Athena (SAK)
LightNews LightNews
banner
quartervirus.bsky.social
Athena (SAK)
@quartervirus.bsky.social
510 followers 800 following 82 posts
⭕ No AI / NFTs ❌
✊🏻🏳️‍🌈 This is a safe space 🏳️‍⚧️✊🏿
Senior Concept Artist at Sharkmob 🦈 (Bloodhunt/Exoborne) // Artist for Neopets Battledome TCG ⭐ (in association with Upper Deck and Neopets)
Posts Replies Media Videos
quartervirus.bsky.social
2023 I felt like coming full circle, from playing Neopets for the first time in 2003 - kickstarting my dream of a career in art - to officially illustrating for the #Neopets TCG.

I’m so excited for this New Era of Neopets and I'm honoured to play a small part in it!

www.neopets.com/art/gallery....
Two Ice Neopets race down a snowy mountainside while fireworks sparkle rainbow against the twilit sky behind them. To the left is a Kougra, a tiger creature with large, mousey ears, big paws, stripes and a long, cat-like tail. She wears a flowing blue cape shimmering almost translucent and decorated with stars. From her ears and neck hang jewelry. Running beside her on the right is an Ice Uni, horse-like but for the horn spiralling from its forehead. Her long mane is braided and from her back ripple wings like the petals of a lotus, so thin the stars shimmer through them.
February 1, 2025 at 10:12 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
Uh-oh, looks like this Burlap pet’s come a little unravelled!

Burlap pets are kinda nightmare fuel to me, but for some reason seem very popular with others. I guess there IS a kind of macabre appeal to them ... so here’s my homage to the colour! #Neopets #Wocky

www.neopets.com/art/gallery....
A feline Neopet known as a Wocky made from burlap, with coarse material and thick stitching for its body, giant green buttons for eyes, and matted, messy thread for its hair, mane, and tail. Unfortunately for this one, a mischievous avian Petpet known as an Airax has found a loose thread to play with ...
February 1, 2025 at 9:56 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
Of course I couldn't let The Day of Giving go by without a proper picture to celebrate! (This was for Christmas 2023!)

www.neopets.com/art/gallery....

⭐🎄May your halls be decked, your nights silent, your New Year's Merry and your Greetings Seasoned!🎄⭐

#Neopets #Yurble #MerryChristmas #Christmas
A Christmas Yurble tiptoes through a quiet cabin decorated for the holidays - a fluffy, bear-like Neopet with long appendages coiled into ears, a thick mantle of fur around their necks, and burly paws. He's donned in a red cape and hat with white fur trimmings like Santa Claus, and like Mr. Claus, he's hefting an oversized red sack full to bursting with gifts and plushies. His fur is red with green accents, his ears are banded red and white like candy canes, and his mane is white as snow. Unfortunately for the Yurble, it would appear his Gallion - a draconic Petpet with a fuzzy mane of its own and tied with a giant green bow, large golden claws, two curved gold horns, and bright red scales - has taken an interest in the cookies set out for them. In its efforts to pull one of the cookies from the table, he's knocked over the tall glass and pitcher of milk which are in the process of toppling over.
February 1, 2025 at 9:44 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
@gellythorns.bsky.social's Duntly enjoys long days on the beach, riding waves, and golden sunsets. #Disco #Kyrii

CanndyCane loves high altitudes, hot cocoa, and racing through frigid temperatures. #Christmas #Kyrii

