Jumpsuit Art the art of Deon de Lange

My Comic Art Process

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 15:24:00 +0000

I've been so busy with freelance work for the last couple of months, that I haven't even been able to get around to doing any of my own personal art for some time. So this weekend I just had to get back to drawing my own characters for a change. It's actually quite amazing how re-energizing it is to draw freely, without any expectations looming over your head.

Not surprising, I turned my attention back to an old project of mine, and to one of my favorite old characters, Mellee.

I figured I'd share my own Deon de Lange comic illustration process here for you guys who are interested.

Feel free to share your views and comments as I go along...

Okay, this is all done digitally with my trusty large Wacom tablet that hardly fits on my desk. Blue pencils are just a personal choice that makes the inking easier later on. My initial focus was just Mellee, and those of you who have noticed her floating around my portfolio, may see that I've updated her outfit a little bit. I always try and tell a story in images like this, and the best way I find to do that is to add another characters for the the main character to react to.

Foreground done, so I add a background that says something about the setting and adds to the story.

The blue lines make the inking, which is done on a separate layer, easy to differentiate from the pencils. Even here in the inking stage, I don't mind making adjustments to the image after some comments from my friends over at www.conceptart.org.

And the inking is done for now. I have pushed the background characters back by lightening the inks so that the main characters pop. Next time... colours.

Free Steampunk Mask

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:37:00 +0000

My good old friend, Sub-Toymaster, had the most awesome 30th birthday party this weekend at Unit 11.

A couple of us artists were there, drawing away as the Masked Mystery party went on around us.

Of course I went and made life hard for myself and decided to turn my skateboard (or in this case a piece of board cut to the shape of a skateboard) into a comic page. I ran out of time, so I only ended up doing two out of four planned panels, but I think it turned out ok.

Live performance art is not really my thing, but I had a blast! Thanks to Paul, Unit 11 and all the other artists who were there, even though I didn't get to chat much it was fun and everyone's boards looked awesome!

I decided to go with my Victorian obsession and make myself a comic style steampunk mask - and here it is for you enjoyment - just click on the image above, download it, print it out, stick it on some cardboard and suit-up Victorian style!

Happy birthday, Sub!

Live Art at the Unit 11 Mystery Masked Party

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:42:00 +0000

If you guys are in Durban on Saturday 16th, come join me and some friends at Unit 11 for a chillaxed evening where everything from the live art, the bands and even the guests in attendance is a mystery!
I will be there with some mates doing some live illustration, so come support us, cheer us on or boo us if we suck!
For more details, go here!

The Lane and Russell website is up

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 19:00:00 +0000

The official movie website for The Everyday Adventures of Lane and Russell is now live.

My good friend Paul Oxborrow did the graphic design and Jarred Lunt did the website.

This is really exciting because I have been biting my lip to be able to show you guys more awesome images from this production by director Jason Stogsdill. And now I can!

The posters are so awesome, and they show off the great lengths that Jason has gone to to ensure a very high standard of excellence for this film. I want a T-shirt!

Go over to www.laneandrussell.com and check out some cool download-able posters and backgrounds. You can also go over to their Facebook page or follow on Twitter for updates and cool behind the scenes looks.

Hopefully I can share some of the storyboards I did for this film soon, but in the meantime you can view some of the concept art that I did in my gallery.

Sketchbook Doodles

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 10:46:00 +0000

And...go! This is me, just starting a new sketchbook. A real one. A new sketchbook all about comic art.

So this is the first page. I've been talking to a writer about doing a comic about a little girl, so naturally, as I started doodling with that blue pencil, a girl appeared on the page. In this case a girl that is way too old for this project, but that's ok, I'll get around to drawing younger kids later. It's surprisingly difficult to draw kids when you're not used to it. One thing is true for me, though... I don't draw pretty girls. It's not that I can't, it's just .. every single girl or chick in a comic book seems to be the hottest supermodel chick you're ever seen. Which is nice and all, but I guess I'm more of a Katsuhiro Otomo kind of guy: I draw the girl next door, not super models.

Skateboard Statue Commission

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:40:00 +0000

My latest sculpt was commissioned by a colleague: A skateboarder in mid action. This figure is scaled at 1:8 and the full statue stands about 30cm tall.

Flash Gordon Comiquette

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 20:28:00 +0000

These are some progress shots of a 1:5 scale statue I am working on at the moment.
The sculpture is largely based on Flash Gordon as envisioned by Al Williamson for the comics of the 60's and 70's.
I was actually doing the sculpt for a competition on conceptart.org, but because of other pressing responsibilities I could not enter. I will, however still be completing the work and I will keep posting updates here.

Environment Design for a Television Ad

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 07:54:00 +0000

Here's an environment design that I did for the new Telkom Emoticon ad that's running on television now.
The concept was art directed by the client, and the designs for the cars were supplied to me.
The flowers drove me crazy, but it was a fun job to do!

Please help support Nando's World on IndieGoGo!

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 07:53:00 +0000

Hi all

I’m, writing to let you know about the 'Nando's World' funding project on IndieGoGo.

Nando's World (the Italian adventure game I've been working on) has a funding project up and running on IndieGoGo.com and needs your help and support.

Please check it out and give your support in whatever way you can, whether it be with a couple of bob, or just a link, or even just a visit to the site now and then to check on our progress!

Go here to see how you can support Nando's World

Take a moment to check it out on IndieGoGo and share it with your friends. You can fund creative projects and get VIP perks. You can get insider updates and even request the project have an event in your area too. If enough of us get behind it, we can make 'Nando's World' happen.

Cheers!

