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dakotacurry.com
Dakota Curry - Looking for Work
@dakotacurry.com
620 followers 830 following 500 posts
he/him || Award-winning illustrator, concept artist, worldbuilder || DM || http://patreon.com/dakotacurry

Website: http://www.dakotacurry.com
Contact: http://www.dakotacurry.com/contact
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dakotacurry.com
Dakota Curry - Looking for Work @dakotacurry.com · Oct 14
Hey #PortfolioDay! I'm Dakota, Seattle-based concept artist and illustrator! I work mostly in tabletop and miniatures, but looking to expand into video games and film as well!

Let's make something amazing together!

For more: www.dakotacurry.com

For work inquiries: www.dakotacurry.com/contact
A fishing village built on stilts. A crab observes the green flash sunset phenomenon. Designs for a rustpunk flamethrower Designs for a fully armored ranged combat unit, using the flamethrower from the previous image A cat wearing half-plate armor descends into a cavern, surrounded by ghostly skulls
Reposted by Dakota Curry - Looking for Work
kyrin.bsky.social
go.bsky.app/E4bzVZe
go.bsky.app/N1Ptb9L

Here's a couple of my old starter packs for the folks coming back or joining in.
December 28, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Reposted by Dakota Curry - Looking for Work
sonybaloneyart.bsky.social
Looking to book some work for the new year!

Let's work together and make something cool!
sonybaloneyart.com
sonybaloneyart@gmail.com
sonybaloneyart.bsky.social Sonya Henar || Available for Work and Comms Open @sonybaloneyart.bsky.social · Oct 14
Hi #PortfolioDay! I'm Sonya &I'm character designer and award winning illustrator.

I'm available for freelance, studio work & seeking representation!

Past clients: Greenbrier Games, Gran Via Productions, Skybound Entertainment, Darrington Press

sonybaloneyart.com
sonybaloneyart@gmail.com
character design and color design sheet illustration of two skeleton chefs and chinese opera ghost performer character design sheet girl in a dirty dress crying on the stairs
December 15, 2025 at 2:27 AM
dakotacurry.com
I made this thread not to say "I did this and that makes me a great concept artist".

I did it to say "concept artists are great and we are valuable resources and you can't just replace us with a box of wires".

Just to be clear.

Have a wonderful Monday <3
dakotacurry.com Dakota Curry - Looking for Work @dakotacurry.com · 7d
One of my favorite stories about concept art, which feels topical rn, isn't glamorous. It's from a random meeting.

The sculpting team was updating an old lion knight sculpt and struggling with vibes. They wanted more aggressive and battle-worn.

I solved their problem in 20 seconds mid-meeting. 1/
Two axes, one long handled and one short. They are notched and curved and capped with stylized lions.
December 22, 2025 at 7:30 PM
dakotacurry.com
One of my favorite stories about concept art, which feels topical rn, isn't glamorous. It's from a random meeting.

The sculpting team was updating an old lion knight sculpt and struggling with vibes. They wanted more aggressive and battle-worn.

I solved their problem in 20 seconds mid-meeting. 1/
Two axes, one long handled and one short. They are notched and curved and capped with stylized lions.
December 22, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Reposted by Dakota Curry - Looking for Work
chirunax.bsky.social
Taking commissions for January, please RT 🧡

If you are interested please contact me via e-mail: chirunax@gmail.com
Two horsemen running for their lives. In the background there are two giants, one of which is stabbing the other. The blood flowing down in glowing like molten lava. A portrait of a woman with dark skin and blue eyes, she is wearing a bright red suit, a big red hat and black gloves with ornate jewels. A giant man with white pearlescent scales on his shoulders and tail covers a small woman in a red dress with his hand The man has a huge bleeding bite on his shoulder.
December 22, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Reposted by Dakota Curry - Looking for Work
thisweekinvideogames.com
We spoke to a dozen professional concept artists who are currently or have previously worked in game development about whether generative AI image tools have made their jobs any easier.

