Denis Zhbankov Blends Russian Folklore With Dark Fantasy, Summoning Comedy‑Horror Creatures That Feel Like They Moved Into Your Village And Never Left

Denis Zhbankov is a Russian freelance digital artist and concept artist known for mixing comedy and horror, often drawing dark fantasy creatures rooted in Russian folklore and “backwoods” atmospheres.

He was born and raised in Russia’s Altai region, studied art/graphics in Biysk and graduated in 2010, then shifted into digital painting—working as a 2D artist in the game industry before going fully freelance. His credits include mobile games at Skytec Games (e.g., Horrorfield, Godlands, Card Heroes), tabletop/IP work for Paizo (Pathfinder, Starfinder), and collaborations via RocketBrush Studio on major titles like Crusader Kings III and Empire of Sin.

More: Instagram

If you want more awesome content, subscribe to Design You Trust Facebook page.

More Inspiring Stories

This Artist Pays Homage To Today's Heroes With Stunning Illustrations

The History of...

Giant Dinosaur Sculptures Made of Recycled Rice Straw Pop Up in Japan

Illustrator Reimagines Famous Fast Food Brands As Manga-Style Characters

War And Peace: New Powerful Illustrations By Gunduz Aghayev

"Hybrid" : Phil Langer Shows What Happens When Humans Merge With Nature In Emotional Portraits

Beautiful Winning Photos From The LensCulture 2018 Street Photography Awards

Heres What Baby Yoda Would Look Like As All The Disney Princesses

An Artist Combines Everyday Objects With Images From His iPhone

The Northern Lights set a Glacier Aglow

This Instagram Account Cleverly Photoshops Animals Into Everyday Things

Green Slime and Bizarre Creatures: Sam McKenzie's Acid Art

Meet Kazım Gürbüz, A 95-Year-Old Yoga Guru From Turkey

Artist Reimagines Disney Characters As Famous Classical Paintings And Pop Culture References

This Fashion Santa Is Blowing Up The Internet With His Dashing Looks

Superb Illustrations And Concept Art By John Nugroho

Illustrator Paul Blow Creates Simple‑looking but Idea‑rich Artworks, With Restrained Palettes and Clean Lines

Sebastian Krüger Creates Large‑format Grotesquely Distorted Celebrity Portraits

"Between Reality And Imagination": Stunning Digital And Concept Art By Jason Scheier

Amazing Vintage Art Deco Illustration of Classic Beauties by Henry Clive

"Honey and the Duality of Everything": The Design Experiments of Tabitha Swanson

Superb Surreal Animal Artworks By Andreas Häggkvist

Artist Takes 20 Different Drugs And Creates 20 Illustrations To Show Drug Effects

"Client Error": The Superb Digital Artworks of RETOKA

Artist Reveals The Characters Of Zodiacs Through Surreal Portraits Of Women

"Overclocking Transhumanism": The Fantastic 3D Sculptures of Francesco Mai

Hilarious Photoshop Trolling

Beyond the Black: Emotional Macabre Storytelling at the Edge of Fantasy by Sarah Breen

Short And Funny Comics By Malaysian Artist Tang Yau Hoong

Stunning Dreamlike Landscapes by Archie Chrisanthou You’ll Want To Jump Straight Into