Ren Varela
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cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
Ren Varela
@cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
2.1K followers 170 following 2.4K posts
A Latine dark fantasy, horror, and surrealist artist, illustrator, storyteller.
#DarkArt
🚫 No A/I ; 🚫 N/F/Ts

Nonbinary | Pronouns: they/them

📧 Contact: [email protected]
🌐 https://bio.site/CobaltCorvus
🥫 https://ko-fi.com/cobaltcorvus
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cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
Ren Varela @cobaltcorvus.bsky.social · Jan 13
Hello, #PortfolioDay!

I'm Ren Varela, a freelance artist that specializes in dark, slightly surrealist fantasy illustrations, and character & creature designs.

I am open for work & interested in creating art for TTRPGs!

💼 Portfolio
🖼️ Print Shop
🪙 Tip Jar
✉️ Contact: [email protected]
A collage image of six different dark art paintings done by the poster of various skull headed humanoid figures, most with their skulls floating above dismembered torsos and other mystical features. A collage of various digital paintings and drawings that are portraits of a cowboy character, one features a female character. A collage of two different images featuring the same character. One is a portrait of a ghostly male character that is mostly in shadow except for his face. He has dark hair, blue skin and glowing eyes. The other features different portrait angles and one almost full body pose. A collage of three different digital paintings. One is a portrait of a headless figure in a suit and tie with two glowing halos of different sizes floating where the head would be. Second is of a jackal skull floating above the neck of a dismembered, semi-human, teal torso. Last is of a giant, four-armed, skull-headed figure floating in a large thunder cloud with several bolts of lighting generating from its hands and the cloud as sunlight shines from behind it all.
cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
I finished this last night and I really enjoyed this read.
4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
#BookSky
cobaltcorvus.bsky.social Ren Varela @cobaltcorvus.bsky.social · Jan 12
Now reading "The God of the Woods" by Liz Moore via my local library.
⚡📚 #BookSky
Image of the the book cover for "The God of the Woods" by Liz Moore that features the title superimposed over a close up of a painting of a forest scene with something that looks like pink paint dripping down the center of the cover.
February 11, 2026 at 6:26 PM
cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
Post a tree you photographed
A photograph of what the photographer believes is an Australian Tea Tree in Golden Gate Park. Unfortunately an invasive species in the area, but the gnarled, twisty trunks look really neat.
February 11, 2026 at 5:23 PM
Reposted by Ren Varela
natasailincic.bsky.social
I keep seeing authors getting duped by AI users pretending to be artists (and then sadly realising it when everyone calls their book AI slop).

These grifters are everywhere and I don't have a solution, but I have a few pointers:
February 11, 2026 at 9:59 AM
cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
Biggest learning experience from trying to learn how to gouache in the more "traditional" way, I am way too impatient. 😅

I really hate waiting hours in between laying/layering paint but I'm going to have to if I actually want to use gouache in this way.
February 10, 2026 at 8:12 PM
Reposted by Ren Varela
noorpol.bsky.social
QRP with your skull art
February 8, 2026 at 10:39 AM
cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
Post a banger not in English.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXsL...
February 10, 2026 at 3:59 PM
Reposted by Ren Varela
sagebock.bsky.social
QRP with your skull art
#DarkArt
Drei krähen auf unterhalten sich. Köpfe nur noch schädel Menschlicher Schädel schreit. Blauer streifen von vertikal
February 8, 2026 at 8:50 PM
Reposted by Ren Varela
figmentpudding.com
Tryin to sell 20 frogs today to try and get on track for some of these surprise bills flowing through the ether today... I'm at 2/20 sold

I also gotta get fish on my website - if you're interested in a fish just shoot me a DM

www.figmentpudding.com
A group of green crocheted frog purses in various states of finished, with one up front reaching towards the camera A large green frog purse waving? A selection of various pink frog coin purses, and a pastel pink rainbow fish coin purse. A stripey pink fish coin purse
February 9, 2026 at 8:15 PM
cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
Artists, QP your faces.
A digital painting of a portrait of a man in 3/4 view facing to the viewer's left with short dark hair, and wearing a dark, opened collared shirt, also wearing a silver chain necklace. A digital painting of a portrait of a man with long, slightly wavy hair and an eye patch over a scarred left eye, dressed somewhat fancy in late 19th century garb. A black and white, digital painting of a backlit portrait of a man, possibly in his mid to late thirties, with slightly unkempt hair and a scruffy beard. A digital painting that is a portrait of a ghostly male character that is mostly in shadow except for his face. He has dark hair, blue skin and glowing eyes.
February 9, 2026 at 3:58 PM
Reposted by Ren Varela
double-4-designer.bsky.social
QRP with your skull art
A male that is very skinny, with no hair, and a skull make over his face. He has multiple stitches on different parts of his body. Blood is splattered all over. Were he heart should be, is a giant whole. He is wearing no shirt, and a pelt in a kilt like style. He has a steal cuff on his left ankle.
February 8, 2026 at 6:22 PM
cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
I wouldn’t be here without you. Every bit of support helps me keep creating, and I appreciate it more than words can say! 🤍