Zero said it did. Most said it made things harder.

thisweekinvideogames.com/feature/conc...
Concept Artists Say Generative AI References Only Make Their Jobs Harder
“The ‘early ideation stages’, when worlds are being fleshed out by writers and artists, are literally crucial to the development of a game’s vision,” said one artist.
thisweekinvideogames.com
December 18, 2025 at 9:06 PM
Reposted by Dakota Curry - Looking for Work
thetrudz.photo
‼️
Article (Edmond Tran; TWIV) excerpt reads: “Lucy Mutimer, a game developer and illustrator who primarily works with indie studios, explains that ‘referencing and research are core parts of an artist’s overall development. (Sometimes regrettably) you carry a piece of every project with you.’ ‘Something that I have found difficult for non-artists to understand is that the ‘early messy stuff’ that non-arty folks insist can be ‘fixed by a human artist later’ is where the best work is done. You cannot brute force your way to the end conclusion of an idea – you gotta work that out.’” Article (Edmond Tran; TWIV) excerpt reads: ‘Kim Hu, a freelance illustrator, concept artist and designer, who served as the Lead Concept Artist on Rollerdrome, says outsourcing even part of the early ideation stage to AI ‘robs you of discovery, as it will likely more or less give you exactly what you asked of it.’ ‘On the other hand, going through archives and real world references will allow you to stumble upon things you have never thought of before, informing and branching out your ideas further. Going down these accidental rabbit holes is a pivotal step of concept and world building to me.’”
December 19, 2025 at 3:58 PM
dakotacurry.com
One of my first professional projects that really helped me feel like a concept artist, and one I really wanna revisit someday.

A tiefling society living in a frozen blizzardy waste has to function somehow, right? There was so much in these, but here are a few of my favorites.

#conceptart #rpg
Designs for a tiefling society of mountain hunters Designs for a snow environment mount combining walrus, moose, and snow leopard characteristics, featuring saddles for same. Designs for outposts and towns for a society of tieflings living in low visibility cold conditions An assassin of a society of tieflings living in the mountains
December 20, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Reposted by Dakota Curry - Looking for Work
pleasantlytwstd.blacksky.app
I continue to stand on 'AI is rotting your brains.'

When I was art director for Into the Motherlands, my artists got prompts from me that were anywhere from 3 lines to 4 paragraphs. All of them met our art needs no issue.
tonycomputerentertainment.com TONY GRAYSON 🗻 @tonycomputerentertainment.com · 11d
Anyone who supports this is an embarrassment. "Instead of typing it out they'll generate their idea"? Are you insane?

Call yourself whatever you want but you aren't creatives, that's for sure.
December 19, 2025 at 6:58 PM
dakotacurry.com
One of the toughest things recently has been feeling, since losing my fulltime work, like I can no longer call myself a concept artist.

This is not true. I love my job and I'm very good at it and no one can take that from me. Some friends reminded me of that and I'm so grateful. <3

Love y'all.
December 19, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Reposted by Dakota Curry - Looking for Work
devenrue.com
Hello new followers! I'm a professional fantasy cartographer best known for working with Critical Role & creating the LoTR land cards for MtG.

If you want to learn how I make my maps, I have an extensive course on my Patreon. Find all my other creations on there too! www.patreon.com/DevenRue
A colorful, hand-drawn map of the Dwendalian Empire which is part of the fictional world of Exandria from Critical Role. A photograph of a map of Wildemount surrounded by scrolls, navigation tools, telescopes, coins and writing instruments. A colorful illustrated map of Tal'Dorei from Critical Role created by Deven Rue. An image showing all ten cards created by Deven Rue for Magic the Gathering’s Lord of the Rings series. Each card displays a hand-drawn map of different parts of Middle Earth during the 3rd age.
December 18, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Reposted by Dakota Curry - Looking for Work
dare2dreamrpg.bsky.social
Hey everyone I know this time of the year money is tight but I’m trying to raise money so I can be in Atlanta for my brothers murder trial. I’m trying to raise like $300 for a place to stay
December 17, 2025 at 3:12 PM
dakotacurry.com
I hate that I have to say this, but I’ll also say it as loudly as I can every time it comes up:

I have never used, will never use, and actively despise gen ai. I didn’t work as hard as I have to not do my job. I’m great at my job. All parts of my job. And most of all, I love my job.

