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Description
More of my astronomical and space travel art can be seen in my DA "Space Art" gallery:

lexlothor.deviantart.com/galle…

During odd moments during OryCon 36 I drew the pencil under sketch for this work. I invented a life form and a world that it inhabits out of whole cloth. We see here a water world that is larger than the Earth. Despite its higher gravity it denser atmosphere permits flying creatures.

This alien animal can both fly and swim. Its wing membranes are actually inflatable structures that can expand and contract in response to air density. What look like eyes in the centerline are actually nostril-like organs. This creature has four eyes located in two heads. This impossible body plan is the result of selective embryonic cell division.

On this world there is an entire phylum of organisms that systematically split into parophagus twins. This world is essentially dominated by "Siamese twins". During larval development this pair undergoes major morphological modification in much the same manner as flounders. Rather than have their eyes drift to one side, their mouths merge along the midline. This is the structure that looks like the front grill of a semi-truck. The "mouths" that appear on the front of each head are actually gill-like spiracles that shift around from the sides. The inboard eyes remain rudimentary while the outboard eyes develop on telescoping stalks. This arrangement is comparable to a hammerhead shark that can change its head shape at will. The animal has two brains and an integrated nervous system.

The protruding barbules on the "chin" act like the tentacles of a nautilus or an elephant with six trunks. This animal can both filter feed and capture small prey. The structures protruding from the rear are not feet but a rather sets of tentacles. This being employs both air and water jet propulsion and it can reverse thrust and swim or fly backwards.

I was inspired both by shape shifting terrestrial cephalopods and the North American P-81 Twin Mustang fighter plane for this body plan. It is also the size of a P-81.

art & text (c) John P. Alexander

5" x 7" artwork rendered in Prismacolor pencils, Tombow markers & acrylics

Description
More of my astronomical and space travel art can be seen in my DA "Space Art" gallery:

lexlothor.deviantart.com/galle…

During odd moments during OryCon 36 I drew the pencil under sketch for this work. I invented a life form and a world that it inhabits out of whole cloth. We see here a water world that is larger than the Earth. Despite its higher gravity it denser atmosphere permits flying creatures.

This alien animal can both fly and swim. Its wing membranes are actually inflatable structures that can expand and contract in response to air density. What look like eyes in the centerline are actually nostril-like organs. This creature has four eyes located in two heads. This impossible body plan is the result of selective embryonic cell division.

On this world there is an entire phylum of organisms that systematically split into parophagus twins. This world is essentially dominated by "Siamese twins". During larval development this pair undergoes major morphological modification in much the same manner as flounders. Rather than have their eyes drift to one side, their mouths merge along the midline. This is the structure that looks like the front grill of a semi-truck. The "mouths" that appear on the front of each head are actually gill-like spiracles that shift around from the sides. The inboard eyes remain rudimentary while the outboard eyes develop on telescoping stalks. This arrangement is comparable to a hammerhead shark that can change its head shape at will. The animal has two brains and an integrated nervous system.

The protruding barbules on the "chin" act like the tentacles of a nautilus or an elephant with six trunks. This animal can both filter feed and capture small prey. The structures protruding from the rear are not feet but a rather sets of tentacles. This being employs both air and water jet propulsion and it can reverse thrust and swim or fly backwards.

I was inspired both by shape shifting terrestrial cephalopods and the North American P-81 Twin Mustang fighter plane for this body plan. It is also the size of a P-81.

art & text (c) John P. Alexander

5" x 7" artwork rendered in Prismacolor pencils, Tombow markers & acrylics