ko-fi.com/cobaltcorvus

#SupportArtists #ArtistSupport #ArtistsOfBluesky #ArtistsOnBluesky #bsnm
Support CobaltCorvus
Support Ren Varela on Ko-fi with a one-time donation or sign up for a monthly membership for additional art related rewards!
ko-fi.com
February 9, 2026 at 3:00 PM
cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
Bad Bunny Half-Time Show
a poster for absolute cinema shows a man sitting in a chair
Alt: A .GIF of film director Martin Scorsese sitting in chair with both his hands raised to either side of his face with text that reads: "absolute cinema."
media.tenor.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:31 PM
cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
QRP with your skull art
#DarkArt
A digital painting of a jackal skull in profile view floating about a horizontal, black halo, both floating above the neck of a dismembered, semi-human, teal torso. All is painted on a black back drop. A digital painting of a jackal skull in profile view, facing to viewer's right.
February 8, 2026 at 10:24 AM
Reposted by Ren Varela
tinylongwing.bsky.social
This little Black-throated Blue Warbler isn't gonna get used for her original intended purpose so here she is for Warbler Wednesday! 🎨🪶 #BirdArt #SciArt
Rough little mini digital illustration of a female-type Black-throated Blue Warbler perched on sort of a hovering disembodied branch segment. She is a soft turquoise blue, greener at the head and richer blue on the back and tail, with a thin pointy black beak, white eyering, white belly, and black legs. The white patch on the primaries is a key identifying mark for this species regardless of age or sex.
February 4, 2026 at 7:22 PM
cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
Art challenge! 🎨✨

Post your drawing app and works you created with it 🖤
Application button/logo for Clip Studio Paint. A dark art, digital painting of a haloed, skull headed figure floating in a void with arms stretched to its sides, palms facing forward, and with rose quartz protruding from its shattered, decaying body. A digital painting of a jackal skull in profile view floating about a horizontal, black halo, both floating above the neck of a dismembered, semi-human, teal torso. All is painted on a black back drop. A digital painting of a giant, multi-armed, skull-headed figure in a large thunder cloud with several bolts of lighting generating from it.
February 4, 2026 at 6:29 PM
cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
Yeah... I'm even more done with IG, lol
paintkatt.bsky.social Julia Lundman @paintkatt.bsky.social · 8d
I just got this notification from this trial Meta is conducting. For art to be seen, fees are required. No more likes because your work is interesting to ppl, it is all just paid access to huge audiences. And these are just starting fees, they go up after a month. 👎😬😭
$1 for your first month a prevents your profile from being impersonated and people are able to find you when they search $3.29 for your first month means ppl can find you in the search feature and you get a sticker $10 for your first month means you get to be in the search feature, can add links to reels and custom chats $33.49 for your first month means you are special so we promote you
February 4, 2026 at 6:25 PM
cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
I haven't tried my hand at animation in years, but if I were to pick it up again, I'd use OpenToonz. The fact that Studio Ghibli uses it is enough of a selling point for me, honestly.

opentoonz.github.io/e/
February 3, 2026 at 8:11 PM
cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
On a positive note, the crows did not disappear for the rest of the day after I put out food for them since they were in my backyard cawing.

I think they're learning I mean to give them food and won't chase them away.
February 3, 2026 at 6:10 PM
cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
Ugh, day three of tension pain flare up. 😖
WHY.
February 3, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Reposted by Ren Varela
coyoteandcrow.bsky.social
As a stretch goal for our upcoming Kickstarter campaign, we'll be donating a portion of proceeds to one of the amazing aid groups you can find listed on Stand With Minnesota.

Sign up to be notified when we launch here:
www.kickstarter.com/projects/coy...

#TTRPG #FuckIce #NoOneIsIllegalOnStolenLand
February 3, 2026 at 4:06 PM
cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
I had terrible tension pain all day yesterday and most of today but it *finally* left me this afternoon. 😩

Well, at least now I can start really getting stuff done that needs to get done.
February 2, 2026 at 11:02 PM
cobaltcorvus.bsky.social
Sketch portrait #commissions are open!

Starting at $25 (some add-ons range from $5-$10). More information is available on my Ko-fi page.

ko-fi.com/cobaltcorvus...

#bsnm #ArtCommissions #SupportHumanArtists
CobaltCorvus's Commissions
Support Ren Varela on Ko-fi with a one-time donation or sign up for a monthly membership for additional art related rewards!
ko-fi.com
February 2, 2026 at 4:47 PM
Reposted by Ren Varela
williambabey.bsky.social
The Death Rainbow, now with added depth!! #art #myart #skulls #macabre #surreal #horrorart #giallo #skullection
digital artwork showing a human skull divided into 6 slices on a diagonal and colored based on the light spectrum, over a black background, 2026, art by Guillaume Babey
February 1, 2026 at 8:43 PM
Reposted by Ren Varela
kjetll.bsky.social
thanks for the artshare!!
January 31, 2026 at 8:51 PM
Reposted by Ren Varela
shiftypumpkin.com
Hey Nheira, thanks for sharing! I make oil paintings of natural & fantasy landscapes #art #tradart #oilpainting

perceptivepumpkin.com/gallery/
shiftypumpkin.etsy.com

Favorite character? Oof. Maybe Harry Dresden from Dresden Files, or Estelle from Trails in the Sky. Hits to the face with justice!
"Frozen Lake", oil painting on 18"x24" canvas. A frosty landscape at night with pine trees, mountains and an icy lake. Oil painting of a colorful nebula, on 18"x24" canvas. Dark mountains and pine trees set against a bright nebula in hues of blue, red, yellow, and green. A lake reflects some of the ghostly light above. 8”x10” oil painting of a large tree in a dark forest, with shafts of light shining through the trees. A small pond sits in the center. “Crystal Caverns”, an 18”x24” oil painting depicting a cave with colorful crystals in the ground and walls. A waterfall cascades in the background, and shafts of light show in between columns of rock.
January 31, 2026 at 10:22 PM