iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Gabriele

Esperidio Marino @esperidio-marino.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

In the Southern Islands, this shrew-like creature became a skilled climber to capture arboreal invertebrates. Moving with its limbs, tail and trunk, the rhinograde reaches tall branches to feed, blending with the native flora. #sedimentarylands #worldbuilding #rhinogrades #snouters

Drawing of a speculative mammal called Leptictidium rhinogradus and a speculative plant called Erythrodendron tradescantioides.

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Today's doodle, it's old, you may call him Vile Knight or Vilvaliere (the original name) #art #ink #sketch #digitalart #doodle #conceptart

A Vile-Knight stands in a strange, proud pose. He wears armor whose decorations resemble vines and bunches of grapes.
He is a warrior from a distant land where a special wine is said to be produced. No one knows much about their origins anymore, but it is said that a woman hidden in the mountains knows the way to reach Landavile.

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Today's drawing, you have found another bird while following your path in the woods. I can give you some lore on #themistlands if you read the alternative description. #art #ink #sketch #digitalart #doodle #sparrow #lore #worldbuilding

Another dead sparrow, its wings outstretched, almost as if it were still flying, it is surrounded by tiny clovers mourning the little creature. Birds are among the few known creatures capable of seeing the Mist Lands from above, so some revere them as messengers of the gods who dwell above the everlasting clouds.
Strange creatures inhabit the woods where dead birds are found.
Creatures that offer advice, for the right price.

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Today's drawing, It was meant as practice but I can give you some lore on #themistlands if you read the alternative description. Beware the dead bird, for you might get lost. #art #ink #sketch #digitalart #doodle #sparrow #lore #worldbuilding

A dead sparrow is resting among some grass, in these lands, dead birds are view as a bad omen. You might find more among the trees on the hills just above the border. Don't go any further unless you are ready to lose something, or even yourself.

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Today's drawing, another explorer sketch for #themistlands. In this world plenty of ancient artifact can be discovered. #art #ink #sketch #digitalart #doodle #shrew #creaturedesign #worldbuilding #characterdesign #silly #rat #relic

A shrew explorer, dressed with a simple cape made out of a particular mushroom, he found an ancient mask lying on the ground.
Though these objects are dealt with fear and suspect by common shrews, whom who enter the mist learn to praise and worship them as evidence of safe havens during the long journey.

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Today's sketch: I thought I'd use some toned paper. Made with ink and white acrylic. #art #ink #sketch #abstract #femalelines #anatomy

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Reposted by Gabriele

EndlessCrust @endlesscrust.neocities.org · 23/05/2026

Collaboration with @merula-art.bsky.social! Cool slothlike creature I had a lot of fun rendering, especially with the background

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Collab critter, the lovely design is by @endlesscrust.neocities.org and painted by me, it was really fun to be able to paint someone else's sketch. #art #collab #creature #design #digitalpainting #digitalsketch

A presence wanders through the forests, moving from branch to branch at dusk.
A curious little creature, somewhat squat and furry.
This creature was drawn by @EndlessCrust and painted by me. I chose a very warm color palette to convey a humid, autumnal atmosphere, reminiscent of mushrooms, acorns, and undergrowth.

Sketch of the same creature by @EndlessCrust; the very free and energetic lines give great movement and vitality to the drawing.

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Reposted by Gabriele

Esperidio Marino @esperidio-marino.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

The Casetherium looks like a hybrid between a hare and a cat and is a common sight in the Amber Nation. This animal is an opportunistic pest that seems to have a taste for milk and cheese and so, for its unusual habits, has been associated with witchcraft. #sedimentarylands #worldbuilding

Drawing of a speculative mammal called Casetherium familiaris.

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Hi there, i had some issues with drawing this week, so no drawings for today, yet I am sharing a little bit of my private "behind the scene" with this little maquette i did today. (I need this thing for a secret project) #art #prepwork #paper #papermodel #light #candle #fireplace #painting

Small maquette:
Small paper model of a room, crafted to plot the light of a scene that is going to be painted. There is a paper fireplace with a small candle burning inside, staining with light everything around it, the whole room is still missing the walls but the furnitures made of white paper reflect the light clearly, helping the painter in the process.

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Reposted by Gabriele

Esperidio Marino @esperidio-marino.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Sketches of two Floating Village Talkers. Always wanted to call two characters Monty and Ayla, like two species of Aurelia (moon jellyfish). #chromaticintrusion #magicsystem #worldbuilding @merula-art.bsky.social

Drawing of two characters called Monty and Ayla.

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Reposted by Gabriele

Esperidio Marino @esperidio-marino.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

The Forest Nation, unsurprisingly, hosts many arboreal species. Two of them are opportunists that sometimes steal food from travellers, the tengu and the kamaitachi. One may say they are mischievous but they really are just surviving. #sedimentarylands #worldbuilding @merula-art.bsky.social

Drawing of two speculative animals, a weasel called Mustela falcata and a bird called Emicorvus tengu.

