Illustro Obscurum
@illustro-obscurum.bsky.social
Obsessed with monsters in literature, folklore and mythology from all over the world. Wobbly, taphophile. No gods, no masters.
🇵🇸 🇱🇧 🇾🇪
🇵🇸 🇱🇧 🇾🇪
Pinned
I’m a Philly illustrator that draws creatures from world folklore, mythology & fiction. I used to make art for bands. I’ve had 3 books published by
@lethepress.bsky.social including an illustrated version of HPL’s Commonplace Book. For in depth art posts & zines go to yog-blogsoth.blogspot.com
@lethepress.bsky.social including an illustrated version of HPL’s Commonplace Book. For in depth art posts & zines go to yog-blogsoth.blogspot.com
“He had learned much of the Other Gods in distant parts of space, especially in that region where form does not exist, and coloured gases study the innermost secrets.”
H.P. Lovecraft, Dream-Quest Of Unknown Kadath
H.P. Lovecraft, Dream-Quest Of Unknown Kadath
August 29, 2025 at 1:38 PM
“He had learned much of the Other Gods in distant parts of space, especially in that region where form does not exist, and coloured gases study the innermost secrets.”
H.P. Lovecraft, Dream-Quest Of Unknown Kadath
H.P. Lovecraft, Dream-Quest Of Unknown Kadath
“And then we saw those stone steps leading down
Through a choked gate of graven dolomite
To some black haven of eternal night
Where elder signs and primal secrets frown.
We cleared a path—but raced in mad retreat
When from below we heard those clumping feet."
H.P. Lovecraft, The Fungi From Yuggoth
Through a choked gate of graven dolomite
To some black haven of eternal night
Where elder signs and primal secrets frown.
We cleared a path—but raced in mad retreat
When from below we heard those clumping feet."
H.P. Lovecraft, The Fungi From Yuggoth
August 28, 2025 at 12:04 PM
“And then we saw those stone steps leading down
Through a choked gate of graven dolomite
To some black haven of eternal night
Where elder signs and primal secrets frown.
We cleared a path—but raced in mad retreat
When from below we heard those clumping feet."
H.P. Lovecraft, The Fungi From Yuggoth
Through a choked gate of graven dolomite
To some black haven of eternal night
Where elder signs and primal secrets frown.
We cleared a path—but raced in mad retreat
When from below we heard those clumping feet."
H.P. Lovecraft, The Fungi From Yuggoth
“55-Man followed by invisible thing.”
H.P. Lovecraft, Commonplace Book
H.P. Lovecraft, Commonplace Book
August 27, 2025 at 11:50 AM
“55-Man followed by invisible thing.”
H.P. Lovecraft, Commonplace Book
H.P. Lovecraft, Commonplace Book
"169-What hatches from primordial egg."
H.P. Lovecraft, Commonplace Book
H.P. Lovecraft, Commonplace Book
August 26, 2025 at 12:10 PM
"169-What hatches from primordial egg."
H.P. Lovecraft, Commonplace Book
H.P. Lovecraft, Commonplace Book
“Valusia’s serpent-men laid the foundation-stones of evil magic."
H.P. Lovecraft & William Lumley, The Diary Of Alonzo Typer
"Then, like a fading mask of fog, the face suddenly vanished and in its stead gaped and leered a monstrous serpent's head!"
Robert E. Howard, The Shadow Kingdom
H.P. Lovecraft & William Lumley, The Diary Of Alonzo Typer
"Then, like a fading mask of fog, the face suddenly vanished and in its stead gaped and leered a monstrous serpent's head!"
Robert E. Howard, The Shadow Kingdom
August 25, 2025 at 12:05 PM
“Valusia’s serpent-men laid the foundation-stones of evil magic."
H.P. Lovecraft & William Lumley, The Diary Of Alonzo Typer
"Then, like a fading mask of fog, the face suddenly vanished and in its stead gaped and leered a monstrous serpent's head!"
Robert E. Howard, The Shadow Kingdom
H.P. Lovecraft & William Lumley, The Diary Of Alonzo Typer
"Then, like a fading mask of fog, the face suddenly vanished and in its stead gaped and leered a monstrous serpent's head!"
Robert E. Howard, The Shadow Kingdom
“Frightful clandestine tales hinted of his vengeance upon mortals who flouted him or wreaked harm upon his wriggling progeny; his chosen method being to turn his victim, after suitable tortures, to a spotted snake.”
