ABBY MESARCH - ILLUSTRATOR
Illustrations, Character Design, Hand Lettering, and more!
Email: whtablum.art@gmail.com
Phone: 410-271-7380
Instagram: @wht.ablum
Click on any image on the site for a full, high-resolution view!
The Griller enemy from the Splatoon series, translated into a human design.
An intricate, hand-lettered "X", formed by a graphic punk character.
A girl and her dog take a relaxing walk through the woods.
A fake album cover, hand-lettered, inspired by an Internet personality. This piece embraces all that is gaudy and neon!
PROBLEM SUNS
A series of concept art for a fantasy story about a young girl, her found family, and their quest to undo a cruel curse.
From left to right: the Demigod, Volka, Hay, and Lolo take a breather to record their adventures. They may be a ragtag group, but they're family!
Volka and Hay reunite with another character (right) in this medieval manuscript-styled illustration.
A memory of a simpler time. Volka accepts a bowl of soup from the cook in her home's communal eating hall.
FIGHT! Hay's challenged the Demigod, the most fearsome fighter in town, and the two clash surrounded by a swarm of fans!
Volka, the stalwart survivor!
The Demigod, the boastful battler!
Hay, the gentle guardian!
Lolo, the wary wanderer!
GET TO KNOW ME
All of my work, from my longest comics to one-off illustrations, has a central narrative it seeks to express via digital media, collage, markers, or whatever my tool of choice is at the moment.Art and writing go hand in hand in my practice, stemming from my core belief that creative works foster a unique and special dialogue between creator and viewer. My narratives often tackle complicated topics in my own life, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, gender and sexuality, and mortality, that are difficult for me to fully articulate through conventional means.I believe that by filling these stories with aliens, deep-sea creatures, robots, and magic in weird and colorful worlds, I provide viewers a door to step through: a welcoming entrance to meet my ideas on their own terms.~~~Abby Mesarch is a Maryland-based queer illustrator exploring new ways of making and storytelling. She currently lives and works in Annapolis after graduating from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2023 with a BFA in Illustration. Her work – digital pieces that incorporate traditional elements - is informed by her strong background in narrative practices, as well as her own identity and her passion for human connections. She follows a key principle in her practice of creating stories that she herself would want to see, hoping to reach and foster community with an often underrepresented audience that feels the same way.
CHARACTER DESIGN
Bedlam in Byzantium! It's an alternate-Earth Constantinople, and magic floods across the land. Meek but earnest nobleman David (left) and seasoned ex-soldier Maximus (right) must travel the Silk Road to acquire an artifact for a powerful alchemist.
Isolated views of David and Maximus' equipment for their travels.
A reimagining of the Kraft mascot Cheesasaurus Rex, now a paleontologist and explorer! Here he investigates a dinosaur track closely... maybe TOO closely. Look out, Professor!
A full turnaround of the Cheesasaurus redesign.
In a universe where sledding is an extreme sport, an energetic rising star (middle) forms the ultimate team for victory!
A character born from a desire to reinvent the typical fantasy "hobgoblin". Marshya the Keeper raises giant birds that she treats like family!
Tag, an anthopomorphic ferret, lost his peaceful life when his home flooded. Now he frequents a local watering-hole to drink dandelion-wine.
When Circe, a vain witch, is turned away from a harvest festival's produce competition, she turns the farmers into guinea pigs in fury! Now they must navigate a miniature floral maze for her amusement.
An acting turnaround of Jean, one of the transformed farmers. While easily spooked, he is determined to do his best in Circe's game and return to normal!
The Griller enemy from the Splatoon series, translated into a human design.
A design timeline of a shy dwarf who lost her home and became an adventurer, with garments inspired by 17th century Scotland, the American industrial revolution, and WWI-era Scotland.
In the depths of space, a Mind Flayer and Githyanki form an unlikely Frankenstein-and-Igor partnership to conduct morally gray anatomical experiments.
Alternate pattern designs for the Doctor, who can change color, based on the real-life abilities of Humboldt squids.
WHALEFALL
Family, love, and identity are on the line in a high-speed space chase, as two groups of fishlike aliens fight it out. An ongoing webcomic updating at
Here's a sneak peek!
ILLUSTRATION
In the warm light of late afternoon, a truck driver gives a smile to his companion for the long haul.
A view of the devious hedge maze conjured by Circe. She will look on smugly as the farmers try to best her game.
A prep school punk's gotten into some hot water! Background collage custom designed and compiled from start to finish.
A pod of space whales frolics in their home nebula after a long interstellar journey.
The tables have turned: a vampire's would-be victim prepares to make him her prey!
An intricate, hand-lettered "X", formed by a graphic punk character.
Pattern work to be paired with the vampire illustration.
A girl and her dog take a relaxing walk through the woods.
A scene from "Pipetown", a world where humanoid moths live in sprawling sewers and worship light. Here, two rival competitors race neck-and-neck to win a game of Mothball.
PRELIMINARY MATERIAL
MOODBOARDS
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SKETCHES/IDEATION
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TEXT & LETTERING
A children's book-styled illustration featuring a young child who loves music.
This piece features lyrics from Army of Lovers rendered in hand-designed, pixelated letters.
A portrait and profile of a sorceress, combining both typesetting and hand-lettering to convey her personality and story.
A fake album cover, hand-lettered, inspired by an Internet personality. This piece embraces all that is gaudy and neon!
An original font, hand-lettered, made especially for Whalefall, a new science fiction comic.
An exercise in hand lettering, featuring lyrics by Penelope Scott along with a vengeful scene queen.
Three posters, made to stand on their own or as one image, inspired by horror podcast The Magnus Archives.
