Kyo is a Concept Artist who loves making gnarly monsters inspired by dark and mysterious worlds. A lover of critters both big and small, I specialize in Creature Design with a secondary focus in Props & Weapons, using a deep love for astronomy and nature to influence my work. Primarily a self taught artist, my dedication, ambition, and imagination have seen me through various challenges on my art journey; leaving me with a deep love for rich narrative and worldbuilding (especially ecosystems)!
- Proactively tackling client briefs, design challenges, as well as advising on projects ranging from
freelance illustrations, to videogames as shown in my portfolio
- Bringing my expertise to share as a guest artist for Seattle Indies, Cartoonists Northwest; and
various other events including Fan Expo Denver, ayA Con Denver, and more!
- Establishing my original IP, Dactylanthus, including writing, world building, and design
- Exhibiting at comic & game conventions in various cities across Colorado, and more recently,
Washington State
- Successfully, managing my own business, expenses, scheduling, organization, and deadlines
- Creating numerous thumbnails for various flora to populate Raven Company’s levels
- Providing detailed call out sheets for flora, fungi, weapons, alien units, and alien structures
- Providing paintovers and Zbrush sculpts to guide 3D modelers and exercising constructive
guidance and feedback to ensure their work aligned with the approved concepts
- Researching/worldbuilding to ensure our biomes/ecosystems are rooted in reality, believable,
unique, and cool!
- Providing a framework of reference and resources to guide our art team through research,
moodboards, and writing to encourage visual story telling
- Working alongside the Game and Creative Directors to maintain a unique visual identity and
maintain visual consistency for WK’s first game, Doomsday Doorman [shipped].
- Creating backgrounds, storyboards, mockups, key art, marketing art, and the game’s trailer
- Flexibility throughout development when game direction pivoted
- Maintaining a positive and encouraging attitude throughout development to keep morale high
- Effectively communicating with my team
- Creating multiple original creatures to fit within the post-apocalyptic universe of Pilla, established
by creator Rafael Maldonado Bad-Hand
- Trusted to work within a given timeline, and to organize and execute my own workload
- Responsible for illustrating the Kickstarter cover for the book, as well as renditions of Rafael’s
original characters: Dog Dog, Carnage Kitty, and Nuclear Trash Pandas
I was asked to contribute my work alongside a handful of other artists, to one of Colorado's local comic shops, Vision Comics and Oddities.
- Creation of the project’s two player characters, main antagonist, and henchmen in line with the
game’s Direction
- Mentored and led character design team, providing constructive feedback to ensure team
members produced their best work and meeting project standards
- Keeping the art team organized