Hosted by Mel Cabre, Digital Artist and Creature Designer
November is all about fascinating creatures. Not real ones, but those that live deep in our imaginations. Mel is conducting a winter creature sale to shake off the cobwebs of #cryptober2019 and to get back into the creature creation mood.
If you aren’t aware, Mel just finished #cryptober2019 on Instagram, and while it was a success with artists participating everyday, she was ready to move on from cryptids. But I didn’t just want to throw up her advertisements and cost sheets for the Winter Creature Sale. I thought it might be fun to dig a little deeper into the life of the artist behind all these creature and cryptid designs.
Mel is 24, newly married and currently shares her time between the big city life in London and a rural small town in west-central Ohio. If she isn’t playing video games, you’ll find her designing creatures of all sorts across several platforms. Right now, she’s on the tail end of illustrating her second cryptid book for Indiana University Press which she co authored with her Cryptid World partner. Both books will release in 2020.
In order to dive a little deeper into Mel Cabre’s world, I asked a few questions:
Q: When did you first start creature designing?
A: I’ve been drawing creatures for a solid portion of my life, but I’ve only gotten serious about it maybe 2-3 years ago when I was designing cryptids for a fictional book project.
Q: Who or What inspires you?
A: I don’t look up to artists for style-inspiration, but to those who can teach me something. The video game, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the majority of the other “Legend of Zelda” games because they’re so nostalgic.
Jack Hamm inspired me to self-teach anatomy and design. Nature is my main inspiration. I can’t get enough of what the beasts on this earth can teach us.
Q: Which of your designs is your favorite and why?
A: I have a design coming out sometime in November that I’m quite proud of. Here’s an exclusive look. I just like how the form of the creature turned out, and the look isn’t too far off from what could actually exist in our world.
Q: What goals do you have for the next year?
A: I plan to open up a Patreon where people can subscribe for a few bucks and gain access to a few pages of exclusive in-depth creature designs. I also have plans to apply for a Visa and move permanently to London, England with my husband. After 5 years of long distance, that not-so-seemingly long chapter is coming to a close. If you asked me 5 years ago where I’d be now, I wouldn’t have said the United Kingdom, but hey, 5 years ago, I was living in China. I probably would’ve said France or something, haha.
Q: What do you like to do outside of drawing?
A: I love video games. Don’t Starve Together is my favorite, but I play this one alone. Elder Scrolls Online is a great time-passer for me. I also love boardgames. My husband and I have a growing collection of popular boardgames like Agricola, Carcassonne, and Pandemic. I also enjoy watching Youtube and Twitch. And listening to Podcasts. What’s Television? I love love love my cat, Esmi.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: Yes, take advantage of the hot water when you can while living in a flat with several other people… But on a real note, don’t focus on the success of others. We’re all at different skill levels in our craft. Remember, you’re a special individual with a unique style picked out specifically for you. Don’t fight the style that was given to you.
Thank you Mel for answering my questions and allowing the world to get to know you a little better. Now on with the Winter Creature Sale.
How many Creature Designs Would You Like?
Would You Like Black and White?
Or Do You Prefer A Little Color in your Design?
Want To See Your Creature in Multiple Poses?
A Few Details about the Winter Creature Sale
You can get in touch with Mel on Instagram @melcabre2. Just DM her that you’re interested and she’ll get back to you with a host of questions that will help her put together the creature design you want. If you aren’t on Instagram, you’re welcome to send a message through the contact sheet on this website with your email address. I will pass your email along to her.
If you’d like to see more of Mel’s designs. Check out our Cryptid of the Month Page. You can also sign up for our free newsletter and be the first to see new designs and receive updates about our upcoming books and projects.
Thank you so much for stopping by and reading to the end. We hope you have a great rest of the week!