsteel reviewing everything in excruciating detail to ensure it’s all canonical. It’s a collaborative effort to keep everything consistent.

Q: What’s some common feedback you receive?

Katie: We often get feedback on grounding the visuals of characters like the Singers and Fused. For instance, their hair is supposed to be flat like glass, which is something that can be tricky to convey. I’ve found myself sending the team pasta images to explain the texture!

Q: Do you have a favorite art piece from the project?

Katie: Aside from the covers, which are incredible, I commissioned a vignette of Midnight Essence, both humanoid and beastie forms. There was no official art for these creatures before, so bringing them to life was a dream come true. These vignettes make me so happy because I remember reading about their first appearances and visualizing them in my mind. Seeing them realized in the art is amazing.

Q: What’s it like working with Team Dragonsteel on this project?

Katie: I absolutely love it! Every time I talk with them, I feel like I’m learning something new—it’s like being in a class. For example, there was a moment with Isaac where we were discussing a character holding a painrial, and he pointed out that it should be a little smaller. That kind of attention to detail is so cool.

Katie: Visual storytelling on Roshar is fascinating. For example, I have to consider whether it makes sense for a spren to appear in a scene. One of our artists working on the Stonewalker cover asked if spren should be included, and Johnny O'Neal researched it and sent us a list of possible spren that could be present. It’s that level of detail that makes the world feel so alive.

Q: How do you hope the art influences players and game masters?

Katie: My goal is for the art to communicate the essence of the books. We’ve been working on the level 0 adventure, which is meant to introduce people to Roshar, and the art is a huge part of that. I hope GMs see the world through these visuals and feel inspired to bring that depth and detail into their games.

Q: If you were a Radiant, what Order would you choose?

Katie: I’d be a Lightweaver! But I also feel a deep connection with the Edgedancers. Their ideals about not forgetting the small things and people resonate with me on a soul level.