Strange worlds,
built one frame at a time.

Lucumad is the practice of a solo concept artist and designer working at the intersection of illustration, world-building, and character design. The work leans into the uncanny — familiar settings and creatures pushed just past the edge of plausible — built for clients who want a strong, specific point of view rather than generic coverage art.

The process pairs fast AI-assisted ideation with slow, deliberate hand refinement: dozens of directions explored early, then one taken all the way to a finished piece. The result is work that moves quickly in the early stages without losing the control and intent of a traditional illustration practice.

Nicholas has worked across book cover concept art, movie storyboards, and product design for language-learning and marketing platforms. He's led design teams and run projects from brief to delivery, not just handled the art side. Lately that's extended into board games and tabletop concepts, alongside the tech and product design work he's always done.