Tombs

Lich Illustration

Fresheteh the Devout

Fourth born to a ruling royal family, Fresheteh was a powerful sorcerer, and famously pious in their worship of the gods. They did much good throughout the kingdom, using their power to aid the sick and wounded. Until they fell victim to leprosy. It was an illness of cursed origin, incurable by the healers of the land. Despite all their years of zealous worship, the gods did not deliver them from their suffering. Bitter, betrayed by their faith, Fresheteh turned to necromancy to prolong their lifespan. 

This illustration was a commission for a friend's DnD campaign. They requested for it to be reminiscent of a classic Rider Waite tarot card in style, hence the symmetrical layout and the predominant red, blue and gold colour palette. 

To communicate their religious background, I dressed them in papal styled robes. The censer fitted with that, as even in their real world usage they feel somewhat mystical and archaic. The bandages and skull mask are signifiers of the disease that ravaged them in life, hiding their ruined skin. Their crown has the classic halo shape, alluding to their once saintly deeds of charity and former pious practices.

Design Process

I started with basic traditional sketches of the masks, then worked the best of those into silhouettes digitally. From those I created the final design.

Book Moth Empress

There she is.

Colour Explorations 

I used a stone as the colour palette for each option. From the initial 5, I chose the best 3 and pushed the colours a little further.

Design Process

I started with traditional lineart. The dress came to be by accident. I was doing loose studies of a moth that I saved from my cat. The simplified wings I drew looked to me like an open book, resting with its spine facing upwards. But it also looked like a huge ballgown with a small lady inside. I kept sketching until all these ideas became one thing.

Tombs Concept Art

Personal world building project

A fantasy setting based loosely on 1700s Scotland.

For different reasons, the Grave Robbers and Nobles descend into an ancient royal family tomb.

Through a sacred ritual, the dead of noble houses can achieve immortality. Returning a soul to the physical world is no small feat, their sanity seldom comes back with them, and their humanity is always left behind. 

And that's all. Thanks for scrolling through!