H.P. Lovecraft & Zealia Bishop, The Curse Of Yig
H.P. Lovecraft & Zealia Bishop, The Curse Of Yig
August 23, 2025 at 3:34 AM
“Frightful clandestine tales hinted of his vengeance upon mortals who flouted him or wreaked harm upon his wriggling progeny; his chosen method being to turn his victim, after suitable tortures, to a spotted snake.”
H.P. Lovecraft & Zealia Bishop, The Curse Of Yig
H.P. Lovecraft & Zealia Bishop, The Curse Of Yig
“I leaped up at once & raced across endless leagues of plateau – doing this not because the conductor had dropped on all fours, but because the face of the motorman was a mere white cone tapering to one blood-red tentacle. . .”
H.P. Lovecraft & J. Chapman Miske, The Thing In the Moonlight
H.P. Lovecraft & J. Chapman Miske, The Thing In the Moonlight
August 21, 2025 at 12:03 PM
“I leaped up at once & raced across endless leagues of plateau – doing this not because the conductor had dropped on all fours, but because the face of the motorman was a mere white cone tapering to one blood-red tentacle. . .”
H.P. Lovecraft & J. Chapman Miske, The Thing In the Moonlight
H.P. Lovecraft & J. Chapman Miske, The Thing In the Moonlight
"It had long hair & the shape of a rat, but that its sharp-toothed, bearded face was evilly human while its paws were like tiny human hands. It took messages betwixt old Keziah & the devil, & was nursed on the witch's blood, which it sucked like a vampire."
H.P. Lovecraft, Dreams In the Witch-House
H.P. Lovecraft, Dreams In the Witch-House
August 20, 2025 at 11:57 AM
"It had long hair & the shape of a rat, but that its sharp-toothed, bearded face was evilly human while its paws were like tiny human hands. It took messages betwixt old Keziah & the devil, & was nursed on the witch's blood, which it sucked like a vampire."
H.P. Lovecraft, Dreams In the Witch-House
H.P. Lovecraft, Dreams In the Witch-House
“The living objects were jellyish monstrosities which flabbily quivered in harmony with the vibrations from the machine. They were semi-fluid & capable of passing through one another and through what we know as solids.”
H.P. Lovecraft, From Beyond
H.P. Lovecraft, From Beyond
August 19, 2025 at 12:43 PM
“The living objects were jellyish monstrosities which flabbily quivered in harmony with the vibrations from the machine. They were semi-fluid & capable of passing through one another and through what we know as solids.”
H.P. Lovecraft, From Beyond
H.P. Lovecraft, From Beyond
“The object was nauseous; a filthy whitish gorilla thing with sharp yellow fangs and matted fur. Its eyes had the same odd quality that marked those other eyes which had stared at me underground and excited cloudy recollections. One eye was blue, the other brown.”
H.P. Lovecraft, The Lurking Fear
H.P. Lovecraft, The Lurking Fear
August 18, 2025 at 8:23 PM
“The object was nauseous; a filthy whitish gorilla thing with sharp yellow fangs and matted fur. Its eyes had the same odd quality that marked those other eyes which had stared at me underground and excited cloudy recollections. One eye was blue, the other brown.”
H.P. Lovecraft, The Lurking Fear
H.P. Lovecraft, The Lurking Fear
“Coward—you could never face the dimensional shambler whose hide I put on to scare you—the mere sight of it alive, or even the full-fledged thought of it, would kill you instantly with fright! Iä! Iä!”
H.P. Lovecraft & Hazel Heald, The Horror In the Museum
H.P. Lovecraft & Hazel Heald, The Horror In the Museum
August 15, 2025 at 12:37 PM
“Coward—you could never face the dimensional shambler whose hide I put on to scare you—the mere sight of it alive, or even the full-fledged thought of it, would kill you instantly with fright! Iä! Iä!”
H.P. Lovecraft & Hazel Heald, The Horror In the Museum
H.P. Lovecraft & Hazel Heald, The Horror In the Museum
“There flapped rhythmically a horde of tame, trained, hybrid winged things ... not altogether crows, nor moles, nor buzzards, nor ants, nor decomposed human beings, but something I cannot and must not recall.”
H.P. Lovecraft, The Festival
H.P. Lovecraft, The Festival
August 14, 2025 at 12:07 PM
“There flapped rhythmically a horde of tame, trained, hybrid winged things ... not altogether crows, nor moles, nor buzzards, nor ants, nor decomposed human beings, but something I cannot and must not recall.”
