https://maireadillustration.com/contact daily 0.75 2025-05-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/d6ce650e-b7c1-42e2-8243-cd6fa1216376/IMG_0206.jpg https://maireadillustration.com/about daily 0.75 2025-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/e2842d42-7d48-4588-a8d1-f1c5fd149eb3/IMG_0179.JPG https://maireadillustration.com/illustrations daily 1.0 2026-03-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/6d5af46b-db7f-4064-a37b-2f15fe559a21/goosefeedingposter.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/2a178b18-878a-4240-86ba-b2c0dd98b277/1000030837.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/1467fa2e-874b-4b70-a993-36032b8638f6/tigerfinal.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/05be41c4-bfac-49d0-915c-75b6c1b4f180/birdsofmyyard.png Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/bf2d5535-73bf-4dbd-93cd-7421bce812cc/IMG_0206.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/0a29aa3f-1c19-46e7-b1d0-43753df2a9ca/Mairead-Haughey-Red-Illustration.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/0e5c4f14-3267-41ba-abec-d8d4f7e5a2e8/IMG_0227.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/c0437175-0d28-4a86-a169-5245b3f41dbf/uytut.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/3eba8410-ab09-4a04-8227-0062fa7913e7/IMG_0217.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/c3d71fbc-8341-4251-a84a-05c3dde99b11/IMG_0043.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/344014d2-f286-46b4-9635-4b759d2b2f62/1000030836.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/0723e5ab-caf7-4a29-b9db-46cb4ff0350d/IMG_0188%281%29.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/31f94ab0-2896-46e3-a8d4-b537f5afea27/IMG_0218.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/f4dfc899-7c4f-4e9a-8709-f456d94dddd6/IMG_0157%281%29.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/cb040532-d742-4ba5-92d4-043d92b82752/Haughey_Mairead_03.jpg Home https://maireadillustration.com/concept-art daily 0.75 2026-03-17 https://maireadillustration.com/concept-art/mantisshrimp monthly 0.5 2026-03-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/b58671c2-781b-4668-986f-4a9a67ffff57/IMG_0264.jpeg Concept Art - Peacock Mantis Shrimp Fighter Front and back of the final concept. I was inspired to design a fighter after the Peacock Mantis Shrimp, known for their powerful punch underwater. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/3b756c18-73ae-492f-9820-a01616a0ce2e/IMG_0265.jpeg Concept Art - Peacock Mantis Shrimp Fighter Details and references for different aspects of the design — the pattern of the pants, and the tattoo design reference. The tattoos and pants patterns are based on the white marks and geometric shapes found throughout the Peacock Mantis Shrimp’s body. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/4beb5bf4-2ead-403f-b05b-600f77ee6373/IMG_0263.jpeg Concept Art - Peacock Mantis Shrimp Fighter Initial concept vs final design. I wanted the shrimp inspiration to be more obvious, rather than a generic fist fighter look. I incorporated the anatomy of a Peacock Mantis Shrimp to the clothing and color choices. I also wanted the fighter’s figure to be lean, yet muscular. Despite the small size of a mantis shrimp, they pack a punch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/2bc9ff97-3a4c-464b-a2d0-a06d2348e0f4/IMG_0267.jpeg Concept Art - Peacock Mantis Shrimp Fighter Color explorations. I was trying to capture the rainbow colors of a mantis shrimp without it being too busy. I also explored a different outfit, with different pants, knee pads, and armor on the fists. Eventually, I settled for teal as the main color in the design. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/5674ec50-421d-4af4-8d46-fb81a6ccd31e/IMG_0262.jpeg Concept Art - Peacock Mantis Shrimp Fighter Expression sheet. This character is cocky, confident, and strong-willed. https://maireadillustration.com/concept-art/bloodchild-8zgh7-9w944 monthly 0.5 2025-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/f29dbed4-ff68-44dc-b240-a173decce7eb/IMG_0234.jpg Concept Art - Bloodchild Character lineup for "Bloodchild". Characters from left to right: Xuan Hoa, T'Gatoi, Gan, and Bram Lomas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/1d82df3e-1be3-4454-94a7-68eb8c64436d/IMG_0231.jpg Concept Art - Bloodchild Gan is our main character of the story. Prepped as an alien's incubator his entire life, Gan has a cautious demeanor. He covers himself up in an attempt to expose as little skin as possible -- an attempt to shield himself from the outside world. I made the black jumpsuits similar to a prison uniform, symbolizing the power imbalance the Tlic have over Terrans. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/e0d39291-f32f-4eed-8c5c-7844b08a1f4e/IMG_0230.jpg Concept Art - Bloodchild Xuan Hoa, a secondary character. Her clothing expresses a comfortable and relaxed character, accepting of the world around her. She acts as another obstacle to Gan's freedom, trying to convince him that it is an honor to host the Tlic larvae. She represents Gan before he knew the truth, never questioning the system that the Tlic have put humans in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/a270cdc1-3af4-4030-a2f8-8391441f03bf/IMG_0229.jpg Concept Art - Bloodchild Bram Lomas, eaten alive from the inside by larvae, is heavily drugged for most of the story. He is left exposed in his undergarments, representing that he is a shell of his former self and fully exposed to the unforgiving nature of Tlic reproduction. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/0b640cfa-df9b-49c2-bce1-10e2f7050ab1/IMG_0233.jpg Concept Art - Bloodchild T'Gatoi is a female Tlic, raising Gan since birth to host her eggs. I based T'Gatoi's appearance off of a Praying Mantis, and gave her eight eyes resembling a spider. Her warm, red underbelly clashes with her hard green exterior, representing that she has a weakness for Terrans, especially Gan. She struggles with two choices: Let Gan and the Terrans free, or keep him forever. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/80e69b48-8008-4b91-9e42-05496c355d52/IMG_0235.jpg Concept Art - Bloodchild Tlic anatomy is similar to that of insects in real life. I studied bee anatomy when designing the internal organs of the Tlic. Like bees, they understand their purpose when they are born. Physical characteristics such as the color of a Tlic's underbelly determines their role in life. The eggs match the color of a female Tlic's underbelly, denoting their role in Tlic society before they hatch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/09204d8f-21d4-44dc-8efd-2ee30d5ac9f0/IMG_0236.jpg Concept Art - Bloodchild In The Preserve, Terrans are prohibited from having weapons of any kind. Gan's father kept and hid this shotgun from the era in which the Tlic and Terrans were at war. When Gan's father passes away, he learns of the hiding place that the shotgun is kept in, eventually coming to use it to aid his escape. https://maireadillustration.com/concept-art/60salienconcept-ephnc-7rr7r monthly 0.5 2025-05-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/fe3fb37b-c00f-4573-a7a4-af398562d4a2/60salienconcept.jpg Concept Art - 60s Alien Concept Concept for an alien girl from the 1960s, with earring and dress pattern designs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67feaebd7e1d340aed5020de/e86f5742-d5eb-4b62-a4f7-31c0173f826d/aleinconcepts.jpg Concept Art - 60s Alien Concept Color studies for the outfit -- I wanted to go for fun, vibrant 60s aesthetics. Some color inspiration also came from the Space Age aesthetic.