Selected Work

A curated selection of character design, narrative illustration and fantasy visual development. Each project uses image-making to solve a specific storytelling, communication or worldbuilding problem.

Original anthropomorphic feline fantasy character design by Todd Van Linda
Selected Work 01

Character Development for Fantasy Publishing

An original character designed to communicate personality, profession and cultural background before the character speaks.

Design Challenge

Create an anthropomorphic fantasy character who feels distinctive and story-ready without relying on a generic costume or a written explanation of her identity.

Visual Solution

Silhouette, feline anatomy, facial expression, layered clothing, jewelry, traveling equipment and varied material surfaces work together to suggest history, personality, occupation and place within a larger fantasy world.

Applications: Character design · Publishing · Tabletop RPGs · Trading-card games · Visual development

Narrative fantasy illustration by Todd Van Linda showing characters discovering magic in an ancient book
Selected Work 02

Narrative Illustration and Emotional Storytelling

A story-focused scene designed to make the relationship, discovery and magical event understandable in a single image.

Design Challenge

Communicate several narrative ideas at once: intimacy between the characters, the significance of the book, the emergence of magic and the existence of a larger fantasy setting beyond the immediate moment.

Visual Solution

Body language establishes the relationship while the characters' overlapping silhouettes create a unified focal group. Light, gesture and the magical effect direct attention toward the book, with the environment supplying atmosphere and narrative context.

Applications: Book covers · Editorial illustration · Fantasy publishing · Campaign storytelling · Entertainment art

Armored tiger warrior fantasy illustration and environment design by Todd Van Linda
Selected Work 03

Creature, Armor and Environment Development

Fantasy visual development combining creature identity, equipment design, atmosphere and environmental storytelling.

Design Challenge

Present unusual warrior characters as believable members of the same world while maintaining a clear focal point, readable armor language and a strong sense of place.

Visual Solution

Shared armor materials and forms establish a consistent faction identity. Character scale, posture and facial expression communicate temperament, while layered foliage, water, stone and distant structures expand the scene into a functioning environment.

Applications: Creature design · Game illustration · Tabletop publishing · Faction development · Fantasy worldbuilding

Sequential Art

Comic and graphic-novel pages require a different kind of visual problem-solving: continuity, pacing, character acting, page turns, dialogue placement and control of the reader's eye. View the dedicated Sequential Art page for consecutive pages from Maca and the Bard.

View Sequential Art

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For character development, narrative illustration, publishing, tabletop games, book covers, comics and visual storytelling projects.

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