Hello! I’m Sarah Dahlinger, the creator of Astra Fauna. I’m a creature concept sculptor and illustrator. I create both 2D and 3D monsters and animals for books, games, and film. I’m also a scientific illustrator focused on vertebrate anatomy. I love making the fanciful look real and believable.
I've created art for Wizards of the Coast for Dungeons and Dragons, Cephalofair Games for Gloomhaven, ETLOK Studios, Cinemo Galactic, Paizo, Monte Cook Games, Centipede Press, Evil Hat Productions, Chaosium, Petersen Games, Metal Weave Games, Alligator Alley Entertainment, Wet Ink Games, Part 12 Studios, Happy Giant, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (for ichthyology), the National Park Service, the Texas A&M University (for herpetology), and many more!
I'm available for freelance and contract work.
Work inquires: sarah@sarahdahlinger.com
Art. Animals. Adventure.
When I was a kid, I was let loose into the forests of New Hampshire every summer. We lived in a mostly broken camper. No running water. No plumbing. No TV. No microwave. We had a battery radio.
All day, I lived outside like a little animal every summer from eight to fifteen years old. It made a deep impression on me, and cultivated a love of the natural world. My family taught me about the fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds who lived there. I memorized the “North American Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians” and had a very solid knowledge of Audubon's book on North American Birds by the time I was ten.
Being alone in the woods with my sister led to all sorts of fantastic beasts who were either our friends or foes.
…and I started drawing them.
Professional Biography
Sarah Dahlinger received a BFA in Electronic Imaging/Multimedia from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 2006. She then went on to earn a Certificate of 3D modeling and Animation from the Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University in 2009.
Additionally, she has studied under Scott Eaton and Terryl Whitlatch to hone both her human and animal anatomy skills.
Sarah has worn many hats while working in travel, video games, and the medical industry leading to a broad base of skills – illustration, 3D digital sculpting, vector graphics, infographics, web design, and mobile app art.
In 2016, she became a freelance artist to pursue her true passion – creature design and vertebrate scientific illustrations. She mostly works in ZBrush and Photoshop.
Who is the studio assistant?
Meet Ink! He is a silken windhound who came to me from CO.
He’s a sweetheart and is doing wonders for keeping me focused and on track, by insisting I take needed breaks. I’m looking forward to lots of new adventures with him.