Together they’re a catastrophic pair both IN and OUT of their elements <3 #Neopets
A vibrant sunset of pinks and yellows fades into the background as a pair of Kyriis ride the waves: a rodent-like species of Neopet with lapine noses, oversized ears, two toes on each paw, and a thick head of hair that runs into even thicker tails. The Kyrii closest to us rides a hot-pink-and-cream banded surfboard with ease, his expression one of unbridled glee. His fur is glowing orange decorated with pale pink swirls while his lighter underbelly sports yellow flowers. His lime green mane is tied back with a red bandana with blue patterns by his forehead, with a matching blue bandana around his neck. His matching Petpet is perched at the front of his surfboard and watches the waves happily - a canine creature with pointed ears and narrow features called an Anubis. It is bright green with a golden, metal collar and decorated all over with pink paisleys and yellow and blue flowers. Behind the pair, the second Kyrii isn't faring quite so well ... her surfboard has escaped her completely and shoots straight up and away. It is decorated with blue waves and a yellow gradient, both utterly at odds with her white fur and red-and-green banded mane. She looks as though she'd feel more at home in the frozen snow or around a Christmas fire. Instead, she's careening backwards into the waves with a frustrated yell. What's left of her Petpet is merely a shock of white tail and a few green and red stripes as it splashes head-first into the ocean.
February 1, 2025 at 8:52 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
@gellythorns.bsky.social's Duntly enjoys long days on the beach, riding waves, and golden sunsets. #Disco #Kyrii

CanndyCane loves high altitudes, hot cocoa, and racing through frigid temperatures. #Christmas #Kyrii

Together they’re a catastrophic pair both IN and OUT of their elements <3 #Neopets
A winterscape of snow-dusted trees and cold, white mountain peaks. Fresh, fat snowflakes drift through the air. In the foreground, two Kyriis tackle the slopes: a rodent-like species of Neopet with lapine noses, oversized ears, two toes on each paw, and a thick head of hair running into thicker tails. The Kyrii in the foreground is in her element, fur as white as snow except for her mane, which is striped red and green like the knitted mittens she wears and the holly at her neck. Balanced on the back of her blue and turquoise snowboard is her Gruslen, a canine Petpet matching her Christmas colours. Its large tusks are striped white and red like candy canes, its white fur banded in alternating red and green. Alas, the second Kyrii isn't doing quite so well. Behind her, we see the moment he eats a mouthful of snow as he faceplants into the dirt. His mane is lime green and fur a zesty orange, with a bandana of warm, riotous colours tied around his head. Everything about him suggests he'd be far more comfortable in a more 'tropical' setting ... His red and white snowboard flies straight up into the air. Alas, it takes his poor Petpet with it, a small canine creature with green fur and pink paisleys that's about to invent flight ...
February 1, 2025 at 8:36 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
We’re Not Lost … I Hope

A lot of nostalgia went into this one. I hoped to invoke the sense of wonder that comes with being a kid - when the world seemed so full of magic, of exploring a winter wonderland with a beloved toy. #Christmas #Neopets

❄⛄Merry Christmas🎄⭐

www.neopets.com/art/gallery....
Two creatures wander through a winter wonderland, ducking under pines trees laden heavily with snow. One is a small, furry Petpet known as a Bika - it looks like a fuzzy horse with two hoofed toes instead of one, large blue eyes, and a tall, stiff shock of hair between two oversized ears. It's warm yellow fur matches the glow coming from the lantern as it's lead along by its reins. It's laden with two red saddlebags overflowing with gifts and candy. Leading the bewildered animal is a Vandagyre, an owlish Neopet with white feathers and a small black beak, two huge green eyes, a pair of soft, feathered tufts for ears and four black claws. He's dressed against the cold in lush red velvet, cuffed at the wrists and ankles with thick white fur. A matching red cloak is pulled tight around his waistcoat - red with gold trim and details of holly leaves - and pinned with a sprig of holly, the hood pulled over his head. The Vandagyre is stepping forward warily as he holds out a lantern ahead of them, hanging from a curved staff wrapped in red and gold ribbon. He's SURE their destination is around here SOMEwhere ...
February 1, 2025 at 8:19 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
Cara Carini is one of those characters that’s been in my head for SO LONG. It felt SO GOOD to finally put her to paper!

That said, if I never have to render a veil again it will be too soon. #Neopets #Cybunny #HappyHalloween #Halloween

🎃👻Happy Halloween!!👻🎃

www.neopets.com/art/gallery....
A Halloween illustration of a vampiric Neopet holding a wrought iron candlestick. Three red candles burn against the haunting dark while skeletal spectres bob around her. A Ouija board reads "Yes", "No", "Happy Halloween", and "Goodbye". Cara Carini is a Halloween Cybunny, a lapine creature with large ears, white fur, and a huge red mane about her neck. She is dressed in a voluminous velvet dress, crimson as blood, detailed with black lace and ribbons. Her red eyes glare through a dark mourner's veil cascading from black feathers and roses pinned upon her head. A heart-shaped pendant hangs on her throat. Though she wears a smile, I would approach with caution.
February 1, 2025 at 8:02 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
Only The Prettiest Usuls

Of course the only #Usul I have an interest in is a Mutant. I’m consistent that way. So here’s one smashing her way into Usul Day! #Neopets

Unfortunately, now I really, really want one …

www.neopets.com/art/gallery....

