ABOUT CREATURE GRAPHICS
A little about the below images: These pieces of art are part of the Draconem dragons series (Alyssa’s very own dragon art series!).
“This was the first series of artwork that I started to make when I started my own art business. I wanted to display the dragons in a taxidermy-like style similar to framed butterflies. Realistic, but with a touch of fantasy. I add the dragon species name and the country they originate from, as well as the dragons' characteristics and powers. I also paint every dragon differently, making each dragon unique and one of a kind.”
Alyssa Leznar (she/her) is a professional 3D artist based in the Netherlands. She first fell in love with art in high school, where she spent every spare moment drawing, sculpting, and creating in the art classroom. Her passion for 3D art led her to study 3D art and animation at university, and after graduating, she worked as a 3D character and creature artist in the entertainment industry.
Her fascination for 3D printing and the idea of turning her digital creations into something tangible drove her to learn everything she could, with the dream of starting her own business and selling her 3D-printed art. Soon, creating dragons and other mystical creatures became her passion.
Now, through 3D printing and her own business called “Creature Graphics,” she brings her own creatures and dragons to life, crafting unique sculptures for collectors and fellow dragon lovers. Most of her work happens digitally first, and she uses Photoshop for drawing out concept ideas and ZBrush for sculpting the models in 3D. With the use of her resin printer, she’s able to 3D print her work, after which she paints all of her sculptures by hand using acrylic (miniature) paints and varnish.
In addition to designing, creating, and selling her own art, she loves collaborating with companies and individuals to bring their projects and visions to life in 3D—be it a digital sculpture or a 3D print, she enjoys every part of her work as a freelance 3D artist.
In her free time, she loves horseback riding, and she has two beautiful horses, which she calls her little dragons. She also enjoys reading fantasy novels and playing video games. Kirby, Pokemon, and Zelda are some of her favorite games to play.
Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
As a creature sculptor, I draw inspiration from art books, folklore, and platforms like Pinterest and ArtStation. Once I have a vision, I gather references from nature—studying reptiles, bats, and other animals to refine anatomy, textures, colors, and details. This process helps bring my creatures to life with realistic and organic designs.
Do you have a favorite piece of art you've created to date? What makes it special to you?
I had the honor of working on two promotional 3D-printed dragon figurines for BuzzFeed and DreamWorks on How To Train Your Dragon 3: The Hidden World. I worked alongside amazing colleagues and friends to surprise kids with their dream dragons. I was responsible for finishing up the (digital) base 3D sculptures and adding all the details.
The ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ saga has been very inspiring and an important part of my art journey. The heartwarming story and fantasy world are very relatable to what I envision when creating my own dragons, so it was a dream come true to have been a part of this amazing project!
CREATURE GRAPHICS x OWLCRATE
Alyssa was one of the artists who worked on our social deduction card game Stryx, along with zarimoth, dianadworak, andiliion, celi_arts, wictorian_art, and meowtricia_. She created the design for the First Player Owl Marker with art direction by @heyatlascreative and @stubbornpagemage.
"This was my first collaboration with OwlCrate. I had such a great experience working alongside Alyssa Hamilton and her team to sketch and create the Owl figurine they had envisioned. I felt like we created something really memorable together."
What are some of your favorite books or authors?
Some of my recent favorites include The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst, the Fourth Wing books by Rebecca Yarros, and Tricia Levenseller's Blade of Secrets duology.
