mel10rism

I recently did some housekeeping of the concept art section on the Thicker Than Blood website, in which I changed some of the artwork to be exclusive to Patreon! I figured this would be a fun way to go more in-depth on a lot of the creative decisions that led to the finished product of Thicker Than

Chapter four features an illustration of Keia walking through a market! I had a lot of fun with this piece as it's been a long time since I properly sat down and did a full-scale illustration. Designing Keia's disguised appearance for this chapter was an especially fun task as I wanted them to still

♢ Grainy I am twenty-three when I come to. The room is dimly lit by the early morning sun struggling to fit through the tears in the curtains. The sound of people sleeping fills my ears. People I don’t know. I’ve been living this way for two years now, going from hostel to hostel, doing what jobs I

School has been so so much recently but I finally found some time to work on this illustration for Chapter Four! You'll notice Keia looks quite different here, and that's because this chapter takes place in a very different setting to anything that's been mentioned in the story so far. I did some re

The below introduction is the same for all 3 unreleased Flights of Foundry excerpts. Feel free to skip ahead to read! Hi all! Below is a segment of writing that I am presenting this Sunday, September 20th, 2026, as part of a reading of Thicker Than Blood at the annual speculative fiction convention,

The below introduction is the same for all 3 unreleased Flights of Foundry excerpts. Feel free to skip ahead to read! Hi all! Below is a segment of writing that I am presenting this Sunday, September 20th, 2026, as part of a reading of Thicker Than Blood at the annual speculative fiction convention,

Hi all! Below is a segment of writing that I am presenting this Sunday, September 20th, 2026, as part of a reading of Thicker Than Blood at the annual speculative fiction convention, Flights of Foundry! I have been invited to share my work and speak on my design and illustration process throughout t

Loved this painting too much not to share it on here as well! Been offline longer than expected since moving and being on vacation so consider this post as me trying to get back into the swing of things again. Looking forward to being back and hopefully sharing more free posts and other things :) Al

Chapter Three's illustration features Cassius and his father in the office reserved exclusively for the head of the Flores family. I genuinely have no idea how long this artwork took to make because it was in the middle of the night. I would guess approximately 5 hours. Attached to this post is the

♢ End In order to understand my end, we must revisit my beginning. But as I am lying here, flames roaring in front of me, filling the night sky with a bright orange glow, it’s not my birth that comes to mind. Nor my first day at school, my childhood home, my mother. I think my true beginning was the

☼ Sign Here My father puts his head in his hands. “You do realize that this is going to tear the family apart.” It’s not a question. I sit very still and focus on the papers strewn all over his desk in front of him. Most offices like his have big, beautiful, polished mahogany desks. His one is marbl

Chapter two's illustration features the day when Ariadne first met Keia. This artwork was completed in approximately 2 and a half hours. Attached to this post is the full resolution file for download. [PERSONAL/NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY]

♢ Ariadne “Where do babies come from?” I am young again, looking up at her as I sit at her feet. Her hand falters, the needle catching on the jacket she had been working on. “That’s an interesting question, my love.” I sit and wait for her to elaborate. Next to me is my own jacket, much smaller than

I am being called, someone is calling my name. A voice I haven’t heard since I was a child. Or at least not properly. My eyelids sink down, shrouding me in periods of darkness that last longer every time. The gravel is cold under my cheek. There has been a hissing sound in my head ever since my begi

Chapter one features a single, fully rendered illustration to kick off the book! This artwork was completed in approximately 3 hours. Attached to this post is the full resolution file for download. [PERSONAL/NON-COMMERCIAL USE ONLY]

Thicker Than Blood is a political fantasy webnovel about community, belonging, and just how far one would go to have it. Illustrated chapters are released 2-4 times per month, at thicker-than-blood.com. The long-term goal for this project is to adapt it into a 3D-animated limited TV series. Join the