H.P. Lovecraft, The Festival
H.P. Lovecraft, The Festival
"They were pinkish things about 5’ long; with crustaceous bodies bearing vast pairs of membranous wings & several sets of articulated limbs & with a sort of ellipsoid, covered with multitudes of very short antennae, where a head would ordinarily be."
H.P. Lovecraft, The Whisperer In Darkness
H.P. Lovecraft, The Whisperer In Darkness
August 13, 2025 at 12:13 PM
"They were pinkish things about 5’ long; with crustaceous bodies bearing vast pairs of membranous wings & several sets of articulated limbs & with a sort of ellipsoid, covered with multitudes of very short antennae, where a head would ordinarily be."
H.P. Lovecraft, The Whisperer In Darkness
H.P. Lovecraft, The Whisperer In Darkness
“For they were great slippery things which could expand & contract at will & whose principal shape was that of a sort of toad without any eyes, but with a curious vibrating mass of short pink tentacles on the end of its blunt, vague snout.”
H.P. Lovecraft, Dream-Quest Of Unknown Kadath
H.P. Lovecraft, Dream-Quest Of Unknown Kadath
August 12, 2025 at 1:46 PM
“For they were great slippery things which could expand & contract at will & whose principal shape was that of a sort of toad without any eyes, but with a curious vibrating mass of short pink tentacles on the end of its blunt, vague snout.”
H.P. Lovecraft, Dream-Quest Of Unknown Kadath
H.P. Lovecraft, Dream-Quest Of Unknown Kadath
"They were normally shapeless entities composed of a viscous jelly. They had, however, a constantly shifting shape - throwing out temporary developments or forming apparent organs of sight, hearing, and speech.”
H.P. Lovecraft, At the Mountains Of Madness
H.P. Lovecraft, At the Mountains Of Madness
August 11, 2025 at 12:14 PM
"They were normally shapeless entities composed of a viscous jelly. They had, however, a constantly shifting shape - throwing out temporary developments or forming apparent organs of sight, hearing, and speech.”
H.P. Lovecraft, At the Mountains Of Madness
H.P. Lovecraft, At the Mountains Of Madness
"I was aware that the room was filled with the pink dancers of the picture. They were man-size & gross, like huge erect toads. ‘They have no faces,’ she whispered.They presented the featurelessness of so many huge gingerbread boys, covered with pink icing."
Manly Wade Wellman, The Golgotha Dancers
Manly Wade Wellman, The Golgotha Dancers
August 8, 2025 at 5:19 PM
"I was aware that the room was filled with the pink dancers of the picture. They were man-size & gross, like huge erect toads. ‘They have no faces,’ she whispered.They presented the featurelessness of so many huge gingerbread boys, covered with pink icing."
Manly Wade Wellman, The Golgotha Dancers
Manly Wade Wellman, The Golgotha Dancers
“Like many Martians, he was braced upright on his lower tentacles by hoops & buckles around his bladdery body, so that he had roughly a human form. In the breathing hole of his petal-tufted skull was lodged an artificial voice-box that achieved words.”
Manly Wade Wellman, The Devil’s Asteroid
Manly Wade Wellman, The Devil’s Asteroid
August 7, 2025 at 12:29 PM
“Like many Martians, he was braced upright on his lower tentacles by hoops & buckles around his bladdery body, so that he had roughly a human form. In the breathing hole of his petal-tufted skull was lodged an artificial voice-box that achieved words.”
Manly Wade Wellman, The Devil’s Asteroid
Manly Wade Wellman, The Devil’s Asteroid
“Years afterwards, I saw through a microscope, the plodding of an amoeba. The thing up under the roof sounded as an amoeba look. Only it must have been many, many thousands of times larger than an amoeba.”
Manly Wade Wellman, Up Under the Roof
Manly Wade Wellman, Up Under the Roof
August 6, 2025 at 11:45 AM
“Years afterwards, I saw through a microscope, the plodding of an amoeba. The thing up under the roof sounded as an amoeba look. Only it must have been many, many thousands of times larger than an amoeba.”
Manly Wade Wellman, Up Under the Roof
Manly Wade Wellman, Up Under the Roof
"This species of demon appears like a skeleton in form-fitting black leather. Its extremities (feet, hands & head) are larger than normal. It has taloned fingers & a horn-like growth projects from the back of the skull, curving forward & downward."
