Rachel Hendel ( ᐛ )
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cyraofthesea.bsky.social
Rachel Hendel ( ᐛ )
@cyraofthesea.bsky.social
63 followers 83 following 56 posts
Artist, author, lover of silly things ✨
she/her/they, 23
Aspiring book illustrator 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🥄
Cryptid World Tour webcomic 💌👣🌎
[in pre-production]

Commissions: closed for now

rachelhendel.com
lnk.bio/cyraofthesea
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cyraofthesea.bsky.social
Some close ups of the cards!

Check them out here: www.rachelhendel.com/product/cryp...
Cards 19 through 24: Loveland Frogman, La Lechuza, South Bay Bessie, Bigfoot’s House, Gowrow, and Slide Rock Bolter. The art style is silly and light hearted. Cards 25 through 30: Hugag, Lake Ontario Serpents, Van Meter Visitor, Mothman’s Mixtape, Beast of Busco, and Grafton Monster Cards 31 through 36: Skunk Ape, Cistern Creeper, Penpal Letter, White Thang, Enfield Horror, and a mystery card that is grayed out with a question mark on top
December 12, 2025 at 2:34 PM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
Cryptid Cards Vol 2 are here!! 18 all new cards featuring fan favorites like the Loveland Frogman and the Grafton Monster. This set also includes some item and location cards that reference my upcoming webcomic, Cryptid World Tour 🌎👣💌

#TradingCards #CryptidArt #ArtSky
A product photo showing the full deck laid out on a desk. The cards are layered on top of each other, some are partially unseen. Text reads, “Full set, + free sticker”. A small brown bag stamped with the Cryptid Card logo is displayed next to a propped up card, showing off the design of the back. A product photo of a blind bag, text reads “Blind bag, 3 cards”. The cards lay on a desk below a small bag stamped with the Cryptid Card logo.
December 12, 2025 at 2:34 PM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
Available now as a 4x6 inch print (US shipping only)! www.rachelhendel.com/store
A promo photo of the print held by a hand.
October 31, 2025 at 7:10 PM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
Happy Halloween 🎃 Bigfoot, Mothman, and Nessie are celebrating by carving pumpkins at Dee’s house. Thank goodness the shrinking spell worked or Ness wouldn’t have fit in the door! And hey, who’s that lurking outside…?

Cryptid World Tour - coming soon 👣🌎💌

#Webcomic #CryptidArt #ArtSky
A digital illustration. Bigfoot, Mothman, and Nessie sit around a circular table covered in pumpkins, candles, and Halloween themed cookies. Bigfoot holds a knife as he carves something unseen into a pumpkin. Mothman and Nessie watch on curiously. In the background, Dee, the Jersey Devil, is grabbing candy from a bowl on the counter. Their ear twitches as if hearing something. Outside the window behind them, Hidebehind stands with her hand pressed longingly on the glass. The interior of the house is decorated in various Halloween decor.
October 31, 2025 at 7:08 PM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
Doing my first outdoor market tomorrow, come say hi if you’re in Des Moines!! I’ll have my usual wares plus a new Halloween themed Cryptid World Tour print 👻🎃🍫
A Halloween themed illustration of Hoyt Sherman Place by Adam Baldus with the text, “Halloween Horrors at Hoyt Sherman Place, art fair, October 30th, 4pm to 9pm”. I added a small drawing of myself with a text bubble reading, “I’m a vendor!” A promotional image showing a Halloween themed print of cryptids carving pumpkins and some cards from volume two of Cryptid Cards.
October 29, 2025 at 12:51 PM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
For my friends in Iowa, I’ll be tabling at the Van Meter Visitor Festival this Saturday! Come out and celebrate Iowa’s very own cryptid.

You can get tickets upon arrival or right now at www.chadlewisresearch.com/shop but be careful, they might sell out!
A poster for the Van Meter Visitor Festival. It features a drawing of the Visitor and text that states, “September 27, 2025. 11:30AM to 6:00PM. Veterans Reception Center in Van Meter, Iowa. Admission $10.” An advertisement for new artwork, showing off a new Visitor print and a preview of Cryptid Cards volume 2.
September 24, 2025 at 10:22 PM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
The bags in question (this is like half of them) 👇
A sea of small brown paper bags fill the entire image, on each one is a stamped black ink image of Bigfoot with the words Cryptid Cards above him.
September 17, 2025 at 12:29 PM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
A queer wedding gift #commission - my client’s friends are getting married this week!! Congrats to the brides, so happy to be part of their big day 🌈💕

#ArtSky #QueerLove #LesbianWedding #Illustration
A digital illustration of two young women embracing each other and smiling happily next to a field of yellow and pink prairie flowers. A small heart is above their heads.
July 10, 2025 at 1:53 AM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
Some new stickers, all your favorite Little Guys!! Mothman, Fitz, and… that Spider Guy, too 🕷️

