The Strange Case...

I've been very conscious of how 'digital' everything seems to be lately. That's not necessarily a bad thing but where I can I'm definitely looking to bring more traditional elements back into what I make.

These are a couple of portraits I finished up over the last couple of weeks, based on the titular characters from Robert Lewis Stevenson's 'The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'. 

Although the frame is entirely digital, there's much more of the original drawings present in the portraits that I would have normally.

Technique aside, I tried to use elements of Victorian London such as the buildings and bridges to mimic the ornate design of typical portraits of the era. Just something to add a little narrative to what otherwise would have been very straightforward portraits.

Looking to bring in some watercolour or gouache into the next one, fingers crossed!

Book Project tease

Alongside having lots of fun making terrible art with alien traditional mediums (I'm looking at you watercolour....) I'm currently working on a few book and cover projects (hurray!), and have been given permission to share a couple of the chapter images created for one of them.

Evil seagulls are sadly not the subject of the book....

Pictured: A book

The book is titled Mike Wright - The Fabric of Time and is scheduled for publication early next year!
I'm doing the cover as well as the chapter illustrations so really looking forward to seeing/sharing the final product.

Cheers!

www.danlambertart.com

Razorblades + Handgrenades

Late last year I was approached to produce a series of illustrations for an upcoming album from rapper 'Lockstarr' entitled 'Razorblades and Hand grenades'. Album cover, social media banners and promotional illustrations were all needed, and needed in a more linework focused 'comic' style.

I have learned to respect the line, for she is a fickle mistress, and will punish you at any given opportunity. I've also developed an even greater respect for people who work primarily with ink and line, the Bernie Wrightson's of this world are nothing short of sorcerers!

Here's the highlights of the project..

Back Cover/Interior

Final cover illustration linework

The actual final version of the cover features razor blades floating in the champagne glasses as well as the grenade, but I felt like it worked better without so that's the version I'll be showing off (Sorry Dion!).

Final artwork

Promotional image

Social media banner

As you can see, she (Lockstarr) had some pretty specific ideas about the kind of imagery she wanted but luckily was also very willing to work with me and I think we ended up with some pretty interesting images.

Below are a few sketches that didn't make the cut but I enjoyed none-the-less! This is probably one of the only projects I've worked on where I was really excited about all the sketches done

Hi, I'm a rap stereotype...

Bombs...

This was my favourite sketch for the cover, but oh well, maybe next album?

Mixtape is available to buy/download/hear here.

www.danlambertart.com

In a galaxy noir noir away...

Bad pun yes I know.

Been a bit scarce around here recently, thankfully it's because I've been pretty busy with work. I'm hoping to be able to share some of it soon but in the meantime here's a little personal project from between the client stuff.

Trip-tic of Film Noir inspired portraits.

The anti-hero, ladies man, and wise cracking badass investigator. The seductive and destructive 'femme fatale', and the mysterious and devious villain known only as 'The Count'.

It's always fun to do something for yourself, hoping to get some more personal work done soon.


www.danlambertart.com

New work and some sketches

A big scary(ish..) mummy done (just about) for halloween, trying to get a more cohesive book cover portfolio together.

Also a few sketches including an experiment with a very big forest shape, an unsuccessful experiment I might add.

Got some interesting things I should be able to show soon, including some comic style pieces.

As always, www.danlambertart.com

Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.

Okay, so nothing is borrowed, but I've got the rest covered!

First up, an old (few months) image inspired by a night out with good friends and good music.

Also a satyr, in a forest, not looking at too much.....this image isn't finished and probably never will be, it began as a sketch and evolved into an experiment with background and values. I've got a few more like this, various attempts to use more silhouette and less colour. They're fun but pretty terrible compositionally.

Last but not least this image (which I pretentiously titled Blue Africa) was also an experiment of sorts, while painting one of the afore mentioned experimental images I found myself playing around with a monotone palette and decided to challenge myself to create an image using one colour. It's pretty crazy just how much variation you can get with such a restricted palette and just how important colour relationships are.

On a side note, I bought some gouache...you've been warned!

www.danlambertart.com

Special Agent Bob

Finished up the agent character for the Rednecks vs Aliens personal project. Unfortunately most details about him are classified so I can't tell you much, but he does like NASCAR.

Just a quick process for the character, starting out with a pretty terrible digital sketch!

Live long and prosper

www.danlambertart.com

Just in case you're not sick of them yet

Few more bits from the Get Ahead of the Games campaign, these were done for the website.

The van base was modelled in-house at Picasso Pictures, and the gymnasts penciled by Damian Johnson.

www.danlambertart.com

Olympic Poster Process

Over the last few weeks I've received some really lovely emails expressing how much people have enjoyed the GetAheadoftheGames transport posters for the Olympic Games (Go team GB!). I've had conversations about specific characters, peoples favourite poster, hidden meanings, and even the Illuminati, but what I've been asked about most is process.