Storyboards on the Lane and Russell exterior shoot

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 18:58:00 +0000

Director Jason Stogsdill has shared some awesome behind the scenes shots from his short film "Lane and Russell" on his Lane and Russell Facebook Album.
I was really excited to see them using my storyboards on location in America. In the pic above one of the storyboard packs is visible on the ground by the monitor.
So now it seems I am Deon de Lange, storyboard artist. Storyboarding is an art that I am very keen on exploring in more depth and I hope to to find many more opportunities to do this type of work.

Working from afar on these boards has been surprisingly effortless as far as communication goes, and I think a lot of that had to do with the director's clear vision, passion and the ability to communicate his ideas to me clearly and easily. Jason send me so many reference photos and videos that it made me feel as though I was on set in America.

See what Jason had to say about my storyboards here.

It is an amazing experience to be a part of this film and I continue to be blown away by how lucky I am to be involved in a production with such high standards.

These behind the scenes photos are by Brice Burton Imaging.

A Quick Sculpture

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:27:00 +0000

Here's a quick creature sculpt that I just did. The idea being that I wanted to do a large, simple sculpt that I could use to learn how to cast on. This one is about 22cm tall. We call him Bob.
Check out my gallery for a full turnaround of him.

More Nando's World Characters Revealed

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 23:05:00 +0000

Hi all.
NHIM games has just revealed the characters from the first level of their game "Nando's World".
And that is exciting news for me, because I get to show them to you here.
I have been involved with the Italian game company for some months now, designing the characters for the game, and I am absolutely falling in love with the world that has been created by Alberto and Eleonora.
The concept art has been handed over to the 3D artists now and I cant wait to see how it all turns out.
Spittgard the little robot is definitely my favorite.
Also be sure to check out my gallery for more images from Nando's World.

Lunchtime Dinosaur Sketching

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 10:39:00 +0000

Some lunchtime sketching and doodling. I've been drawing a lot of beasties lately, and this fantasy dinosaur concept is actually part of some preparation work for a sculpture I want to do.

Cartoon Rooster Sketches

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 13:06:00 +0000

I have been so busy of late, unfortunately all most of the projects are confidential at this time, so I though I'd share something I started working on a few months back.
Some really rough initial concept doodles for a canceled project.
In this case, a very cartoony character project.
I must say, I always worry when I send out very sketchy ideas like this to a client.
Usually my work looks like the dog's breakfast before I narrow it down, choose a design and tighten up the linework!
So, yes, this would be an example of said "dog's breakfast"!

Storyboarding

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:31:00 +0000

Over the last couple of weeks I've been spending large amounts of my weekend time doing the storyboards for the short film, Lane and Russell. I must say, that I have found story-boarding to be really hard, but rewarding work. More than anything, because of the pace of the work, I think it's actually giving me valuable practice for doing comic book work, which I hope to get back to again soon.

Game Environment Design

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 08:18:00 +0000

Development on Nando's World seems to be coming along nicely. The developer, NHIM Games, has announced that they should have a demo available by mid December 2010, and that is very exciting for me. In the meantime I will continue to design various characters for Nando's World over the next couple of weeks. I can now show you guys the environment designs that I did for Nando's World.

Read more about Nando's World on NHIM Game's development diaries.

"In a world where nature has been rebuilt by man, the last non‐cybernetic animals are confined in the Zoo‐Museums, forests and electronic trees occupy entire gray areas of the country, even the oldness has become something forgotten; become old itself and then disappeared."

Game Character Design

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:16:00 +0000

A couple of months ago, I started doing concept art for a new independent Italian game company, NHIM Games.
This project, called "Nando's World", is their first project, and it has been an absolute pleasure working with them.
Other that this design for the game's main character, I have also done some environment designs for the game, which I hope to share with you soon.
Over the next couple of months I will continue to develop characters with NHIM Games, and that is something I am very excited about and very much looking forward to.

Sculpture Update

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:53:00 +0000

Okay - at last my sculpture is ready for painting. It's been a long slog. I think I started in March, but there have been some delays.
I'm very happy with how it's turning out, and I can't wait to get going on another statue so that I can use all the cool tricks I learned from my mistakes on this one.

Mini Carol

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 09:33:00 +0000

After watching Where the Wild Things Are, I just had to make a little Carol mini sculpture for my wife.
I loved the book as a child, and I was amazed to find the movie evoking the same feelings that I had about the book as a youngster. It was a strange, dark book, actually. The characters where love-able and scary at the same time. They were unpredictable, like they could turn on you and eat you any time.
If I have it right, Where the Wild Things Are was the book that set a new format for children's picture books and as an illustrator it will always be a book that I hold in the highest regard.
That being said, I really should get a copy...

New Concept Art

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:27:00 +0000

Recently I have had the pleasure of being involved with an American short film called "Lane and Russell".
I have been working with director James Stogsdill on concept art for his comedy short.
Check out the Lane and Russell production blog at www.laneandrussell.com

Back to Sculpting

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:49:00 +0000

At last, I'm getting a chance to resume work on my sculpture.
While I was holidaying earlier in the year and after that doing freelance work, my sculpture was sitting on the shelf, drying out.
Luckily, with some useful advice from fellow sculptors on conceptart.org, I managed to save it, and work is continuing...
Check the progress here...

Jumpsuit Art has a new home

noreply@blogger.com (Jumpsuit Art) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:41:00 +0000

Jumpsuit Art has a new home at a new hosting service provider at last, and a new blog to boot!
I will try and update the blog with older posts from my old blog as I get time, as well as regular updates on my work.

thanks for checking in
deon