Gary Gygax, Monster Manual II
Gary Gygax, Monster Manual II
August 4, 2025 at 12:19 PM
"This species of demon appears like a skeleton in form-fitting black leather. Its extremities (feet, hands & head) are larger than normal. It has taloned fingers & a horn-like growth projects from the back of the skull, curving forward & downward."
Gary Gygax, Monster Manual II
Gary Gygax, Monster Manual II
“The strange and evil mistiness was curling and entwining itself all about and around the cow. Thicker and thicker grew the folds of Shadow-substance."
"The colors of the thing were more pronounced, now. Flaming, angry reds, flashing blues, sickly greens and yellows."
E. Everett Evans, The Shed
"The colors of the thing were more pronounced, now. Flaming, angry reds, flashing blues, sickly greens and yellows."
E. Everett Evans, The Shed
July 25, 2025 at 1:28 PM
“The strange and evil mistiness was curling and entwining itself all about and around the cow. Thicker and thicker grew the folds of Shadow-substance."
"The colors of the thing were more pronounced, now. Flaming, angry reds, flashing blues, sickly greens and yellows."
E. Everett Evans, The Shed
"The colors of the thing were more pronounced, now. Flaming, angry reds, flashing blues, sickly greens and yellows."
E. Everett Evans, The Shed
"The galeb duhr is a curious boulder-like creature with appendages that act as hands and feet. These intelligent beings are very large & slow moving. They live in rocky or mountainous areas where they can feel the 'earth power' & control the rocks around them."
Gary Gygax, Monster Manual II
Gary Gygax, Monster Manual II
July 24, 2025 at 11:56 AM
"The galeb duhr is a curious boulder-like creature with appendages that act as hands and feet. These intelligent beings are very large & slow moving. They live in rocky or mountainous areas where they can feel the 'earth power' & control the rocks around them."
Gary Gygax, Monster Manual II
Gary Gygax, Monster Manual II
"The otyugh has a sensory organ stalk & 2 tentacle arms which protrude from its hideous body. The eyes are always thrust above the offal the creature lairs under, and this prevents surprise. Its tentacles have sharp ridges & are used to deliver smashing blows to prey."
Gary Gygax, Monster Manual I
Gary Gygax, Monster Manual I
July 23, 2025 at 11:50 AM
"The otyugh has a sensory organ stalk & 2 tentacle arms which protrude from its hideous body. The eyes are always thrust above the offal the creature lairs under, and this prevents surprise. Its tentacles have sharp ridges & are used to deliver smashing blows to prey."
Gary Gygax, Monster Manual I
Gary Gygax, Monster Manual I
“The giant vampire frog’s bile-green body is covered with mucous & 2 transluscent membranes of slimy tissue connect its fore & rear limbs, enabling it to glide. Its forelims are fingered with small claws & it possesses two large front teeth - sharp as needles.”
Alan Fomorin, Dragon Magazine #50
Alan Fomorin, Dragon Magazine #50
July 22, 2025 at 11:55 AM
“The giant vampire frog’s bile-green body is covered with mucous & 2 transluscent membranes of slimy tissue connect its fore & rear limbs, enabling it to glide. Its forelims are fingered with small claws & it possesses two large front teeth - sharp as needles.”
Alan Fomorin, Dragon Magazine #50
Alan Fomorin, Dragon Magazine #50
“Tomb Tappers are tall and humanoid, with very hard, blue-gray skin & great claws which can dig through solid rock. They are sometimes called ‘the Faceless’ due to their featureless heads. They have gigantic mouths in their abdomens which can crush rock.”
Ed Greenwood, Dragon Magazine #41
Ed Greenwood, Dragon Magazine #41
July 18, 2025 at 12:46 PM
“Tomb Tappers are tall and humanoid, with very hard, blue-gray skin & great claws which can dig through solid rock. They are sometimes called ‘the Faceless’ due to their featureless heads. They have gigantic mouths in their abdomens which can crush rock.”
Ed Greenwood, Dragon Magazine #41
Ed Greenwood, Dragon Magazine #41
"Troll hide is a nauseating moss green, mottled green and gray, or pulrid gray. The writhing hair-like growth upon a troll's head is greenish black or iron gray, The eyes of a troll are dull black."
Gary Gygax, Monster Manual
Gary Gygax, Monster Manual
July 17, 2025 at 11:51 AM
"Troll hide is a nauseating moss green, mottled green and gray, or pulrid gray. The writhing hair-like growth upon a troll's head is greenish black or iron gray, The eyes of a troll are dull black."
Gary Gygax, Monster Manual
Gary Gygax, Monster Manual