D.S. Embree
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ds-embree.bsky.social
D.S. Embree
@ds-embree.bsky.social
68 followers 110 following 58 posts
(he/him)
neurodivergent visual artist. soul alchemist.
🕯️
maker of zines, portraits, and much more.
⏳
visit my website for portrait commissions, prints, merch and creative collaborations.
🔮
https://www.dsembree.com
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ds-embree.bsky.social
A mini zine collaboration between my partner and I.

you can learn more about my partner’s many talents here:
rootedinsky.com
a photo of a hand holding up a mini-zine displaying its front cover, with a peacock feather in the background. the front cover of the zine has a black and white ink drawing of an empty, open birdcage. the background is a wash of pink watercolor. the title, “sheltered”, is displayed in collaged lettering. the zine is opened to the first spread. the left page is a b&w drawing of a submerged turtle with its rear end floating toward the surface of the water. the watercolor background is blue, yellow and pink. collaged text reads “bouyancy. issues.” the right page is a b&w drawing of a curled snake with its tongue reaching up toward a lightbulb with a pull chain. the watercolor background is faint yellow, purple, pink, green and blue. the collaged text reads “I won’t feel a thing”. the zine is opened to the next spread. both pages are a single spread, with b&w drawings of two lions. a female lion is in a resting position in the background, and a male lion is pacing in the foreground. the watercolor background is pink, orange and yellow, with faint pen patterns of a broken chain link fence. the collaged text reads “The rooted and the restless”. the zine is open to the final spread. the left image is a b&w drawing of a giraffe hiding behind a tree. the watercolor background is blue and green. the right image is a b&w drawing of a tarantula. the watercolor background is grayscale. across both images, the collaged text reads “ HID DEN”
October 10, 2025 at 3:49 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
a few pages from a new zine, “ECHOES OF EMOTION FROM DREAMS LONG PAST”. A curated selection of 50-ish sketchbook pages.
A photo of a zine lying cover up on a wood table. The front cover is an abstract black ink drawing, the title written in thinly inked letters, with a subtle blue-pink gradient border. the zine is opened to a spread of two sketchbook drawings. the first is a cyclopian creature covered in stars, foreshortened so the viewer is looking up as the creature reaches toward them. their other hand is behind a mountain, and their head is surrounded by lightning and clouds. the second is another cyclopian creature, huddled on the ground in a sulking position, in an abstract, dark, claustrophobic space. the zine is opened to another spread of three drawings. the first is a hanging object, that looks like string wrapped around sticks, with something round hanging from the sticks. the second is a very small storage chest. the third is a semi-abstract scene of a volcano spewing smoke, and two figures in the corner huddled together amongst rubble and a strange glowing jewel. the zine is opened to another spread of two drawings. the first is a pyramid/ziggurat structure being struck by lightning in a dark sky. there is a stone path lined by candles leading to an entrance at the front of the structure. the second is an abstract semi-landscape with an unknown symbol in the middle.
October 9, 2025 at 4:18 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
a commission from my friend to make a very special birthday gift. A hand-inked 7” record sleeve to house a single-edition custom lathe-cut 7”.

check out my friend’s music here:

creepchurch.bandcamp.com
the front cover of a single-edition 7” record. hand inked drawing in blue ink of a kid and an adult reading a book together on a couch, with framed kid’s paintings on the wall above them. the back cover of the 7” sleeve. a drawing in blue ink of a symbolic montage of objects: a bass clarinet with tendrils of smoke on both sides, a large 20-sided die, bat wings, closed eyelids, and feathers. the inner fold of the 7” sleeve. A white silhouette of a bow and crossed arrows against a blue ink background.
July 28, 2025 at 4:12 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
a portrait for Genie 🐾

get in touch with me if you are interested in a portrait commission:

www.dsembree.com/custom-portr...