(PS: I have one now)
Who says mutants aren't pretty?! A purple Usul leaps through a shattered transmogrification potion and towards the hapless camera. This squirrely Neopet is now all sharp claws and ragged, purple fur. Its large, floppy ears are banded with alternating stripes, its normally prim-and-proper bow hangs blackened and torn, and its once proud, upright tail flounders heavily like the stump of some fleshy slug. Best of all, a third eyeball burns bright and yellow from the centre of her forehead. She has kicked over a table full of mutating potions in her haste. Green liquid and disembodied eyeballs scatter behind her.
February 1, 2025 at 7:47 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
One Bruce, Two Bruce

Stitch the #Darigan and Bubbles the #Mutant #Bruce, two fabulous ladies from Horace’s crew!

Unfortunately, this one didn’t get in for Bruce Day, but I had the sketch sitting around since the beginning of the year. It was nice to finally clean it up and give them their due!
Two fearsome looking penguin Neopets of the blue and purple persuasion. Stitch is the more agile of the two, with purple fur, a pale blue face and underbelly, and burning red crest and eyes. She wears a spiked collar and brandishes sharp black talons. She has a dragon's tail and leaps playfully over Bubbles. Bubbles, by contrast, is heavy and slow. Her body is twisted into a painful hunch with thick spikes splitting all over her back. Her fur is short, mottled blue with dark blue liver spots, with a creamy underbelly, face, and sunken yellow eyes. She sports a tattered blue bow. Despite her fearsome exterior she smiles happily at her sister, though teeth on a beak really don't help.
February 1, 2025 at 7:40 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
This one didn’t make it in for #Korbat Day, but I'm happy for any excuse to draw THE OG #Neopets villain: Lord #Darigan! Considering I have over 20 Darigan pets, this was long overdue.

I love his (OLD) design so much. It's so '80s, like something out of He Man or Gargoyles, and I am HERE for it.
A purple creature with the wings and ears of a bat, but the bleached skull of a humanoid head, looms against a fiery backdrop. A mottled purple mane spills into a ragged cloak from which a pair of skeletal arms reach forth. In his hands he holds out a glowing, golden Orb. It looks powerful ... you probably shouldn't touch it.
February 1, 2025 at 7:31 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
Snub-nosed dog-Vader looking robots? What’s not to love about Robot Poogles!

It’s a long shot to get one, so I drew this piece out of longing. A few days later a very generous Neopian got a lucky zap and offered me one of my own! I am over the MOON! #Neopets #Poogle

www.neopets.com/art/gallery....
A Robot Poogle flexes threateningly, scuffing the floor with one metallic paw. It is black with purple accents and chrome highlights. The sharp cheekbones of the skull-like faceplate and pointed ears shimmer with chrome while a pair of red eyes gleam in "Attack Mode". Three yellow rockets blast from an open chestplate to fire around the room.
February 1, 2025 at 7:26 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
SAY HELLO TO MY liddle fwend~

Salomonis the #Darigan #Graarl and his Ukali. As you can see, they’re both equally fierce. #Neopets

This is another one of those pieces I had so much fun with that I'm sad it never gets in the AG. Personally, I think an oversized pet with a weeny #Petpet is hilarious.
A GIGANTIC. OVERSIZED. And ENRAGED Neopet looking more like something out of Jurassic Park than a browser game ROARS threateningly, displaying rows of dagger-sharp teeth. It's covered in serrated yellow scales, sports two curved horns, a shaggy black mane, broad wings and rows of spikes to match the claws on its hands and feet. Protected by its towering bulk lurks a small draconic Petpet, flapping its own wings ineffectually as it tries to put on a display equally as fierce.
February 1, 2025 at 7:20 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
Since #Neopets expanded the number of pet slots from 4 per account to 20 with Premium, I’ve been using this opportunity to snag all the dream pets of my childhood.