So here goes..

Initially we'd be given a brief description and/or a basic sketch (think stick man) of what was needed for the poster. From there we'd have a limited amount of time to get a first pass or rough sketch drawn up for approval. This was usually done traditionally (with good old fashioned pencil and paper!), however for whatever reason this one ended up being sketched digitally.

If everyone is happy, then we'd be asked to do a final drawing and layout the poster ready for painting.

After making any changes (I was asked to change the sign she was holding to a no entry sign on this particular poster) we'd do a flat colour block in for one last approval before the painting begins. (I seem to have misplaced this particular step sorry!)

Then after many hours of painting and some more back and forth, we reach the final painting. At this stage the painting is passed onto M&C Saatchi and final tweaks will be made before it's laid out with everything (type etc.) and sent to print!

Taken from www.getaheadofthegames.com

Aaaaand done! Here's one of the final posters featuring the artwork.

The basic process

There were a dozen artists working on the campaign, with each poster being a collaborative effort. Often with several artists working on the same poster at various stages throughout the process. Each finished poster represents a huge team effort, and I was privileged to part of it.

Click here to download a large selection of the finished printed posters. 

Shout outs to the team!

M&C Saatchi, London, by copywriter Joe Miller, art director Tristan Cornelius and illustrated by twelve designers under the supervision of Sam Lanyon Jones and Andy Cope at Tokyo Plastic, produced by the lovely folks at Picasso Pictures. credits via the inspiration room.

www.getaheadofthegames.com

www.danlambertart.com

Move it football head

Just for fun

www.danlambertart.com

Olympic trickles

I hope everyone has been enjoying the Games, seems like as good a time as any to share a few more bits from the Get Ahead of the Games campaign. All the posters are now out and about so I should be able to share some of the full poster work very soon.

Here's a few character sketches and some heads, drawn for the 'Avoid the Ques' poster here.

Along with Henry (the guy with the newspaper) who I was lucky enough to be asked to paint up as well as redesign.

Stay tuned for more, go Team GB!!

www.danlambertart.com

Available for work

Miscellaneous ensemble

A random collection of random images from in-between jobs and travelling. Mostly working towards the concept art.org Team Challenge

As always - www.danlambertart.com

Top 10 Olympic ads

Big art post coming soon, lots of fun things in the works, in the meantime the Olympic Get Ahead of the Games campaign I was lucky enough to be a part of has been voted one of the top 10 for 2012! Congrats to everyone involved!

http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/news/1142400/gallery/11982/page/2/#11982

Be sure to keep an eye out for all 36 posters if you're in and around London, and enjoy the games!!

www.danlambertart.com
Available for work

Posters for all!

A whole load of the finished posters for the GAOTG (Get ahead of the Games) London 2012 Olympic campaign I had the pleasure of working on have been made available to view or download online.

http://www.getaheadofthegames.com/news/874.html

There's still a lot more to come from me and the campaign so keep your eyes peeled.

www.danlambertart.com

London 2012 Olympics - Get Ahead of the Games

For the last 9 months or so I've been fortunate enough to be working as senior designer on the GetAheadoftheGames campaign for the London 2012 Olympic Games. The campaign aims to raise awareness and provide solutions to the inevitable transport issues caused by hosting such a huge event! As well as the character and spot illustrations for the website, the project features a daunting 36 illustrated posters. Over the coming weeks I'll be sharing my work on the project as well as promoting and sharing the work of the enormously talented people I was privileged enough to collaborate with throughout the process.

For starters here's a few character concepts I did for one of the posters, and one of the characters painted for the website.

There's a great page about the process involved in creating the posters here.

Stay tuned for more soon. In the meantime check your magazines, newspapers, busstops, and billboards for posters from the campaign!

www.danlambertart.com
www.getaheadofthegames.com

Steve sketch v.2!!

I had a little free time in-between client assignments so decided to revisit an old character from the uni days. Sketch in Photoshop, few hours work the other afternoon, ladies...meet Steve....

www.danlambertart.com

Not dead

Finally found some time to do a bit of personal work, and finished off this sketch I started out over a month ago.
More to come...at some point..... when this huge project is over with.

www.danlambertart.com

Marvel-ous parodies

Some really well done Wolverine covers from Marvel, each in a different art style. From Classical Japanese to Modern pop art they have all the bases covered, the Dali'esq one is my personal favourite.

http://marvel.com/images/gallery/story/7254/images_from_wolverine_art_appreciation_month#top

Apologies for the lack of updates of late, I'm a little snowed under with client work. I'll get something new up as and when it happens.

www.danlambertart.com

Caricature insight

Incredibly informative insight into caricature, and also into people and the nature of celebrity. Some fantastic drawing as well of course.

It's been a little while since I updated, I've been pretty busy with client work the last few weeks so I thought I'd pop in with an interesting little TED talk on 'doodling'. Check it out if you have a minute to spare!

As always, www.danlambertart.com