A page of red digital doodles of a wide variety of characters on a crumpled paper background.

A page of red digital doodles of a wide variety of characters on a crumpled paper background.

A page of red digital doodles of a wide variety of characters on a crumpled paper background.

A page of red digital doodles of a wide variety of characters on a crumpled paper background.

2025 wasn't a huge 'stand-alone illustration' year for me, but I definitely indulged in a perfectly well-adjusted relationship with doodling. By way of example, here are all of the on-stream doodles I made alongside m'good friends during our Sunday streams.

Thank you so much!

A graphic with character illustrations. Characters are Proteus Xlato, Lindsey and Kitt Meissa, Watt Johnson and Cornelius Sawyer. Quentin Matsdotter and Elochian Adrastus. Archeon Mochizuki. Thatch Phantom and Arlo Rook. Rajni and Kalypso.

oh yeah;

all my characters are stoners, wish them happy holiday! 🌿🔥

Art by @crossroadart.bsky.social @lobitacookie.bsky.social @gagakumadraws.bsky.social

On a dark, rain-soaked evening, we see two characters on a bleak hostel bunk-bed. Hunched over the side of the lower, red-sheeted bunk is the gangly late-teen form of a frankensteinian character (later named January) old library book in-hand, a look of fed-up concentration on their face. Dangling above them is the slick, blue form of a Wyrm-like character, poking their nose and many arms into January’s business. Wyrm: Cookbook, eh? You tryin’a get that canteen job? Jan: Dunno. I’ve gotta do something, right? Wyrm: Surprised you can read it. Jan: I found one with a bunch of pictures, I’ll pick it up. We see them from below, Jan still trying to concentrate on the pictures in their book as their companion looms over them. Jan: Can’t cook worse than whatever the hostel serves… Wyrm: Wanna bet? Remember your famous ‘holy’-moly sandwiches? Jan: Dude, not my fault! How was I meant to know that machine had fire in it? Wyrm: It was a toaster, and it didn’t before you got hold of it.

Into the room floats the no-nonsense eyes and shiny community-officer caps of a red beholder, calling decidedly toward the minimally perturbed duo. Beholder: Hey! Kid! Wyrm: Which one? Beholder: The one we have to call ‘kid’ because they’re apparently incapable of picking a name. Jan: What? Beholder: Need your help with somethin’. The beholder floats out into the equally drab corridor, January unenthusiastically plodding out behind them. In front are silhouetted two other mystery characters. Jan: What do you want? Beholder: We need help identifying someone. You two know each other?

In front of January floats the same Wendigo officer who found them abandoned and amnesiac in a graveyard thirteen months ago. More importantly though there stands beside them another frankenstein-esque character, much younger than themself, clad in the same brown robes as they were. The child looks up with scared, pleading, blue eyes cutting through rain-slick hair, coddled in blankets and towels. January stares down, equally wide-eyed unable to quite process what they’re seeing. The resemblance is obvious in the lack of a nose and ill-sutured skin patches, but like everything else January has no memory of them.

The small, sodden child silently, tentatively steps towards January, who stands tense and motionless. The two don’t break eye contact as January struggles to think in silence, hands gripped into fists. Before long though they lurch down and clutch the child in a tight, warm embrace, their fluffy bouffant of hair almost enveloping them. Head buried in their shoulder, Jan pours out the words that they wish they’d heard on the night of their own discovery. Jan: It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s going to be alright. You’re not alone. It’s okay…

In an effort to catch you up with my OC daydreaming, here's a little insight into the backstory of the Calendars. A year and a smidge after a young January was found abandoned in a rainy graveyard, they get a little visitor. Sometimes the best thing to say is what you needed to hear. #October&Co

Ah! I’m so glad you think so, thank you 😆

Dusk sinks under a snow covered treeline, splitting its the final golden rays, as warm as the embers of a forest fire, over the ice crusted foliage into a grassy clearing beyond. The shadows are already pale grey before the pines and the purple of the sky is deepening. In this veiling hour a centaur, with a travelling cloak around their shoulders, makes their way towards the woods. They are dark before the falling light they stride towards and pause before they go on their way, leaning on their staff and looking back into the clearing while their tail flicks. Whatever they look out to, they are not duly bothered by it.

A little piece I did for a new set of business cards. Made me want to get back into my landscapes.
Honestly there’s far too much I want to get back into.

