cmkosemen

Realistic spec-evo commission - an arboreal tapir

The tapir-like arboreal stem ungulate, Arbotapiroides wildersoni - created for generous patron R.A.W.

Figuring out the hand and foot anatomy of this critter was an enjoyable challenge. I studied the fore-and-rear limbs of early ungulates, and tried to envision their potential adaptations for a tree-dwelling existence, comparable to tamanduas or tree kangaroos.

Here are my early studies for this critter:

2025-05-29 15:27:05 +0000 UTC View Post

Audio file and presentation for the "Dinosaur Attack" podcast

Check attachment - and enjoy!

A realistic "Europa Hookmouth"

My realistic take on the "Europa Hookmouth" - a meme-creature purportedly seen on "secret NASA footage" taken on Europa, the ice-moon of Jupiter.

This creature was popularised through extremely shoddy images shared on TikTok and other social media platforms. In time it took a life of its own among conspiracy theorists and "cryptid" enthusiasts.

2025-05-23 11:02:44 +0000 UTC View Post

Hedonist persona from the All Tomorrows universe

The Hedonist persona-character G.- commissioned by generous patron H.T.

Not officially 100% canon - but this design also reveals certain hints about this species in the upcoming All Tomorrows rewrite.

Thank you all for supporting my work on Patreon, and beyond!

Pseudo-dinosaurian "bayou strider"

Commissioned by T. M. - a convergently-sauropod-like swamp monster with six eyes, stilt-like hooves, and a filter-feeding mouthpart complex.

Here are the sketch and progress images for the development of this creature.

2025-05-22 15:34:49 +0000 UTC View Post

Four-winged, six-limbed, tongue-fingered, primatoid persona

Commissioned by generous patron C. R. for his girlfriend - a cute, wild creature with an interest in geology and science.

It is really easy to dream up creatures with multitudes of limbs - but also, quite challenging to make these bauplan arrangements "work out" as realistic designs. So this assignment took up some time - and ended up as one of my proudest commissions so far.

Here is the proces...

Gnarly giant post-human meat train (Commission)

Commissioned illustration of a giant, train-sized "worm" derived from baseline humans on a problematic colonial water planet...

These giant and uncanny "worms" first choo-chooed their way across the world of science fiction in the Robert R. Reed short story, "Good Mountain".

2025-05-21 21:39:26 +0000 UTC View Post

"Rooted Figures"

Watercolour and acrylics on art paper, 27 cm. tall.
Thank you all for supporting me on Patreon, and beyond!

"Ikhnokhrystys"

Acrylics and watercolour on art paper, 22 cm. tall

Scanner fixed!

Thanks to your contributions, the damaged scanner that had ben bugging my commissions process and artwork digitisation efforts has been fixed!

Thank you all so much - could not have done this without you!

"The Secret of Silphium"

Gouache, watercolours, and charcoal on art paper, 28 cm. wide.

Loosely themed around Silphium, a damningly-unknown medicinal plant which was universally traded in the ancient world, and used among other things as a contraceptive and abortifacient. Indeed, Silphium may have made the apparent sexual permissiveness of the antique world possible in the first place.

2025-05-14 17:18:22 +0000 UTC View Post

"Cambrian Mermaid"

Gouache, watercolours, and charcoal on art paper, 32 cm. wide.

Thank you all for supporting my surreal art on Patreon, and beyond!

Presentation assets for the "Primal Rage" podcast

Check attachment - and enjoy!

Sketch of a bipedal crocodile-grade archosaur

A speculative idea from the same world as the Pseudospinosaurus, the Pseudocarnotaurus, and the herbivorous erythrosuchian I've shared before.

"Invention of the Jet Engine"

Charcoal and gouache on art paper, 27 cm. wide.

Thank you all for supporting my work on Patreon, and beyond!

"Ghosts of Pterodactyls" (UPDATE)

I was unhappy with this painting from earlier, so I painted most of it all over again. That's the neat thing about real-life paintings!

Oil on canvas board, 30 cm. high.
Thank you all for your support on Patreon, and beyond!

Europa Hook Mouth

An unforeseen hardware glitch set back my digital efforts until the end of May, when, thanks to your generous contributions, I will get the damn thing fixed. Until then, digitally coloured commissions are on hold - but I won't stop working - here is my rendition of the infamous "Europa Hook Mouth" creature - a pseudo-scientific meme borne out of thi...

"Globular Dreamer of Tassili n'Ajjer"

Acrylics on cardboard, 27 cm. wide.
Inspired by the 10,000-year-old enigmatic rock paintings in Algeria's Tassili n'Ajjer mountain range. A pale imitation of those bygone masters.

Thank you all for supporting me on Patreon, and beyond! This post is free, but I'd really appreciate it if you could subscribe to see the rest of my art.

"Glass Wraith"

Acrylics on board, 25 cm. wide, from 2023.

Thank you all for supporting me on Patreon, and beyond!

"Consuming Pursuits"

Gouache and charcoal on art paper, 32 cm. wide, from 2023.

Thank you all for supporting me on Patreon, and beyond!

"Avians at the Gates of Dawn"

Gouache on art paper, 32 cm. wide, from 2023.

Thank you all for supporting me on Patreon, and beyond!

"Night Lilies"

Previously-unseen artwork from 2024, acrylics on art paper, 45 cm. wide.

Thank you for supporting me on Patreon, and beyond.

Audio file for the "Europa Ice War" podcast

Check attachment - and enjoy!

"Harut and Marut" - painting from an old series

Acrylics on art paper, 30 cm. tall.

One of my few works to have been inspired by Koranic scripture:

"They instead followed the magic promoted by the devils during the reign of Solomon...

They taught magic to the people, along with what had been revealed to the two angels, Hârût and Mârût, in Babylon.

The two angels never taught anyone without saying, “We are only a test for you, so do not abandon your faith...”

Miserable indeed was the price f...

2025-04-21 17:52:11 +0000 UTC View Post

Secondarily-herbivorous big archosauriform

A secondarily-herbivorous relative of Erythrosuchus-like archosaurs, a speculative idea from the same world as the Pseudospinosaurus and the Pseudocarnotaurus I've shared before.

This post is free, but nevertheless, thank you all for supporting me on Patreon, and beyond.

Sketch compilation of various spec-evo marine animals

Here is a nice selection from my sketchbooks. These ideas are completely random - they do not make up a consistent universe. The top picture depicts a variety of plausible spec-evo sea serpents - including "burly sea snakes".

Some more fictional sea snakes, including a moray-like form.

2025-04-15 13:45:34 +0000 UTC View Post

"Melodic Serpent"

Previously unseen painting from 2024, watercolours on art paper, 20 cm. tall.

Thank you all for your support on Patreon, and beyond!

"Purple Garden"

Previously unseen painting from 2024, acrylics on art paper, 35 cm. wide.

Thank you all for your support on Patreon, and beyond!

Audio file for the "Dire Wolf" podcast

Check attachment - and enjoy!

A Remora from the Great Ship universe

Commissioned by generous patron J. M. - illustration of one of the suit-sealed post-humans from Robert Reed's Great Ship series.

Each of them was genetically human. Each was also a lifesuit of hyperfiber with a single fiber-braced diamond plate over what passed for a face. Every suit held a tiny reactor feeding the machinery as well as an array of recycling systems that fed what was barely human anymore.

Every Remora lived inside her lifesuit. Each lifesu...

2025-04-06 14:20:13 +0000 UTC View Post