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©2008-2009 *whalewithlegs
:iconwhalewithlegs:

Artist's Comments

Jet Snails have an extremely complicated digestive system and excrete into their vestigial shells. Their feces ferment internally and form a dense matter which acts as a compact and highly flammable jet fuel to get them airborne. Most, like the Inkhorn, are gliders, but a few have become decent true fliers.

One species, the Bloodwriter, is surprisingly found in a subterranean environment and has lost flight capability. It uses its jet as a weapon as well as to enable it to leap great distances.

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I didn't want to upload these as they represent actually only 1/3 of the jet snail species, but I've been lazy and they're just sitting around. The two branches not included have mostly either large central fins or impaling wings.

:iconseed-stock: stock - represent (for the paper) .. the eucalyptus leaves are jes plain ole-fashioned google image vomit. Still trying to figure out a better way to fill in the empty space surrounding early creatures on maps like these.

I also used :iconprincendymion:'s tutorial: [link] to learn how to do the paper look, though I did use an entirely different photo editor, so I take partial credit for figuring it out XD

Comments


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:iconthomastapir:
Whoa, these combine so many elements I'm wild about! The guys on top right recall Jenny Hanivers, for example...I love the mottled texturing and blade-like rostrum of the guy on the middle right, and his "sails" ("fins"? What would you call these??) remind me of mandarinfish...the beady crab-like eyestalks...And of course I'm digging the paper texture, eucalyptus leves, and calligraphic script, as I'm all in favor of anything that gives that worn, distressed, "field journal" look. Plus the overall concept behind their propulsion reminds me of the "ass-blasters" (or whatever they called them) from "Tremors 3," and is a great riff on nature's sometimes inelegant biological economy/efficiency. Fantastic work overall!
:iconwhalewithlegs:
Ahahahaha .. assblaster :rofl: ... ok, you always send me on these really interesting lookups for a lot of the terms and concepts you reference, but ass-blaster was not kiddie-friendly ... :sprint: oh noes

Yeah, i forgot to mention those central guys at all! They are bright red due to the many many veins under their skin and bleed a lot in ritual battle, something like elephant seals, making them smell terrible. The ...flags? sails? have become display mechanisms, like bright plumage. I imagined that they would actually be blood drinkers.
:iconrayn-hammer:
All I can picture now because of the bottom right one is vicious jet propelled butterflies with fangs.

--
If Ignorance Is Bliss, There Should Be More Happy People
:iconlizander1888:
I can imagine the one in the bottom right and the other one in the right with the amazing patterns as worshiped creatures, their shapes are amazng and just imagine them flying as a jet with those colors andshapes in their pseudowings, they are just beautiful beasts, pets of acient gods and powefull beings of the wild lol.. Realli liked the one in the right bottom XD
:iconthomastapir:
OMG, I never even considered the ramifications of doing an unfiltered Google search on "ass blaster"!

Hmmmm, "ramification" sounds just plain bad in that context. I'd like to rectify it, but "rectification" sounds pretty bad too.
:iconwhalewithlegs:
I have more of those, sans the jets ... unfortuntately, it looks like i've lost a page in the middle of them .. i'm going to have to redraw it i think. ... but: [link] :)
:iconwhalewithlegs:
I kind of imagined that they, along with another unrelated group called the deco bugs, would have somewhat stained-glass-like wings that would cast a colored shadow as they flew :)
:iconrayn-hammer:
holy crap, did the wings become the upper jaw?

--
If Ignorance Is Bliss, There Should Be More Happy People

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November 15, 2008
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