#art #fantasy #centaur

A graphic captioned Sunday Memeday. Art of Arlo Rook and Thatch Phantom, from the cover. Accompanying memes: Just cried for two hours who wants me Even if im not talking about him just know I'm thinking about him.

They're sad older men, GIVE THEM HAPPINESS ! Oh wait, that's my job. 🦉🏳️‍🌈✨️

neshamapublishing.com/phantom-and-...

Art by @crossroadart.bsky.social

The way I love to hear it 🥹❤️

I really loved what I got to do with this set.

Crossroad Art's beautiful cover illustration for Bright Spring, featuring Alexios in a toga and Auro half transformed into a statue.

Most of the series artwork came from the magical cryptid brain of @crossroadart.bsky.social . They are a delight to work with, and if you've been here a while you know almost all my covers have been done by them <3

🥹🥹🥹❤️

A graphic captioned Sunday Memeday featuring art of Ezraphim illustrated by Crossroad Art and of Shadow illustrated by Ninawolverina.

A paperback of An Outstretched Hand A Tarot Spread of Queer Stories curated by RHWQ Productions in the grass and dead leaves. A black and white cover with a hand holding up a tarot card.

Bodies turned plants are my favorite 🌿🔥🏳️‍🌈

An Outstretched Hand is a queer anthology inspired by tarot cards, and mine was Temperance; That Depressed Old Man and His Eldritch Horror

Ezraphim art by @crossroadart.bsky.social

Shadow art by @ninawolverina.bsky.social

books2read.com/an-outstretc...

Not done corrupting people into reading this book.

#SorceryandSmallMagics #art #Grimmlove

Not done corrupting people into reading this book.

#SorceryandSmallMagics #art #Grimmlove

A paperback copy of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne held up in front of flowering marigolds. The cover. Two men stand on mossy rocks, surrounded by ferns and other tropical foilage. Blue butterflies are perched on the rocks at their feet. The man on the left has a cane tucked under his arm, and he stares at the world around him in wonder, an old 30s era camera held in his hands. He is dressed in boots, slacks, and a button down with rolled up sleeves and suspenders. His black hair is cut close on the sides, and long on top. He wears glasses, and has a joint dangling from his lips. The man on the right has a map stretched out between his hands, but he is staring at his companion with a fond and excited look on his face. He is dressed in boots, slacks, a button down with rolled up sleeves, and a waist coat. He has a satchel slung over his shoulder, and a knife strapped to his belt. He has short but shaggy brown hair, and is missing the tip of his left pinky finger.

A hardback copy of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne held up in front of the pale spring grass. The cover. Two men stand on mossy rocks, surrounded by ferns and other tropical foilage. Blue butterflies are perched on the rocks at their feet. The man on the left has a cane tucked under his arm, and he stares at the world around him in wonder, an old 30s era camera held in his hands. He is dressed in boots, slacks, and a button down with rolled up sleeves and suspenders. His black hair is cut close on the sides, and long on top. He wears glasses, and has a joint dangling from his lips. The man on the right has a map stretched out between his hands, but he is staring at his companion with a fond and excited look on his face. He is dressed in boots, slacks, a button down with rolled up sleeves, and a waist coat. He has a satchel slung over his shoulder, and a knife strapped to his belt. He has short but shaggy brown hair, and is missing the tip of his left pinky finger. A hardback copy of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne held up in front of the pale spring grass. The cover. The hardback cover of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne. A orange to dark brown gradient background with leather texture is overlaid by a blue velvet line work design of a compass. There are many details hidden inside and around the compass, including Amazonian plants, a waterfall, a German shepherd, a kailedoscope of butteflies, and a pigeon. There is also a train chugging down the track, a cruise ship billowing smoke, and paraphernalia that explorers may use such as a compass, luggage, glasses, knee high boots, a Kodak Eastman camera. In the center of the compass are two men staring into each other's eyes, one is cautious but intrigued, the other is intent and curious, if not wary.

You can follow along the adventure and find the gay along the way in ebook, paperback, hardback, and soon in audio!

neshamapublishing.com/noah-hawthor...

Paperback art by @thistlearts.bsky.social
Hardback art by @crossroadart.bsky.social

This 👇 exactly - such an exasperating, fun, slooooww burn relationship

PLUS

The magic is terrific - monsters (are they really, though?), singing monster bunnies, violin magic, a wild magic forest, a reclusive sorcerer. Simply wonderful ❤️

Ahhhh! Mothman! Ma boi!