Unsurprisingly, many of them are #Darigan.

Whatever it is Oliphae and Sly are planning, you probably don’t want to be involved! #Pteri
Two untrustworthy looking scoundrels ... a stout yellow critter with red eyes, sharp teeth, a rat-like face and a devilish tail sprouts from a pile of dirt in the ground. It's got jagged little horns and hooked talons to boot. Behind it, an avian Neopet with mean talons and a spiked crest grins broadly. A beak should NOT have teeth like that ... It sports a thick, black mane, shaggy, overgrown fur on its claws and sickly yellow feathers. Instead of feathers on its tail, it whips a tangled, hairy tail behind it.
February 1, 2025 at 7:14 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
I feel like I haven’t drawn Hartifey in ages, so here he is celebrating #Bori Day with his Mutant Swabby, Henry (as in Morgan).

It’s long been my intention to revisit my old Neopet comics, updating the art and continuing the stories from where I left off once life got in the way. #Neopets
A burly Neopet with long, swamp-green fur dances an awkward jig with the small Petpet at its feet. The creature is a Bori, with large paws and larger claws for all the digging it loves to do, a long tufted tail, broad pointy ears, and a segmented shell on its back. As a Mutant, Hartifey's shell is oversized, giving him a disfiguring hump. His tail is bandaged where its presumably been broken, and he wears a bandana tied around his head with skull and crossbones print. Despite this, he wears an honest grin that revealing a gold tooth as he plays a red polka-dot accordion. The accordion is peppered with colourful stickers of Neopet imagery. At his feet squelches a blue octopus creature with toxic yellow spots. Apart from oozing what looks like poisonous, green goop, I'm sure he's friendly!
February 1, 2025 at 7:07 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
Squawk Me Hearties, Yo-Ho!

Presenting @gellythorns.bsky.social's Cutlass Heart (blue) and my Jakari (in red), two Pirate Eyries enjoying the skies over Krawk Island!

They have yet to make it into the AG for #Eyrie Day, but this was still a piece I was so excited to finish. #Neopets #KrawkIsland
Two gryphonic Neopets soar through the clouds in a blue sky. With the regal faces of eagles, feathered crests for ears, thick black manes, four paws like a lion and matching tufted tail, and two great wings, they are easily some of the proudest creatures in Neopia. Their fur and feathers are the blue-grey of the pirates of Krawk Island, the favoured haunt of scallywags and ne'er-do-wells. The Eyrie to the left boasts two gold earrings, a navy blue captain's coat, leather boot cuffs, and a gold medallion on a maroon ribbon around his mane. The one on the right wears a similar long coat in scarlet with black cuffs and gold trim, a red polka-dot bandana, and a matching gold medallion and ribbon.
February 1, 2025 at 6:57 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
I’ll be honest, I’ve never been a fan of the #Xweetok, but the UC Faerie gets a pass ...

Another piece didn’t that didn't make it into the Art Gallery, but I’ll never turn down the opportunity to draw #Neopets!
A yellow moon glows softly against a dark blue sky speckled with stars. In the foreground, a magical fae creature swoops gracefully among glowing embers. The Xweetok is a chipmunk-like critter with black stripes running along its tail, large mousey ears and a thick ruff around its neck. The Faerie Xweetok has lithe features, a swooping tail tipped in mossy green to match its mane, two coiled butterfly's antennae, and brown freckled fur. Its translucent wings glow in the moon's light.
February 1, 2025 at 6:47 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
I haven't been excited for many recent pet colours, but I have to admit #Maraquan Jetsams have something going for them. Unfortunately, drawing this made me desperately want one.

So now I have one.

