Fares Zoghlami, known by his artist name Approtis, is a self-taught illustrator and comic artist who has been creating art since he was a child. As the son of an architect, he learned about perspective and shading at a young age, and always had a pen in his hand whether it was traditional or digital.

Fares was first introduced to Dungeons and Dragons when he began creating character art commissions for clients online. Although he’s tried to start some games with friends, they inevitably fall apart, so he sticks to creating artwork inspired by the fantasy world.

He found inspiration in the work of artists such as Mike Mignola and Jean Giraud (better known as Moebius), and now looks up to comic artist Simone D’Armini. As a self-taught artist, Fares struggled to find his own style, but eventually developed a unique technique that he calls “confetti hatching” which adds texture and depth to his illustrations, and from there the quality and consistency has overall improved with time.

Fares has worked on a variety of projects, including comics and novel illustrations. He’s featured in the Monster Mashup Anthology, a successful Kickstarter project, and has done commissions through Reddit and Instagram. He recently opened an Etsy shop, which gives him a storefront from which to sell his digital work, and his very few physical products.

Currently, Fares is working on a fantasy card game and short comic book based on an adventuring blacksmith. He’s also planning to release a print set inspired by far off fantasy worlds.

When Fares isn’t busy creating art for his clients, he has a day job where he works in marketing, covering everything from copywriting to character designs, as well as spending time with his girlfriend who supports his career and makes sure he gets enough downtime and drinks enough coffee. Fares dreams of one day pitching a story to his favorite comic publisher, Dark Horse.

You can find Fares‘ artwork on his Instagram, or visit his Etsy shop to purchase prints and commissions.