Revealing the Alien Blueprints of Roberto Digiglio’s Terragaster Lithovore


Article by Aimee Gilmore
In his latest work, Terragaster Lithovore, Roberto Digiglio unveils a compelling alien lifeform designed with a rare fusion of scientific realism and artistic depth. This massive extraterrestrial organism, adapted for life under extreme planetary gravity, reflects Roberto's deep understanding of form, function, and speculative evolution.
Reference: Terragaster Lithovore
Roberto Digiglio's Terragaster Lithovore illustrates his deep understanding of how form and function must harmonize under such extreme conditions. He creates a monumental creature built to endure the intense gravity of its world, to blend scientific realism with artistic vision. Designed to thrive where movement is energy-intensive, the organism remains motionless for hours, firmly anchored to the ground. Retractable, caustic proboscises beneath its forelimbs slowly dissolve the dense soil, enabling it to extract vital nutrients without the need to roam. These liquefied nutrients are absorbed by specialized trophoabsorptive appendages and converted into a low-density internal gas that fills dorsal sacs. These sacs reduce the creature's effective weight and serve as a unique respiratory system, cycling and filtering air internally in the absence of lungs. Its skin is covered with Tegulaminae folds, which help regulate internal pressure and temperature.

Reference: Terragaster Lithovore
Roberto Digiglio uses an advanced digital workflow to bring his alien creations to life. For the creature Terragaster Lithovore, he began by sculpting intricate organic forms such as proboscises, trophic appendages, and adipose textures in ZBrush, applying fine anatomical details with custom brushes designed for alien anatomy. He then textured the model in Substance 3D Painter, crafting materials that mimic geological buildup, translucent soft tissues, and hardened skin surfaces. Blender was used to build the final scene, manage lighting, and render the creature within a believable high-gravity environment.

Reference: Terragaster Lithovore
The real significance of Terragaster Lithovore is in how it functions as an entire ecosystem within one organism. Roberto Digiglio's design stands out by being rooted in believable evolutionary biology, with features like its breathing cycle and mineral digestion method contributing to a story of survival and change. Through a mix of scientific insight and creative focus, he encourages us to consider not just the appearance of alien life, but how it might actually exist.
Check out other intriguing works created by Roberto Digiglio:
Reference: Golden Demon Artwork
Reference: The Scavenger Artwork
Follow Roberto Digiglio on ArtStation, LinkedIn and Instagram to see more of his incredible work.