Are you a fan of H.P. Lovecraft and the dark, otherworldly horrors he spun into his tales? I sure am! Do you find inspiration in the eerie and unsettling imagery that embodies the Lovecraftian universe? If so, then this collection of horror inspirational art is just what you need to ignite your imagination and bring your Call of Cthulhu scenarios to life. Art has a way of capturing the essence of a story or world and conveying it in a powerful and impactful way, and this collection of Cthulhu artwork is no exception.
When it comes to drafting up mythos-centered scenarios for the Call of Cthulhu RPG game, artwork inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s universal horrors is an indispensable tool. A picture truly is worth a 1,000 horrors words, and this collection of inspiring images will help you tap into the madness and terror that lies at the heart of the Lovecraftian universe. Whether you’re a seasoned Call of Cthulhu player or a newcomer to the world of Lovecraftian horror, this collection of art will leave you with a wealth of ideas and inspiration to draw from.
None of the Lovecraftian art pieces featured in this collection are mine, but I have carefully curated this repository of inspiration to make it easy for you to find and explore the best in Cthulhu artwork. Each piece is linked to its source, allowing you to delve deeper into the world of Lovecraftian horror and discover more of what the genre has to offer. Whether you’re a seasoned collector of Lovecraftian art or just looking to add some spooky touches to your gaming sessions, this collection has something for everyone.
So why wait? Whether you’re a lover of Lovecraftian horror or just looking for some inspiration for your next Call of Cthulhu game, this collection of horror inspirational art is the perfect place to start. Immerse yourself in the dark, unsettling world of H.P. Lovecraft and let the inspiration flow.
None of these Lovecraftian art pieces are mine, hopefully the links below will take you to their sources. This is just a small respository of inspiration for you to draw from – all in one helpful spot.
Enjoy!
Correspondingly, Cthulhu and horror artwork from left to right, top to bottom:
- Apollo art by Douglas A. Sirois, taken from Erik von Wodtke’s book Apollo (Available to purchase here)
- Doomed Voyage by Rafal Badal
- Untitled horror piece by Jorge Jacinto
- Cthulhu at the Gates of R’lyeh by Deranged Cultist
- FFG Card design for Call of Cthulhu – Ignacio Bazan-Lazcano
- Untitled Lovecraftian piece from The Art of H.P. Lovecraft’s the Cthulhu Mythos (Available to buy on Amazon). This is also the featured image at the top of this post – it’s a wonderful inspirational piece of art.
Artwork of Cthulhu
Cthulhu obviously features heavily in H.P. Lovecraft’s books. It is one of his most iconic and easily recognisable pieces of fictional imagery he produced over the years. Moreover, in The Call of Cthulhu, Lovecraft describes a statue of the monster as:
A monster of vaguely anthropoid outline, but with an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers, a scaly, rubbery-looking body, prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long, narrow wings behind.
The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft
It is no surprise that artwork of Cthulhu produces such vivid and inspirational pieces for us horror RPG fans. However Cthulhu is just one of countless entities that horrifies us.
Some more inspiration for you, again left-right, top to bottom. Of course the credit goes to the awesome artists:
- Lovecraft’s Shoggoth by Joseph Diaz
- Hastur by unknown artist
- The Terrifying Masters posted by Necron0mic0n
- Untitled piece posted by Twitter user 13033303
- Shoggoth by Bomb-Bear
- At the Mountain of Madness by Nikolay Razuev
Lovecraft’s Necronomicon
Unfortunately I didn’t note down where I got these pieces from exactly, however I do know at least one came originally from Daniel Govar’s (hopefully that’s spelt correctly). I believe it’s specifically from Govar’s deluxe Kickstarter book/comic based on Lovecraft’s Necronomicon (that is, picture 4). The artistry and level of detail that Govar has applied to this piece is insanely inspiring.
Equally as beautiful is the 1st picture shown above, the profile-illustration of Cthulhu – remarkable.
Hopefully this growing collection of inspirational pieces will start a creative cogs turning in your brain as you plan your next Call of Cthulhu RPG game.