About the artist

My name is Riku Similä, almost everyone calls me Rik, and on online platforms I go by the name Kellerica (my pronouns are he/him. I was born in Finland in the 90’s, but these days you’ll find me on the hills of southern Scotland.

It’s certainly no understatement to say that the passion for fantasy cartography has completely shaped my life into what it is today! The desire to create my own maps for my stories was the spark that inspired me to teach myself digital art, and to seriously pursue illustration and design first as a hobby and later as a career path.

As a cherry on top, I also met my partner on a Discord server for map enthusiasts, and I ended up relocating to Scotland as a result of that relationship at the start of 2021. We’re currently engaged with plans to get married in 2026, and our family also includes a Springer Spaniel pup named Merlin.

I create maps and other artworks with several years of experience, and my work can be found on the pages of fantasy novels, at roleplaying game tables as well as promotional posters for gaming events and museum exhibits.

All of my illustrations are bespoke creations drawn digitally freehand – AI is not used for any part of the process! The main tools of my trade are a Xencelabs 24” graphics display tablet, Clip Studio Paint, Photoshop and Affinity Designer.