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Reposted by Gabriele

Esperidio Marino @esperidio-marino.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

In the world of Chromatic Intrusion, there are places where magic is more needed, or simply stronger. Usually, the magical places are large citadels found in unusual locations, for example on ships. #chromaticintrusion #magicsystem #worldbuilding

Drawing of a fantasy ship with a small village on it and a submarine.

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Today's drawing, some creature sketches for #themistlands. I tried to create some interesting characters starting from a shrew, thanks to the advice of @esperidio-marino.bsky.social #art #ink #sketch #digitalart #doodle #shrew #creaturedesign #worldbuilding #characterdesign #silly #rat

On this page, there are a few attempts at creating new creatures for my worldbuilding project. I started with a shrew as a base, so they all have a rather mouse-like appearance, with long, pendulous noses, small eyes, and a forlorn expression.
Some resemble humanoid mice, with longer limbs and a shorter body than a common rat; others are bulky, their bodies supported by cylindrical pachyderm-like legs, and have a more hideous appearance.
Another version has an appearance somewhere between a penguin and the aforementioned shrew. Its body is soft, cylindrical, and covered in fat. It stands upright on its hind limbs, using its tail as additional support. Its long forelimbs have vaguely humanoid digits.

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Chapter 1: today's doodle, in this case digital ink. I hope to add some more elements in future drawing sessions.👀 #art #ink #sketch #digitalart #doodle

Chapter 1: The beginning of a quarrel between an ogre and a blackbird. No one yet knows why they started arguing, but things got so serious that the ogre began wielding his sword, gnashing his teeth furiously at the little bird. Technical details: This is the beginning of a drawing I hope to expand. It depicts an ogre wearing vaguely oriental-style clothing, holding a sword behind his back. His head resembles a potato, with a large rounded chin and an earring to complete the look.
The blackbird flutters slightly higher, mocking him.
The whole thing is drawn with a black digital line that mimics the look of ink applied with a thin brush. There are no hatched shadows, but a couple of areas are left black to better define the volumes.

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Hey, here's a recent ink drawing exercise. I tried to construct the figures as I drew them. #art #illustration #ink #doodle #sketch

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

It's been a while, here's a doodle. #sketch

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Reposted by Gabriele

Esperidio Marino @esperidio-marino.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Lagotia myriapoda is a creeping plant of the rocky coasts, developing from volatile seeds that reach the crevices in the rocks and grow climbing the coast, to produce a spike of fruits that will be transported by the wind. #sedimentarylands #worldbuilding

Drawing of a speculative rocky coast ecosystem.

Drawing of a speculative rocky coast ecosystem, at different scales.

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

A bunch of sketches, The Mistlands are taking shape. As you can see, the banana-shaped larva has caught most of my attention. #art #worldbuilding #sketch

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

#sketchbook pages after some live sketching with friends and more defined photo studies. #art

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

Working on that hatching with some ink🖋️. Photo studies. #art #sketch #owl

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Reposted by Gabriele

Esperidio Marino @esperidio-marino.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Speculative evolution of the #notdeer The most well-known Unguivenatoria is the not-deer, roaming around the capital Ana and almost perfectly mimicking a musk #deer but it's a predator and a scavenger. Here is also a distribution #map of Unguivenatoria. #worldbuilding #sedimentarylands #specevo

Drawing of a speculative animal called Moschoides ambratus, inspired by the legend of the not-deer.

Drawing of a fantasy map with the habitat of three of its animals.

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Photo study today! I am not satisfied with this hatching, but the only thing to do is keep practicing. #art #artstudy

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Reposted by Gabriele

Esperidio Marino @esperidio-marino.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

#goblins are a common sight in the #sedimentarylands. They are opportunistic scavengers and live mostly underground. Some of them are in symbiosis with the salt #moss, a plant that can easily absorb salt and allow the goblins to roam around the salty lakes. #goblin #specevo #worldbuilding #isopod

Drawing of speculative species. A crustacean called Gobelinus goblin and a moss called Halibryo goblini.

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Some thumbnails! With the help of @esperidio-marino.bsky.social I designed some creatures for my little worldbuilding project aka "The Mistlands". Over the next few weeks I will work on developing the creatures and their environments. #art #worldbuilding #sketch

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

P E A K character design🌻 just some silly #art to brighten your day.

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

I've been practicing on some interesting skin tones, this time I felt like refining my brush strokes a little.

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Painting with hard edges is almost like sculpting👀 I'm painting in Krita again after some time in Corel Painter; the goal is to maintain a consistent painting style across both programs. Do you have a favorite painting program?✨ #art #wip #sketch

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Nothing beats a good coffee after a sleepless night. It's the dirty old moka pot that makes it good. #coffee

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Tiger sketch, I love this creature but I've never tried to draw one until now. #art #artpractice To anyone who finds this post, show me your tigers. I'm curious. I was inspired by studying Kim Jung Gi's drawings. For me, his art is a constant invitation to improve.

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 13/09/2025

Today I studied #cows and #bulls, some #anatomy #sketches after a long time

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Gabriele @merula-art.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

I've been trying to paint a bit more lately, and I'm happy with how these two studies turned out. No smudging or layering effects. I've always struggled with drawing or painting landscapes and buildings, and these two studies seem like a great step forward. #sketch #landscapes #digitalpainting

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