I’m happy to say this one made it in for #Jetsam Day! #Neopets

www.neopets.com/art/gallery....
We're gonna need a bigger boat ... A goldfish inspired by a Koala-type Petpet and a turquoise-green fish based on a Lion-type Petpet float against a gloomy, black ocean, utterly enraptured by a hypnotic blue light. Luckily for them, the blue, aquatic cat Petpet with a cycloptic eye has the wherewithal to notice the looming creature the light is attached to. A shark-adjacent Neopet with an underbite full of jagged, knifelike teeth watches the enraptured gathering hungrily. It's gnarled body is stocky and dark blue, rendering it almost invisible in the dark but for twin rows of bioluminescent lights that run from head to tail.
February 1, 2025 at 6:36 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
Just a Disco #Uni and Disco #Pteri hanging out on a balmy Mystery Island evening, where the party never stops!

Another one of those summertime pieces that never seems to make the cut, but which I am still happy with nonetheless. #Neopets #MysteryIsland #Disco
A peach-pink unicorn dappled all over with golden paislies and '60s flowers dances on its hind legs, with long flowing hair and a pair of wings. On its back frolics a small avian Neopet, with green wings and green underbelly and a dragon's tail. The Uni has lime green hooves and yellow flames to match the bird's Disco colours, and it's orange mane and tail are decorated throughout with daisies, yellow flowers, and hot pink roses. Behind them fading sunlight gives way to a purple evening sky. Someone has decorated all the palm trees on the beach with green and pink string lights. It's going to be a fun night!
February 1, 2025 at 6:23 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
Is the pineapple gigantic? Or is the coconut weeny?

He screams, for he does not know.

This might be one of my favourite illustrations to date, but alas, it didn't make it into the Art Gallery for #Techo Day. Maybe I’ll have better luck next year! #Neopets #MysteryIsland #FaerieNeopet #summer
A lizard-like Neopet known as a Techo lounges in a pineapple against a tropical, beach background. It's bright yellow mottled with blue, curling into a blue tail. Its two thin antennae match the translucent wings shimmering on its back, segmented like the wings of a dragonfly. The pineapple appears to be some kind of drink, with a purple drink umbrella, a slice of orange, and a pink straw poking from it. In the background we can see a diced mango, a star fruit, and a coconut. However, the tiny lizard is holding ANOTHER drink in its hand served in a coconut with a slice of pineapple and two striped straws. Is the Techo small? Or is the pineapple large? Which coconut is the 'right' coconut? Aaaaaaaa--
February 1, 2025 at 6:16 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
A Tropical Flight

Faerie #Pteris might be one of the single best designs on the entire site, change my mind. I am so thankful for the release of NCUCs so we can once again live that Nostalgic #Neopets Life.

www.neopets.com/art/gallery....
A tropical bird with colourful feathers spreads its wings over the clouds. It's colours range from purple to hot pink to gold to warm yellows. It sports a proud crest on its head and three pink feathers hanging like fronds. Two elongated feathers swoop proudly on either side of its vibrant tail, waving like pennants in flight. Far below, the ocean waves and a view of a lush island fade into the distance.
February 1, 2025 at 6:08 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
Some fun art to herald the #summer!

Because nothing makes me want to don a flower crown and sip from a drink with an umbrella in it quite like two #Ixis frolicking on a beach. #Neopets #Disco #Maractite

www.neopets.com/art/gallery....
Two Ixis (goat-like Neopets) frolick on the sandy beaches of Mystery Island, a tropical paradise full of verdant green jungles and colourful flowers. One appears crystalline blue, made from the rare, underwater mineral known as Maractite. Its body is marked with swirls and mysterious runes and it wears lei of pink and red flowers around its neck. The other is lime green, with golden paisleys all over its body and bright pink hooves - a Disco Neopet. It wears a red-and-yellow spotted bandana around its neck, a pink collar, and flower crown to match its friend's lei.
February 1, 2025 at 6:01 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
Quick between the ears and quicker on his feet (unless you’re playing the game in which case those #Elephante guards are mind bogglingly fast), Stan ‘the Thief’ #Kyrii has been one of my all-time faves.