#animalportrait #petportrait #inkwash #greyhound
a grayscale ink + colored pencil portrait of a greyhound named Genie sitting and staring lovingly at the viewer. Her name is printed in vertical bold lettering on the left of the portrait.
July 21, 2025 at 2:49 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
an Animal Card for Margie 🐾

you can order one of these custom-made portraits of any beloved animal in your life from my website:

www.dsembree.com/animal-cards
a 2.5 inch x 3.5 inch portrait of a small black-haired dog named Margie. The portrait is in ink, colored pencil and watercolor and has a pale blue-green background.
May 18, 2025 at 12:12 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
A few shots from @licz.bsky.social last month. Photos courtesy of Charlie Rose Photography
a photo of me sitting at my art merch table at LICZ (Lansing Independent Comics & Zines) Fest. A photo of two black and red risograph posters. One reads “FREE PALESTINE” and the other reads “Life Knows No Masters - Life Breaks All Oppressors”. a photo of a crowd of people, including my merch table, at Lansing Independent Comics & Zines Fest. A photo of some of my brightly colors mini zines on display.
May 8, 2025 at 2:03 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
~Demon Battle~
mixed media (ink, ballpoint pen, graphite, acrylic, wax pastel)
18in x 24in
an extremely scribbly, energetic, borderline abstract mixed media work. in the bottom right corner is a small silhouetted figure with raised hands surrounded by lightning arcs. the rest of the piece is a fever dream of dark fantasy elements inspired by lord of the rings, including the eye of sauron, and a barely-visible balrog head.
April 18, 2025 at 4:41 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
~Dragon Protector-
mixed media (acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil, wax pastel),
12in x 11in
a mixed media painting of a dragon. the view is mostly of their head, with wings visible on the edges folded forward in a protective stance. the dragon has flaming red/orange eyes and a forked tongue sticking out. the brush work is messy and energetic. the color palette is muted and predominantly sepia, but with a full spectrum of colors contained within. there is a gold & blue border of wavy brush strokes.
April 16, 2025 at 1:22 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
honor life : embrace death
a mixed media drawing of a figure being embraced by a skeleton in a long blue robe. the figure is in graphite grayscale with white highlights on the face, and both figures are surrounded by a pink glow against a dark red-purple background. the whole drawing has a sketchy, scribbly feel to it.
April 14, 2025 at 8:00 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
April 9, 2025 at 8:54 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
a portrait in memory of a very majestic cat friend named Uli
a portrait in watercolor, gouache, colored pencil and wax pastel of a maine coon mix cat walking in grass with a purple background.
April 9, 2025 at 7:46 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
if you’re in the Lansing, MI area and you like comics, zines, self published art, and soforth come say hi at LICZ this saturday, 11a-5p!

@licz.bsky.social
a photo of myself holding up 3 of my zines
April 8, 2025 at 6:30 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
double portraits of two friends.
both are 8”x10” in gouache, watercolor and colored pencil.
a gouache / watercolor / colored pencil portrait of two women with windswept hair smiling in front of a body of water. a gouache / watercolor / colored pencil portrait of two women on rocks in front of a lake with a forest line. a woman in the foreground on the left is looking directly at the viewer with green rimmed glasses. a woman further back on the right is lying down face up with an arm covering her eyes.
April 3, 2025 at 9:03 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
some kitty faces over the years.

if you’re interested in a portrait commission of a cat friend or any other type of creature, get a quote on my website:

