About me!

Hello! I’m Emily Cushing, a creature artist from the Washington, DC area. I specialize in natural subjects such as plants and animals, and my work branches out into scientific, concept, creature design, and more. I strive to balance artistic interpretation with anatomical accuracy. In my scientific work, I aim to utilize principles of design to compose a work that leads the viewer's eye and accentuates the anatomy of the specimen.  For creature designs, I use my knowledge of anatomy to create a creature that is not only unique, but also believable. 

My preferred mediums include digital tools such as Photoshop, ZBrush/Nomad Sculpt, and Procreate, as well as traditional media such as gouache, colored pencils, carbon, and ink. I often employ a mixed-media approach, beginning the process traditionally before scanning and finalizing the work digitally. I find that the best way to get precise and expressive detail is to do it by hand, on paper. While each project I do changes in the balance between my process is very consistent.I do a lot of research and find exactly the references and resources that feel right for the assignment. From there, I start my ideation flow process in which I make sketches, diagrams, and visual decisions. Lastly, I choose which mediums I will be using and will meticulously work layer by layer for my final piece. 

I originally got into creature art through my volunteer work with the state park service. Since I was very young, I’ve been fascinated by nature. Every day I went outside to capture, photograph, and draw native species; however, my work primarily consisted of my pets, creatures in games, and monsters from my daydreams. I was in local art schools for years by this point, but I found myself coming back to drawing animals and skeletons even in subjects of my classical training. The major turning point, though, was after I went to an educational event at my local state park. At just 12 years old, my knowledge of biology impressed the education leads, leading to an invitation to help care for wildlife and eventually assist with their educational program. Through my 7 years at Hidden Oaks Nature Center, I had hands-on experience with native wildlife. I researched their specific care and educated the public about their niche and biology. 

On my lunch breaks, I started drawing the animals in our care.  My supervisor decided to showcase my work in the nature center’s lobby and as the annual award art. This experience brought me closer to nature as an art form than I ever was before. My time learning and teaching allowed me to help many people work past their fears of “creepy crawlies,” I hope to continue to inspire and help others through my work. As I find beauty in all species and animal kingdoms, my biggest dream is to illustrate creatures, whether real or imagined, which are so anatomically accurate and captivating that they inspire others to dig deeper and have an open mind. 

When I am not working on scientific illustration or concept art I spend my time making various crafts. I thoroughly enjoy trying new mediums or methods I’ve never tried. As I am writing this I’m actively teaching myself sculpting in zbrush, carving linoleum, creating artistic soap bars, and sewing a costume. I love kayaking on the weekends, hiking, biking, and finding wildlife to photograph and draw. I also enjoy reading, baking, and games like Fallout, Horizon Zero Dawn, Subnautica, Prey 2017, and Cyberpunk 2077. If you’ve gotten this far, I’m sure you're wondering what my favorite animal could be, it’s a tough choice between a royal python and a red fox but my Crested Gecko, Aster is the favorite in my heart.