#artsky #artshop #smallbusiness
A product photo of three stickers, each is labeled with its name. The first is Mothman waving happily, the second is a poorly drawn parody version of Spider-Man, and the third is a small drake named Fitz wearing tiny boots with its tongue sticking out. An individual photo of the Spooder-Man parody sticker. Text says “just your friendly neighborhood sticker!” An individual photo of the Mothman waving sticker. An individual photo of the Fitz sticker.
May 6, 2025 at 10:15 PM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
Fun fact: aliens are queer! Show off your extraterrestrial encounter with these silly pride stickers I made 👽🌈

#artsky #artshop #lgbtq #prideflags #stickershop
A product photo of a sticker, it’s an astronaut reaching out to touch fingers with an alien in a UFO. A rainbow pride flag trails behind the UFO and text in the center says “aliens are queer, they told me”. Text at the top of the image reads “8 different designs”. A second sticker with the trans flag can be partially seen behind the first. The same design with a rainbow flag and the text “aliens are gay, they told me” The same design with a transgender flag and the text “aliens are trans, they told me” The same design with a non-binary flag and the text “aliens are queer, they told me”
May 5, 2025 at 10:08 PM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
A #commission for my client's daughter's birthday!! 🎂🥳

I had a lot of fun with the prompts "reading comic to small dragons" and "enjoys Pokemon". So happy to be part of her special day!

#commissionsopen #artsky #kidlit #illustration
A full color digitial illustration. A girl sits on a toadstool in a forest reading a comic to three dragons, one who sits on a toadstool across from her, one who sits on the ground holding a stuffed animal, and one who is distracted chasing a butterfly. Magic flows out of the comic book and above the girl's head, showcasing characters from the comic book - they resemble Pokemon characters.
May 2, 2025 at 11:03 PM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
My sticker photographing assistant for today was Very Helpful as you can see (he tried to lick all of them) #morkie #artshop #artbusiness
A hand holds a 3 inch tall Mothman sticker. In the background is the partially obscured face of a small white dog who is sniffing the sticker.
May 2, 2025 at 5:34 AM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
Every time I plan a booth layout I make a digital collage mock-up first, I think they’re funny (and also very helpful!!)

This one is for a cryptid themed event in September - gotta fill those holes with new work over these next few months 💪
A pieced together photo collage showing OP sitting behind a large table. Things like art prints and stickers are sitting on display shelves. Some items are just black box outlines showing there's nothing made to go there yet.
April 8, 2025 at 9:50 AM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
The more I draw Moth the better I get!! I’m learning the way he is shaped. When people say “draw something over and over to improve” they mean it lol

I’m excited to do this exercise for Bigfoot and Nessie, too!! #webcomic #cryptids #mothman
A screenshot from the drawing program Procreate. Headshot drawings of Mothman making different expressions. Silly and bored are seen in full. Serious is mostly visible, while amazed, concerned, and a third emotion are mostly cut off.
March 31, 2025 at 4:19 AM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
Big fan of these two as well lol, same little buddy, same 😭
Two more Mothman drawings, one labeled tired and the other labeled shocked/surprised. Both are comically exaggerated
January 28, 2025 at 5:31 AM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
The character designs in my upcoming cryptid webcomic are very simplistic, so I wanted to test how expressive they can get - it’s been lots of fun!!

Here are some I’ve done of Mothman (aka Moth) so far <33

#webcomic #mothman #cryptids #cryptidart #wip
A collection of small Mothman drawings from the waist up. Each one is in a box labeled with the emotion he is expressing - angry, confused, curious, thinking, amazed, and concerned. Half of the pleased and annoyed squares can be seen cut off the left side. The Procreate interface is seen around the edges of the screenshot
January 28, 2025 at 5:31 AM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
I only ship within the US - if you’re outside the US you can get the digital version as long as it’s the only thing you’re buying!!

www.rachelhendel.com/product/trop...
An interior page with a black and white illustration of a wooden sign that contains the title text, Gnome Sweet Gnome A full color digital illustration of two characters cuddling in bed. Both have pointy ears. One is asleep and the other blushes and smiles shyly. An interior page with a black and white illustration showing the exterior of a mansion as people approach, title text says Just For Tonight A full color digital illustration of two characters in Victorian clothing dancing in a crowded ballroom. One is a feminine woman in a red dress, the other is a masculine woman in a black suit. They’re smiling at each other.
January 24, 2025 at 10:36 AM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
Good news!! Anyone from anywhere can now buy and download a digital copy of my queer illustrated short story book, “Tropes: A Queer Romance Zine” 🌈📚✨

