Fantasy and Creature Design Gallery

A selection of fantasy creature designs and illustrations. Not all my work is currently available for public viewing, so for a more extensive portfolio, and/or if you have any questions about my work or are interested in commissioning me for a project, feel free to reach out at shirinillustration@gmail.com.

My Method for Fantasy and Creature Design

Whether I'm producing realism or working in a cartoon style, I draw a lot of influence from biology and the natural world. Whatever the drawing style, I'm keen to emphasize anatonomical accuracy and logic to a creature's design, prizing the principle of form follows function. To ensure creatures fit seamlessly into the world they're designed to inhabit, I consider the creature's life cycle, behaviour, and its posistion in the food chain. For pattern and colour I draw from real world animals with reference to the evolutionary reason as to why they are coloured the way they are. I also, particularly love playing around with senses, and designing creatures around a particular way they interact with the environment, such as being able to detect a different part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Even for completly fantastical settings such as an alien world, how do the aspects of this environment effect a creature's evolution? What is possible in this world and why?

If you're looking for thoughtful fantasy and sci-fi design influenced by real world zoology and paleontology, you've come to the right place! Feel free to get in touch to discuss your project.

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