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Terryl Whitlatch

Creature Artist

Terryl Whitlatch is widely recognized as one of the leading creature designers and animal anatomists in the world today. Over a career spanning more than thirty years, she has contributed to iconic films such as Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: The Special Edition, Jumanji 1 & 2, Men in Black, Brother Bear, Dragonheart, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Curious George, The Polar Express, The Princess of Mars, Zafari, and Beowulf.


Her clients include prestigious studios and companies such as Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm, Pixar, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Paramount Pictures, EA, Blizzard, and Simon & Schuster, as well as numerous zoos and natural history museums. Terryl is also the author of The Wildlife of Star Wars and The Katurran Odyssey, the first volume in her forthcoming Katurran Trilogy.


In addition to her creative work, Terryl teaches creature design at universities, lectures internationally, and contributes to various book and film projects, inspiring artists through her expertise in anatomy, imagination, and storytelling.

  • "Terryl's abilty to carry over realistic characteristics and personality in her creation of fantastic creatures has led top directors like George Lucas to seek her out. Her process leads to original and convincing creatures and her tutorials will be an invaluable resource."

    - Jay Hawkins
    Lead Concept Artist Epic Games

  • Terryl's abilty to carry over realistic characteristics and personality in her creation of fantastic creatures has led top directors like George Lucas to seek her out. Her process leads to original and convincing creatures, and her tutorials will be an invaluable resource.

    - James Hawkins
    Principal Artist at Epic Games