And you have to love that Grand Theft Ummagine pun ... #Neopets

www.neopets.com/art/gallery....
Two blue Elephante guards tear after their target while a third yells down from Arabian-inspired parapets. We see a sandy desert, crystalline water, and tall palms in the background as a fuzzy yellow critter with orange hair leaps expertly over the top of another wall. He wears a red fez, purple vest, blue pantaloons, gold bangles, and let's not forget that determined grin as he makes off with a bundle of exotic fruit under one arm. You'll need to be quicker than that to catch Stan Kyrii.
February 1, 2025 at 5:55 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
Hannah and the BEST GAME EVER!

Even before the heat death of Flash, Hannah and the Pirate Caves was bugged and unplayable for well over a decade. Every day without it is a day with less shine.

I'm hoping TNT gets the message and makes this game playable again soon!

www.neopets.com/art/gallery....
A squirrel-like Neopet called an Usul swings towards the camera, gripping the rung of a ladder in one pudgy paw while the other carries a wooden chest under her arm, spilling gold coins. She's dressed in a dark green skirt with white petticoat, a loose pirate shirt, and a brown waistcoat. She has blue eyes, brown hair, and a confident smirk - she's done this before. Arrows shoot towards her while jagged stalagmites and stalactites stab from the darkness. Two fearsome blue birds with glowing eyes screech angrily in pursuit. This is a reimagining of the original game art for Hannah and the Pirate Caves on Neopets.
February 1, 2025 at 5:47 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
For years, Daily Dare was the last thing left to look forward to on a dead site. An annual competition with rewards for beating high scores.

Now, with Neopets Inc. and the New Era of #Neopets, I'm crossing my fingers that we might see these characters again soon!

www.neopets.com/art/gallery....
A feline Neopet known as an Aisha stands with arms crossed on the left, tapping her foot looking unimpressed. She's light blue, wears dark blue sneakers and a skirt, a bright yellow T-shirt, and sports mousey blonde hair pulled back in a bouncy ponytail and curly fringe. She has two small, catlike ears poking through her hair, and two long antennae branching up from her head before ending in two more leaf-shaped ears. In the centre, seated on a hovering chrome chair with joystick panels, sits a yellow Neopet known as a Blumaroo. He wears orange tracksuit pants with a white stripe down the sides, white shoes, a slouchy red jacket with white stripes on the sleeves, and an enormous popped collar. His forehead is MASSIVE. He probably thinks he's oh-so smart with a giant noggin' like that, topped with orange hair and a black headset. He's got two stubby ears with pink tips and a blobby pink nose to match, freckles, and wears 3D glasses (one red lens and one blue) that have been broken and repaired with tape in the middle. Finally, on the right is a green Neopet with a long, slender tail that ends in a jagged spike like a dragon, but he has a fluffy fringe and two floppy ears like a bunny. He's grinning smugly while preening his own nails, wears a red shirt, bronze-and-gold waistcoat, black suit pants and shiny, formal shoes. He's the kind of Neopet that makes you wonder if they have trust funds in Neopia.
February 1, 2025 at 5:04 PM
quartervirus.bsky.social
A Gallon of Gallions

Alas, this one didn’t make it into the Art Gallery for #Petpet Day, but I had a ton of fun cramming so many #Gallions into a single image. Because why stop at one when you can have them all?

They are quite possibly my favourite Petpet, it was love at first sight. #Neopets
A riot of colours as dozens of small dragons with furry manes tumble out in a chaotic pile. All of them sport some kind of fuzzy ruff around their necks, big clumsy claws, small bat wings, and a pair of long, curled horns. Each is a different colour: there is a robot variation hidden in the background, another in red, green, and white Christmas colours, a pastel-purple one with Faerie wings, an Polynesian-inspired one, a Pirate Gallion, Fire Gallion, Ghost Gallion, Grey Gallion looking forlorn, a Mutant Gallion with two massive tusks and a third horn bursting from its forehead, an Egyptian-inspired Gallion with golden headdress and jeweled mantle, a prehistoric Gallion with buck-toothed tusks, a pink Gallion running alongside an orange Gallion with bright blue ruff, a Gallion made from plush material stomped beneath the foot of a rainbow Gallion the colour of Skittles, and an aquatic Gallion in teal and gold with fins for ears and fins hidden in the ruckus.
February 1, 2025 at 4:45 PM