Recently I had the absolute pleasure of working with
@3dtotal
again on their new book, “Fundamentals of Creature Design”!

My design prompt was for an avian scavenger creature that has adapted to survive the harsh conditions of a post-climate-change urban desert. (1/?)

I started out by thumbnailing some of the directions this creature could go in. Flying, flightless, tiny, giant....the goal in this stage is to show a diverse range of "solutions" to the brief at hand. (2/?)

Design nr.4 appealed to me most due to how different it was from what one would normally imagine an "avian scavenger" to look like (vulturine, flying).

Once I& #39;d chosen a design, I went over it again and refined the anatomy/structure, especially that of the beak. (3/?)

Coloration was based on desert organisms and the kinds of colors & patterns they exhibit. Bare areas of skin not only dissipate heat, but also allow for pops of intense color (as you would see in birds). (4/?)

For the final, I chose a calm pose that shows the creature resting in a shaded area. Love the contrast that happens when you depict a & #39;dangerous& #39; creature in a way that highlights a softer aspect of their personality. (5/?)

Lastly, I was also tasked with creating variations of this creature that have adapted to different environments: mountainous, insectoid, and tropical; in this case. These were super fun! https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="❄️" title="Schneeflocke" aria-label="Emoji: Schneeflocke">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🐜" title="Ameise" aria-label="Emoji: Ameise">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🌴" title="Palme" aria-label="Emoji: Palme">

The book features a whole truckload of amazing creature artists sharing insights into their process, so do pick it up if that’s your thing! You can order here: https://shop.3dtotal.com/fundamentals-of-creature-design">https://shop.3dtotal.com/fundament...