www.dsembree.com/custom-portr...
a closeup of a mixed media portrait of a black cat meowing a closeup of a mixed media portrait of a tabby cat a closeup if a mixed media portrait of a calico cat a closeup of a mixed media portrait of a grey calico cat
March 30, 2025 at 4:58 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
crude ink brushed lettering, in dark green monochrome and inspired by illuminated text reads “I have no idea what I am doing”. Two boxes at the bottom have pictures: a hand holding a dandelion, and a silhouette of a figure floating, surrounded by ripples.
March 29, 2025 at 8:34 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
Stargazers I-III
Stargazers I (Darkstar). A mixed media work featuring a cosmic background with a floating eye, a skeletal hand reaching upward, a scorpion tail wrapped around a small purple door, a purple braid, and a pulsating star. The border contains mismatched, asymmetric collage elements. Stargazers II (Egg). A mixed media piece with a cosmic background featuring dark hands cupping a large dark red egg surrounded by shards of blue and purple, and asymmetric collage elements on the border. Stargazers III (Horizon). A mixed media piece with a large, translucent face and hands peaking over an ambigous horizon that is cut through by a tall pyramid shape. It is hard to tell what is land and what is sky. Above the face is a dark rainbow, and one of the face’s eyes is surrounded by a red crescent moon. Within the ambiguous horizon are various shapes and expressive linework.
March 26, 2025 at 2:14 AM
ds-embree.bsky.social
a couple of favorite pages from my zine “QUESTIONS FOR THE DARK AGES”
a spread from my zine “QUESTIONS FOR THE DARK AGES”. a collage of black and white drawings depicting a tent structure with a building in the background, a tree with a squirrel, and a CCTV camera. words read ‘what does HOME mean to you?’ ‘how do you HONOR your NEIGHBORS?’ ‘how do you PERCEIVE STRANGERS?’ and, within the ‘O’ of ‘HOME’, circular text wrapping around a spider’s silhouette reads “our home will always be shared’ a page from my zine “QUESTIONS FOR THE DARK AGES” depicting a face drawn in furiously scribbled marker with textural collage elements coming out of the face’s ears, throat, and forehead. Words read ‘how do you use your VOICE?’ ‘when are you able to LISTEN?’
March 24, 2025 at 10:37 AM
ds-embree.bsky.social
More freshly folded zines!

If you just so happen to be in the Michigan area and just so happen to like zines and comics, come see me and other makers at LICZ in Lansing on April 12
@licz.bsky.social
A photo of several zines printed on various bright colored paper.
March 21, 2025 at 6:45 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
a fluffy orange cat lying belly up with paws outstretched
March 21, 2025 at 1:31 AM
ds-embree.bsky.social
snek
a drawing of a very bunched up snake with its head/tongue pointing straight up
March 20, 2025 at 7:55 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
WIZARDS TOWER
a freshly printed zine.

First dibs copies will be available locally at
@licz.bsky.social
April 12 in Lansing, MI.
a photo of my hand holding a copy of a zine titled “WIZARDS TOWER” on astrobright pink cardstock. First spread from WIZARDS TOWER. A cross section of the top levels of the tower, with a roof garden and communal bedroom. second spread from WIZARDS TOWER, depicting a cross section of floors containing the bathing/wash room, the dressing and lounge room, kitchen, and feast/concert hall. last spread from WIZARDS TOWER with a cross section of the ground-level library/alchemy lab/meditation floor, and the underground floors containting the ritual room and sexy dungeon hell portal.
March 17, 2025 at 5:50 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
Don’t let their power fool you-
the oppressors are scared.
Let the power of your lifeforce find its voice through struggle, and join that voice to community, however found. Let community find the actions needed to fight, erode, transform, protect, preserve.
Break them with the power of your life.
A sepia-toned poster with complex semi-abstract ink work stretching across most of the middle. Words read “LIFE KNOWS NO MASTERS. LIFE BREAKS ALL OPPRESSORS.” Two blood-red flowers twist towards each other to meet in the very middle of the image.
March 13, 2025 at 5:29 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
painting a cat and listening to doom metal and crying a little bit. pretty typical wednesday honestly
a close up of a mixed media portrait of a green-eyed tabby cat
March 12, 2025 at 5:49 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
without downloading any new pics, describe your gender
March 10, 2025 at 1:11 PM
ds-embree.bsky.social
fresh zine prints!
a photo of uncut zine prints on various colored paper.
March 8, 2025 at 8:25 PM