Shirin Illustration
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shirinillustration.bsky.social
Shirin Illustration
@shirinillustration.bsky.social
1.5K followers 120 following 500 posts
Hello, I'm a creature concept artist + an animal and scientific illustrator with a biology background. I'm also a writer and an editor.

Check out my website! https://shirinillustration.neocities.org/

#creaturedesign #animalart #scientificillustration
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shirinillustration.bsky.social
Shirin Illustration @shirinillustration.bsky.social · Oct 24
Hello, I'm new to Bluesky. I'm an illustrator specializing in animals, scientific illustration, and creature design. Here is a piece of a unicorn with a more realistic colour pallet, based on fallow deer. #fantasy #conceptart #animalart #unicorn #conceptillustration #illustration #creaturedesign
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Hello all, here's a paleo themed logo I drew awhile back for The Palaeo Minute, a paleontology themed newsletter. If you're interested in dinos, check it out at : james-ronan.co.uk/the-palaeo-m... :)

#dinosaur #paleontology #paleoart #trex #creatureart #animalart #art #cartoon #illustration #sciart
October 10, 2025 at 10:23 AM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Recent pet portrait, soft pastel on pastelmat. I'm currently open for commissions :)

#petportrait #animalart #dogart #dogsofbluesky #redfoxlabrador #labrador #dog #cuteart #creatureart #pet #art #softpastel #pastel #traditionalart
September 7, 2025 at 3:47 PM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Pastel piece. 'Impression'. I really like drawing mums and their babies!

#paleoart #dinosaur #pterosaur #dinoart #paleontology #art #illustration #creatureart #animalart #sciart #creaturedesign #traditionalart #softpastel #pastel
September 4, 2025 at 4:36 PM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Smilodon sketch ❤️‍

#sciart #paleoart #animalart #creatureart #catart #smilodon #bigcat #art #paleontology #illustration #traditionalart #graphite #cuteart #catsofbluesky
September 2, 2025 at 9:50 AM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Triceratops! I was hired to produce this piece to accompany a paper on the potential of Triceratops horns in combat. I went for a stylized look opposed to realism.

#paleoart #dinosaur #dinosaurart #sciart #triceratops
September 1, 2025 at 6:52 AM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
So Redbubble has introduced new fees ... As a Premium user, this is a flat 20% (Standard is 50%!) + 50% of anything earnt from a product margin over 20% (my main sellers are stickers which have high margins, so a significant hit). I have to say, this makes Redbubble inviable for me.

#redbubble #art
August 11, 2025 at 9:14 PM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Brevirostruavis, an early bird drawn in colour pencil and copic. I based the colouring on green and spotted woodpeckers. Brown feathers might have been more suitable, but I wanted to draw something colourful!

#SciArt #birdart #nature #paleoart #paleontology #bird #dinosaur #animalart #creatureart
July 10, 2025 at 8:10 AM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
My first ever attempt with scraperboard! I love this medium and plan to do a lot more! The subject is a velociraptor skull. I had a go with making the dark bits white, and the light bits of the skull dark to get a sort of X-ray vibe.

#palaeoart #sciart #natureart #dinosaur #skull #creatureart #art
June 22, 2025 at 8:55 AM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
I'm curious, to other artists out there, do you think AI is impacting your business? Has income gone down, opportunities dried up/ more competitive? Or do you feel completely unaffected? Is anyone thinking of moving from digital to traditional art?

#art #illustration #conceptart #artistsofbluesky
June 15, 2025 at 6:05 PM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Recent pet portrait, drawn in ink.

#petportrait #dogpotrait #dog #ink #animalart #art #traditionalart #pet #cute
June 15, 2025 at 5:17 PM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Hello everyone, sorry I haven't posted in ages! I'm planning to exhibit at Dinocon in Exeter this August, so making a few more dinosaur-themed pieces!

This little wip is of an Anchiornis, a small theropod. Drawn in soft pastel.

