From unusual mechs to robotic vampires, this artist shows what can happen when you draw without a brief

Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Thomas is a concept artist from New Zealand who works in the film and games industry. He specialises in hard…

Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Thomas is a concept artist from New Zealand who works in the film and games industry. He specialises in hard surface and costume design, and he particularly enjoys drawing robots, using Blender and Photoshop. In his personal work, he tries to break away from traditional tropes by thinking freely, imagining unusual mechs, weapons and creatures like robotic vampires.Below, he presents three examples of his work. If you need the tools for your own digital art, see our guides to the best digital art software and the best drawing tablets.Mech Sketch 16 (Image credit: Thomas Oates)“Part of a series of mech sketches I’ve collected in various zines. These were part of an attempt to work loose and uninhibited by a brief.”Project Lightning Medusa (Image credit: Thomas Oates)“The testing of an experimental high-powered rifle. Inspired by the ERDA Positron Rifle from Neon Genesis Evangelion, I wanted to design a rifle that could use enormous amounts of external power."Helion – Guard of the Rivers of Blood (Image credit: Thomas Oates)“An illustration for a fictional card game, and part of the Skulduggery 24 exhibition. A member of a robotic vampire line that’s immune to classic vampirical weaknesses."You can see more of Thomas’s work on his Instagram profile.Inspired to work on your own digital art? See below for deals on drawing tablets that we've reviewed.Get the Creative Bloq NewsletterSign up to Creative Bloq's daily newsletter, which brings you the latest news and inspiration from the worlds of art, design and technology.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsThis article originally appeared in ImagineFX. Subscribe to ImagineFX to never miss an issue. Print and digital subscriptions are available.Creative Bloq is now easier to access than ever before with our on-the-go app, which brings you all the content you know and love from our website, but in a super-streamlined design.Download the Creative Bloq app for iOSDownload the Creative Bloq app for Android TOPICS ImagineFX staffAll things ImagineFXImagineFX is the No.1 selling digital art magazine for fantasy and sci-fi enthusiasts! Featuring digital and traditional drawing skills, game design, manga and film art each issue is crammed with training and inspiration from leading artists in their fields. Whether it's learning from comic art's Adam Hughes, fantasy art's John Howe, or digital painting's Loish, ImagineFX has you covered. ImagineFX has been inspiring artists for over 20 years! View More You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Logout LATEST ARTICLES1The Odyssey was inspired by retro stop-motion animation – that could also affect how it's judged23D artists are so blown away by Blender's latest update, it's hard to believe it's free software3As a photographer these are the only 3 web builders I'd use to make my portfolio4Noble's budget earphone sounds better than their expensive models so it's my go-to recommendation for a wireless earphone at $2005Denshattack! review: the summer's best game is in love with Sega Dreamcast

Source: Creative Bloq AI — Published July 16, 2026 at 08:00 UTC — Category: Image AI