New Lands
This is an aerial ecosystem inhabited by floating creatures that utilize gas sacs within their bodies to stay aloft.
This is the first look into this particular biome- hopefully with more to come. All creatures depicted have a photosynthetic component to them - least of all the large plodding walkers, who rely most heavily on grazing for their energy intake. The creatures that resemble flowers are motile, but move less frequently. The long rope-like organism grows at a rapid pace to stake its claim over as much ground area as possible. The large round textures semi-spheres are not phased by this tactic, as they employ an electro-chemical defense over their outer surface to keep the strident ropes at bay.
Early India ink painting of an aquatic predator. (Un-named)
Finally a planet to house (most of) the creatures I've designed so far. A terrestrial planet with about 2/3 the mass of Earth, it orbits its K-type star, Veteris, within the habitable zone. This system is around 8 billion years old - about twice that of ours, hence the name Veteris, which is Latin for "old". It sits at the outskirts of the nebula behind it, which will still be busy birthing star systems for billions of years to come. Veteris is a good analog for earth- it has a similar chemical composition (including its atmosphere, which is slightly more dense - at about 1.5 atm) so it's a good place to begin our journey.
You are one of my biggest inspirations for creature design. Your aliens are beautiful and unique, and when I look at your art it feels like I’m actually there! Your art is beautiful
Thank you so much! I’m honored to be an inspiration for you.
I saw you're a graphic designer.
Are you commissionable for creature designs or similar projects?
If not that's OK. Like your art
I’m not currently available for commissions, sorry. I definitely will keep making art though. Glad you like it!
The long tendrils of the Purple Spire Creeper encircle this forest community deep in the valley. Following its traditional hunting path by the river, the predatory Veloxos has spotted its prey – a Dish-Faced Septaped that emerged from the undergrowth for a drink. The Septaped’s teal, reflective surface camouflages it well in its dimly-lit damp home on the forest floor, but now out in the open it appears as a shining beacon. After this brief instant of mutual acknowledgment, the race begins. The Veloxos’ three powerful hydraulic legs can propel it with surprising swiftness to get it within striking range of its harpoon-like proboscis, which extends almost instantaneously to the full length of its body. The Septaped is a formidable quarry. Though it possesses no defensive mechanisms, the seven muscular legs aligning its body can nearly teleport it back to its shady lair - where it will become lost in the shadows. The perpetual arms-race of natural selection continues daily all across the planet with countless moments such as this.
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Life on the Seafloor
Some habitats are very consistent from planet to planet across the universe. The bottoms of deep oceans generally experience similar conditions—extremely high water pressure, zero sunlight, and a constant rain of organic debris known as marine snow. Thus, organisms on the deep sea floor of Veteris developed common traits in parallel to their counterparts on Earth. The darkness eliminates the need for most pigments, so most creatures are rather drab. In order to grab bits of food from the water column, many utilize grasping appendages covered in sticky setae. For every scrap of nourishment that can be found here, there is a creature that has evolved to exploit it. Far from being a desolate wasteland, this seemingly inhospitable environment is full of bizarre, perfectly-adapted inhabitants.
A Giant Forest Walker