A close up of ahardback copy of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne held up in front of the grass. The hardback cover of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne. A orange to dark brown gradient background with leather texture is overlaid by a blue velvet line work design of a compass. There are many details hidden inside and around the compass, including Amazonian plants, a waterfall, a German shepherd, a kailedoscope of butteflies, and a pigeon. There is also a train chugging down the track, a cruise ship billowing smoke, and paraphernalia that explorers may use such as a compass, luggage, glasses, knee high boots, a Kodak Eastman camera. In the center of the compass are two men staring into each other's eyes, one is cautious but intrigued, the other is intent and curious, if not wary.

The case of the hardback copy of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne held up in front of the grass. The hardback cover of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne. A orange to dark brown gradient background with leather texture is overlaid by a blue velvet line work design of a compass. There are many details hidden inside and around the compass, including Amazonian plants, a waterfall, a German shepherd, a kailedoscope of butteflies, and a pigeon. There is also a train chugging down the track, a cruise ship billowing smoke, and paraphernalia that explorers may use such as a compass, luggage, glasses, knee high boots, a Kodak Eastman camera. In the center of the compass are two men staring into each other's eyes, one is cautious but intrigued, the other is intent and curious, if not wary.

A hardback copy of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne held up in front of the grass. The hardback cover of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne. A orange to dark brown gradient background with leather texture is overlaid by a blue velvet line work design of a compass. There are many details hidden inside and around the compass, including Amazonian plants, a waterfall, a German shepherd, a kailedoscope of butteflies, and a pigeon. There is also a train chugging down the track, a cruise ship billowing smoke, and paraphernalia that explorers may use such as a compass, luggage, glasses, knee high boots, a Kodak Eastman camera. In the center of the compass are two men staring into each other's eyes, one is cautious but intrigued, the other is intent and curious, if not wary. The Voice of Wild Places is in white, bold deco style font in the bottom left corner, Noah Hawthorne in thinner font is in top right.

Its me again Margaret, showing off some of the details of this beauty illustrated by @crossroadart.bsky.social

How many details can you find? Some of the most obvious ones are Cher Ami, Maggie, the train to São Paulo, Cornelius' Kodak, the Furness Prince.

neshamapublishing.com

Ah mate, thank you so much 😆

again reccing this book that I loved so much I immediately reread it upon finishing. GORGEOUS fanart to entice you 😍

A hardback copy of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne held up in front of the grass. The hardback cover of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne. A orange to dark brown gradient background with leather texture is overlaid by a blue velvet line work design of a compass. There are many details hidden inside and around the compass, including Amazonian plants, a waterfall, a German shepherd, a kailedoscope of butteflies, and a pigeon. There is also a train chugging down the track, a cruise ship billowing smoke, and paraphernalia that explorers may use such as a compass, luggage, glasses, knee high boots, a Kodak Eastman camera. In the center of the compass are two men staring into each other's eyes, one is cautious but intrigued, the other is intent and curious, if not wary.

A hardback copy of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne held up in front of the grass, back facing the camera. The hardback cover of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne. A orange to dark brown gradient background with leather texture. Dark blue velvet linework of a butterfly hanging upside down from the top of the cover. text beneath says, "Where would we go? Where wouldn't we?"

A close up of the hardback copy of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne held up in front of the grass. The hardback cover of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne. A orange to dark brown gradient background with leather texture is overlaid by a blue velvet line work design of a compass. There are many details hidden inside and around the compass, including Amazonian plants, a waterfall, a German shepherd, a kailedoscope of butteflies, and a pigeon. There is also a train chugging down the track, a cruise ship billowing smoke, and paraphernalia that explorers may use such as a compass, luggage, glasses, knee high boots, a Kodak Eastman camera. In the center of the compass are two men staring into each other's eyes, one is cautious but intrigued, the other is intent and curious, if not wary.

A hardback copy of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne held up in front of the grass, just the hard case. The hardback cover of The Voice of Wild Places by Noah Hawthorne. A orange to dark brown gradient background with leather texture is overlaid by a blue velvet line work design of a compass. There are many details hidden inside and around the compass, including Amazonian plants, a waterfall, a German shepherd, a kailedoscope of butteflies, and a pigeon. There is also a train chugging down the track, a cruise ship billowing smoke, and paraphernalia that explorers may use such as a compass, luggage, glasses, knee high boots, a Kodak Eastman camera. In the center of the compass are two men staring into each other's eyes, one is cautious but intrigued, the other is intent and curious, if not wary.