It’s got two #WLW stories, one #NBLM story, and 30 spot illustrations + 3 full color pieces!! 🎨 #booksky #queerbooks

(link in replies)
The cover of Tropes, it features six characters with a rainbow behind them. Speech bubbles say “first kiss, enemies to lovers, only one bed”. The table of contents from Tropes, it shows each story as if it were a listing on AO3. The stories are Sierra (WLW, rated G), Just For Tonight (WLW, rated T), and Gnome Sweet Gnome (NBLM, rated T). A rainbow runs across the top of the page. The first page of Sierra, the first short story in Tropes. It features a black and white illustration at the top of a dryad kneeling by a stream. The drawing wraps around the title text. A full color digital illustration of two feminine characters kissing in a forest. One is a dryad, she has pointy ears and is made of pale wood. The other is a human.
January 24, 2025 at 10:36 AM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
Decorated him for a holiday market I did, too lol
Close up of the Mothman standee, there is a necklace made of tiny string lights wrapped around his neck.
January 23, 2025 at 12:54 AM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
Thinking very lovingly about the Mothman standee I made for markets <33 He is my fav little guy
Photo of part of my market table setup. It shows my Cryptid Card trading decks, next to which is a small Mothman cutout. He is waving.
January 23, 2025 at 12:52 AM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
Interior illustrations are so much fun, I’d love to do some professionally!!
A black and white drawing of three pointy eared characters looking at a map. A small wingless dragon sits on one characters shoulder. A black and white drawing of a female gnome holding a bouquet of flowers. She is labeled “flower gnome”. A black and white drawing of a wooden sign that reads “Gnome Sweet Gnome”.
January 20, 2025 at 11:50 AM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
For my undergrad thesis, I wrote and illustrated three short stories centered around queer romance!! This book celebrates my favorite fanfiction tropes and was a joy to work on 📚✨🌈

#writersky #booksky #lgbtq #artistforhire

www.rachelhendel.com/product/trop...
The cover of Tropes: A Queer Romance Zine. It features six characters in a circle with a rainbow behind them. The phrases “first kiss”, “enemies to lovers”, and “only one bed” are written in speech bubbles. A photo of a page inside Tropes, it shows the beginning of the story Sierra and features a black and white illustration of a dryad by a stream. A photo of pages inside Tropes, it shows text interspersed with two black and white illustrations. One is of a group of gnomes with one standing out, he is labeled “mayor”. The other is of two wooden lanterns glowing in the dark. A photo of pages inside Tropes, it shows text on one page and a full color illustration on the other of two figures cuddling in bed.
January 20, 2025 at 11:47 AM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
Happy #portfolioday!! I’m Rachel, a queer illustrator open to commissions + contract work, esp for #middlegrade or #youngadult projects. LGBTQ, disability, & fantasy themes are my fav. I’d love to bring your characters to life!!

🎨: rachelhendel.com
✉️: [email protected]
#artistforhire #kidlit
A collage of 4 drawings and the creator’s profile picture. Text in the center says “Rachel Hendel”, text at the bottom says “rachelhendel.com | rachelehendel@gmail.com”
January 14, 2025 at 9:51 AM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
From my starry storybook sapphic era ✨👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩 #art #wlw #queer
A black and white pen and ink style digital drawing. Two feminine figures stand facing each other. The figure on the left is human, she wears a flower crown and a flowing dress. Her right hand is lifted up to touch the other figure’s left hand. An expression of wonder and awe is on her face. The figure on the right has a humanoid female body but a star for a head. She wears an off the shoulder dress with a thigh slit. Her right arm is around the other figure’s waist while her left hand gently cradles the human’s hand. Her fingers are pointed like claws. Both wear bangle like bracelets. The background is black with two small stars in the upper right corner. Small text at the top reads “I met a captivating creature the other day”.
January 8, 2025 at 8:12 PM
cyraofthesea.bsky.social
The most popular item I have are my Cryptid Cards!! 18 art based trading cards ft silly cryptids - this set is N. American themed but I’d love to expand to other continents in future sets as my comic goes along 👣🌎💌

rachelhendel.com/store

#artshop #mothman #bigfoot #webcomic #cryptidworldtour
Cards from the Cryptid Card deck lay across a wooden table. A full set in its package is propped up next to the two sticker options, one of Mothman and one of Bigfoot. Text at the top reads “Full Set, + free sticker”. Text at the top reads “Blind Bag!”. At the bottom it says “3 cards”. A blind bag Cryptid Card package sits on a wooden table, below it are three sample cards - Mothman, Dover Demon, and Igopogo. There is string and small star beads laying around the cards as decoration.
January 8, 2025 at 8:04 PM