Cabot — Predator (Creature Commission)

Cabot, a predator designed for the bestiary of Nerhaelle (Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nerhaelle).
A commissioned collaboration. The creature, its world, and the original concept sketches belong to the client. Working from his roughs, I developed the piece to a finished level: the rendering and palette, the functional design and callouts, the supporting biomechanical reasoning, and the silhouette studies.
The design is driven entirely by function — how this animal hunts. Oversized ears locate prey at distance; a membrane lifts the body's weight during the chase; scales sit beneath the skin rather than over it. Its off-balance posture is deliberate: the imbalance is what forces the lunge that begins an attack.
This is the first entry in the client's bestiary. I also designed the codex emblem that marks it — establishing the presentation template the following entries will follow.
Full sheet: hero illustration, size chart, top-down view in motion, jump-mechanics study, and a skin/scale detail.