Fuck ai. 🤘
December 18, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Reposted by Dakota Curry - Looking for Work
kortizart.bsky.social
Been thinking on the use of GenAi for mood boards. Ethics and legal risks aside, I truly believe using GenAi as references deprives one of many pivotal things.

Here’s a blurb on what I mean:
Some thoughts: When using GenAi as a mood board you don't get sources. This means you deprive yourself from knowledge. You generated a location? You deprived yourself of knowing more about the interesting parts of the world and why things came to be. Generate an armor or costume? You deprived yourself on real world techniques, function, form and history. You generated art inspirations? You deprive yourself of learning about artists from history or lock out living ones from potentially being hired. Ethical issues of using GenAi models aside, one ends up making visuals mood boards devoid of reality and history. With it one deprives themselves from learning about our world and who is living in it, inadvertently making your work weaker, because of how detached it is from our shared human reality and history.
December 17, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Reposted by Dakota Curry - Looking for Work
megglesart.bsky.social
Im proud of you. You are doing the best you can as an artist in a time where people dont appreciate human art anymore. We are all struggling, but we are struggling together. We got this, and I believe in you.
Don't let the hard times crush your creativity. ♡
December 8, 2025 at 7:52 AM
Reposted by Dakota Curry - Looking for Work
ace-of-dragons.bsky.social
happy #FollowFriday! 🩷

this fine Friday, consider checking out this starter pack of folks who take TTRPG commissions! 🩷

(and there's still a little space so lmk if you fit this and you'd like to be added 🩷🩷)

go.bsky.app/C92zguy
December 12, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Reposted by Dakota Curry - Looking for Work
dollarsanddragons.com
Our PDF for How To GM Romance is out! We did it @kiennas.bsky.social @naladraws.com @sailorsctaustin.bsky.social @erfjordan.bsky.social @metalweavegames.com

