Bull Black Tongue

The Black Tongue is an alien omnivore that navigates through scent, sound and heat. It's prehensile tongue is a deadly sense and eating organ, used for slurping up insects, plucking fruit from tall trees, and uprooting shrubs. The nostrils on the chest of the animal are used for air intake, while those on the head are for smelling. I was definitely inspired by Wayne D. Barlowe. I love his aliens and would like to incorporate the strangeness he evokes into future aliens of mine. 

I'm also a part of creaturespot.com now, where this and future creatures can be found. It's an awesome place, so be sure to check it out!

Photo study of an arch in Utah,

Draconic Busts

Some dragon heads done for practice and client examples. Trying to incorporate more varied scale patterns based on strange and uniquely adorned reptiles. Lots of Thorny Devil inspired spikes in these guys. I also found lots of great reference over at The Lazy Lizard's Tales blog, here: http://lazy-lizard-tales.blogspot.com/

One thing I was definitely reminded of when looking for eccentric looking lizards was that truth is indeed stranger than fiction. I've found reptiles more fantastical looking than many dragon designs I've seen. For example, the previously stated Thorny Devil, the Sailfin Dragon Lizard, Marine Iguana, Frilled Necked Lizard, and the Phrynocephalus mystaceus.

This guy was inspired by rhinoceros iguanas and a multi-horned jacob ram. 

Environment Sketches

Just practicing. Figuring stuff out. 

Nighthawk

Monster design, based on the bird of the same name. This nighthawk, unlike its real life counterpart, doesn't do much flying. However it's still a stealthy nocturnal hunter. He just loves bursting out of the undergrowth upon unsuspecting prey. 

2812 Study

2 hour study. Reference image courtesy of kuschelirmel-stock at deviantArt: http://kuschelirmel-stock.deviantart.com/

I need to work on making some more foliage brushes it seems. 

Jouster Concept

Idea that spent a long time brewing, inspired by jousting knights at a renaissance fair. I had a chance to spend time developing the Jouster alien/Iaculis Diabolis for a BIO class assignment. The creature I ended up submitting wasn't entirely what I had in mind though, it still looked too earthly for my tastes. So I've redesigned it with more arthropod elements.

The Iaculis Diabolis (Iaculis referring to a thrower of spears or javelins) kills prey by running them through with the long lance-like protrusion attached to its cranium. Similar in a way to some fishing birds. It's neck is kept coiled up and can be launched with great force and blinding speed. It hunts prey small enough to lift from the ground, so it can casually pluck the meat from its lance like a shish kebab. The leftovers from a meal are liquefied away by the stomach acids that seep from the pores in the lance. This transforms the remains into a smoothie that can be drained into the Jouster's draw-string hole of a mouth. 

The Jouster is fast, and though it occasionally launches surprise attacks from the brush, it can more typically be seen running prey down across the great extraterrestrial plains in which it lives. 

Original Concepts:

Redesign:

Study 2312

2 hour study, I've never stuck to a time deadline before, I should probably continue to do so. There are certainly some haste related mistakes in there though. Stock image used is located here-  http://ahrum-stock.deviantart.com/art/Taming-the-Wild-10-146984779

Creature Dump

Some creature and dragon sketches. Some old, some newish.