The Voice of Wild Places hardback is here ! Big thanks to @crossroadart.bsky.social for illustrating the cover, and inside art of the fellas clasping arms while trapped under the water. And to @lobitacookie.bsky.social for the rest of the inner illustrations!

neshamapublishing.com

The way you catching all the little details makes my day though 🙌

That’s the one 😂

🥹❤️

So so appreciate you introducing me to this book ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Characters from Maiga Doocy’s ‘Sorcery & Small Magics’ Leovander, though bias narrator and world of trouble that he is, described Sebastian Grimm as a man that lived up to his name, having all the bearing of a thundercloud, with pale grey hair, at 21 yrs old, to match. The golden light he looks into does little to warm the focus of his hard features, nor soften his posture, made all the more unyielding by the lines of his black coat. Perfect pleats and smooth plains leading down his back to a flat, wide indigo sash at his waist, embroidered with rain over rolling waves. Over it a belt supports a sword hanger, weighed down by a rapier. The black hanger itself is embossed with wheat before a flower, while the sword is gripped in the shadow of Grimm’s quietly poised stance. Nothing about said stance invites anyone upon it, and yet, only goaded by walls of any kind, Leovander is on him. The contrast between the 2 young men is stark; Leo’s barely restrained mahogany hair falls around his face and gathers in the popped collar of his open green coat, itself scrunched at the waist under a hastily cinched red sash. A generous collection of silver ornamentation, calling sign of the scandalous musician, adorns his ears and every finger but for the third on both hands. Whatever is so occupying Grimm, Leo is ready to weigh in, eager for the game. One arm is hooked over Grimm’s shoulder, falling down his back with an easy temper, while a violin bow in Leo’s fingers crosses down till the strings rest atop Grimm’s sword hand. Leo’s other arm then secures the man into closer confidence, linking over the second shoulder while his hand is raised into the feathered back of Grimm’s otherwise neatly combed hair, where it guards a whisper. Whatever Leo is divulging, the curl of his lip is already smug in the certainty that the problem before them is no match for his self assured cunning, and however uninviting Grimm’s demeanour is, he shows no inclination not to hear the troublemaker out.

Read @maigadoocy.bsky.social ‘Sorcery & Small Magics’
& I’m making it everyone’s problem

I’d endlessly read these 2 quarrelling while bring utterly exceptional in their collaboration.
If u like banter, shit stirring & the consequences of one’s own actions, read this book.
#art #SorceryandSmallMagic

Golden light falls over the the edge of the coliseum walls and settles across the dusty floor, the distant blur of the waiting audience and the profile of Seth, a gorgon gladiator. He stands with a gladius sword out stretched, towards some unseen combatant, rays of white glancing off it’s metal. The nest of snakes slithering from his crown and around his neck, all face the unseen opponent, tongues flickering and topaz eyes wide. Meanwhile Seth’s own eyes are firmly shut in an otherwise focused expression. His lips are set in a thin line under a shallow nose, where four small nostrils breath easily. They are shaped like the heat vent leading up his cheeks towards the small lobeless ears that slant off a square jaw. His body is smooth, the warm yellowed green of leaves before their autumn rust, and well muscled under a lattice of scars, many of which came from his years in the gladiator pits with exception to the two thick ones under his pectoral. Dust wafts in the cool shadows around him, nearly obscuring the details of the thick bronze balteus band around his hip, holding the dark tasseled skirts of his subligaculum. In the balteus belt’s centre is a wide starring slit eye. Another such decoration sits in profile on the pauldron over his shoulder, which itself over the white padding of the manica belted down the length of Seth’s arm that is relaxed by his side, yet ready for the fight. Once more there is another bronze eye on his sword arm’s bracer, coppery in the morning light. The chill dawn of the moment is poised with composure and anticipation.

An playful prompt from a friend resulted in Seth suddenly becoming a gladiator, and he hasn’t been the same in my head since.

#art #fantasy #mythology #illustration #digitalart #gorgon

Thank you! 😆

Thank you! I had one hell of a time trying to get it right.