#SciArt #Paleoart #dinosaur #creatureart #scientificillustration
June 10, 2025 at 2:23 PM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Does anyone have any paper recommedations for Copics? I hate standard marker paper, it's much too thin and flimsy :( I typically use Bristol Board, but it still sinks through + I'd like something ivory/less white for a warmer finish. Additional tips welcome! Thanks :)

#copicmarker #copic #copicart
February 9, 2025 at 10:34 AM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Canary ❤️‍ I think I favour drawing mammals as I like drawing hair, but birds are fun too! For any of my fellow animal artists, do any of you have a type of animal you like drawing the most?

#animalart #birdart #SciArt #art #cuteart #canary #creatureart #petportrait #illustration
February 7, 2025 at 10:04 AM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Don't think I ever posted the finished version of this. A charcoal portrait, one of this year's Christmas orders :)

#petpotrait #animalart #dogart #dogsofbluesky #frenchbulldog #bulldog #frenchbully #art #charcoal #dog #cuteart
February 4, 2025 at 10:05 AM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
WIP of Homotherium. I loved the colour of that frozen cub they found and wanted to try it out. I'm very new to soft pastel as a medium but enjoying it. Critique on how to improve my use of colour and soft pastel is welcome!

#paleoart #animalart #SciArt #naturalhistoryart #creatureart #wip #art
January 30, 2025 at 2:27 PM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
A bit of a different pet portrait for me. Watercolour on board.

#dogart #petportrait #animalart #dogsofbluesky #pets #art #watercolor #watercolour
January 29, 2025 at 9:36 AM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Kitty toons! Probably my most popular and economic pet portrait style and available for any animal, feel free to get in touch if you'd like one of your own! 🐱

#catart #cat #catsofbluesky #petportrait #animalart #cuteart #creatureart #pet #art #illustration #cartoonart #cute
January 27, 2025 at 3:10 PM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Snek ❤️‍

Currently open for pet portraits and other animal/creature commissions and projects!

#snek #snake #animalart #cuteart #illustration #petportrait #commission #art
January 20, 2025 at 12:33 PM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
I love complimenting and encouraging my fellow artists! If you like, post a piece of your work below and I'll tell you something I love about it!

#art #illustration #animalart #creaturedesign #fantasyart
January 10, 2025 at 11:06 AM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Shops in my hometown are selling AI art now, including artisan places. I mentioned to a shop owner that one of her artisans was selling mugs with AI art. The owner had a background in copyright and illustration but didn't know what I was talking about. The future doesn't look bright for artists.
January 9, 2025 at 11:07 AM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Great Auk. Charcoal on pastelmat. Drawn from the wonderful taxidermy in the Kelvingrove museum in #Glasgow

#animalart #birdart #greatauk #paleoart #wildlife #natureart #Kelvingrove #sciart #creatureart
January 8, 2025 at 5:26 PM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Hello everyone, still away at the moment. Looking forward to coming home so I can get back into my usual routine. Here's a cartoon dragon that I drew many years ago. He's old but I always liked him. Based on a siamese cat and topaz.

#creaturedesign #cuteart #dragonart #creatureart #chibi #animeart
January 3, 2025 at 5:32 PM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Hello everyone, thank you all so much for over 500 followers! Apologies I haven't posted any art for a while, I'm away from home for the holidays. I hope you've all enjoyed the Christmas period if you celebrate. Will update with some new work soon! 🐲❤️‍
December 27, 2024 at 6:56 PM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
Re-sharing for new followers, but also a good piece to shout out that I'm doing a podcast with #worldanvil tomorrow at 6pm UK time on biological realism/creature design in fantasy/sci-fi writing + art. Hope I'll do okay! 🐲🙂

#creaturedesign #creatureart #specevo #scifi #ttrpg #fantasy #worldbuilding
shirinillustration.bsky.social Shirin Illustration @shirinillustration.bsky.social · Oct 24
Old piece for a personal project. Dragon skull based on archosaur morphology. #fantasy #dragon #creaturedesign #conceptart
December 12, 2024 at 3:29 PM
shirinillustration.bsky.social
A female puk dragon feeds her demanding brood. Puks are resourceful dragons, this one nesting in an old shoe.

A concept piece for a backburner project, a scientific book on dragons. 70 species and counting!

#dragon #creatureart #conceptart #creaturedesign #animalart #art #ttrpg #fantasy #scifi
December 11, 2024 at 3:48 PM