So proud of what we've done. 🥰

cover art by @defenestratin.bsky.social

Check it out here:
www.backerkit.com/c/projects/m...
Kienna Shaw Friday Strout Nala J. Wu "How To GM Romance" A colorful rainbow colored heart shaped with characters drawn into the reflections to show romantic couples/groups. A small symbol in the lower right hand corner that reads "Metal Weave Games" A TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE THAT READS Introduction 1 SYSTEMS 1. Romance Tracking System 6 2. Dispute & Fallout System 28 3. Dating System 40 4. Serenade System 54 5. Intimacy System 68 ESSAYS 6. How to GM Romance: “But I’m Asexual!” Edition 92 7. Safety & Romance in Games: Dice-Rolling, Courtship, & Player Choice 98 8. Love Beyond White Supremacy: Liberational Romances in TTRPGs 110 9. Including the Sex Work Industry in Your Games & Settings 123 10. What Does It Take to (Pretend to) Fall in Love? 134 APPENDICES Appendix A. Example NPCs 143 APPENDIX B. Date Locations 144 Appendix C. Conversation Starters 149 Appendix D. Romantic Gifts 150 CREDITS CO-CREATORS Kienna Shaw, Friday Strout, Nala J. Wu PROJECT LEADS Friday Strout, Nala J. Wu ART DIRECTOR Nala J. Wu NARRATIVE DIRECTORS Kienna Shaw, Austin Taylor EDITOR E. R. F. Jordan PROJECT MANAGER Erika Hill COVER ARTIST defenestratin LOGO & TITLE DESIGN Softasvulvet, Nala J. Wu LAYOUT DESIGN E. R. F. Jordan, Nala J. Wu INTERIOR ARTISTS Asphodelles, Elena M. Benítez, Isabel Burke, Jaen Nighly Butler, Lydia Collins (Coyoteprince), defenestratin, Marty Tina G, Annalise Jensen, Amihan Johnson, Emory Kjelsberg, Adeline Kon, Kai Lysander, Savanna Mayer, Carey Pietsch, Ang Hui Qing, Jericho Rose, Diana Tsai Santos, Jay Arthur Simpson, Eldritch Smite, stevenprimed, Rosie Viirre, Nala J. Wu SYSTEM DESIGNERS Alex Roberts, Kienna Shaw, Friday Strout, Sebastian Yūe, Christiana Zambrano ESSAYISTS Dillin Apelyan, Connie Chang, Wesley “Nox” Crowe, Noordin Ali Kadir, Cate Osborn ADDITIONAL WRITING Kienna Shaw, Friday Strout, Austin Taylor, Sebastian Yūe MARKETING Amihan Johnson, Friday Strout, Ivy Tubbs PUBLISHER Andreas Walters Metal Weave Games TYPEFACES USED II Cover: defenestratin Inside Title Page: Elena M. Benítez Right: Isabel Burke Art Director’s Note: Throughout the book, artists’ credits will be listed adjacent to each work like below: GENDY FUTURA Gotham FRANKLIN GOTHIC DEMI Metal Weave Games and No AI symbol
December 12, 2025 at 4:43 PM
dakotacurry.com
Sometimes a productive day is finishing a bunch of designs, or making a lot of progress on an illustration, and sometimes a productive day is spending 7-8 hours doing file management for your portfolio updates

I had a very productive day today. I'm very tired now but I did it
December 13, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Reposted by Dakota Curry - Looking for Work
abigaillarson.com
Burned out.
self portrait of the artist seated at a kitchen table with her head resting on on the table and her arms hanging limp with exhaustion. Two goblins approach her curiously.
December 12, 2025 at 8:01 PM
dakotacurry.com
This is older, non-steamforged, but it's still one of my favorite designs I did in the last little bit. Just personal art, but it was in the beginning of me getting into sci-fi on various levels and it was such a fun exploration.
A grungy sci fi mono-wheeled bike, the back wheel replaced by a glowing technological greebly bit
December 12, 2025 at 7:58 PM
dakotacurry.com
Artists, show us your red art 🔥
A volcanic island, the caldera shaped like a human skull, erupts into a boiling sea
December 11, 2025 at 5:51 PM
dakotacurry.com
Another design from Bardsung, an Elven sage. Thinking a ton about "old growth forests" here.

This was the first design when I thought "You know... the sculptors miiiiiiiiight get mad at me for this one". But they said it was quite fun and they knocked it out of the park! Huge shoutout to them! <3
An elven sage, bent over with time, grows seamlessly into the trees they protect. design sheet for the elven grovetender
December 11, 2025 at 5:29 PM
dakotacurry.com
One of my favorite designs I made for Bardsung 2, the Thornspitter. We'd been talking about this faction being very body-modification, but all organic, no tech, and we needed a ranged enemy for them. So? No archers here, we've got Arms That Spit Thorns At High Speeds. Why would we do anything else?
A masked humanoid figure with pockmarked skin and covered in thorns darts from the cover of swampy rushes, leaping towards the viewer. Its arm is replaced with an odd amalgamation of thorns and bone, primed to stab. Design sheet for the Thornspitter, included poses for the miniature and a breakdown for the thorn-throwing arm
December 10, 2025 at 8:14 PM
dakotacurry.com
Sharing a bunch of stuff, new and old, cuz I feel like I've neglected y'all <3

One of the upsides of the job hunt is also getting to update a lot of stuff and putting more energy into the social side of the industry. I'm excited to see what y'all've been cookin too!
December 10, 2025 at 7:30 PM