Julian de Rooij 2024 Art Collection

During my exchange at DIGITAL ART ENTERTAINMENT (DAE) at Howest in Belgium, I immersed myself in five enriching courses: Sculpting, Game Asset Production, Stylized Design, and Character Design. Over the course of half a year, I developed my skills and created a variety of projects, all with the invaluable support of my teachers and friends. I’m excited to showcase the work I completed during this time and share the journey of my artistic growth.

In the Game Asset Production course, I focused on creating assets aimed at achieving triple-A quality. With guidance from Alexander Dellegrange, I honed my skills in texturing and asset creation. Throughout the course, I developed various assets, including a wrench, a few tools, and a dirt bike, and learned advanced rendering techniques to showcase my work.

In the Character Design course, I delved into concept art, focusing on creating characters with compelling stories and high-quality drawings. I worked on several projects, including a Dune-inspired character riding a beast to rival the iconic worms and a vampire revenant with a Viking twist set in an icy landscape. Additionally, I developed various other character concepts, exploring different approaches to monster creation.

In the Environments course, I focused on creating a single, highly detailed environment, honing it to a playable state. Inspired by Mad Max and Trigun Stampede, I developed a rusty sand landscape filled with petrified statues. To bring life to the project, I used photo scanning of family members and friends, and utilized trim sheets and textured assets, completing the environment in Unreal Engine.

In the Stylized Design course, I focused on creating imaginative and fun stylized assets and concept art. I combined sculpting and painting techniques to develop unique pieces. This course allowed me to push my creativity and experiment with different styles.

In the Stylized Design course, I focused on creating imaginative and fun stylized assets and concept art. I combined sculpting and painting techniques to develop unique pieces. This course allowed me to push my creativity and experiment with different styles.

Method of Loki is a third-person puzzle platformer where you play as a boy confronting his past in a dreamscape-like land. Navigate through a series of intricate puzzles and platforming challenges as you unravel the story.   https://buas.itch.io/method-of-loci#:~:text=Method%20of%20Loci%20is%20a,the%20story%20behind%20your%20surroundings.

As an environment artist and the lead artist for both environments and characters, I guided a team of 20 talented individuals in the creation of Method of Loki. My responsibilities included supporting the team, figuring out workflows and pipelines, and ensuring cohesive and high-quality environments. I also created significant portions of the environment and took part in set dressing multiple levels. Using Unreal Engine, we brought the dreamscape world to life, blending intricate design with compelling storytelling.

War Music is a project created to spread awareness about the ongoing wars around the world and to highlight the unifying power of music. To symbolize this message, I created a high-quality gramophone as the centerpiece, set against a backdrop of a destroyed house. The scene also features bombers and other elements to emphasize the impact of war. This project aims to raise awareness and funds for Ukraine, using art to convey powerful messages.

Jinx Zapper is a project inspired by the distinctive art style of the animated series Arcane. For this project, I aimed to replicate the architectural elements of Arcane within a singular prop or asset. The process began with thorough research into the show's unique style.

I started by modeling a base structure, which I then sculpted to add intricate details. To achieve the hand-painted look characteristic of Arcane, I used Substance Painter to create a base material. From there, I hand-painted the textures, ensuring each stroke captured the essence of the Arcane aesthetic.

Before diving into the main project, I conducted several painting tests to familiarize myself with the workflow and perfect the painting technique. These tests were crucial in refining my approach and ensuring consistency across the project.

Applying the same meticulous steps throughout, I brought the prop to life with vibrant, detailed textures. The final render showcases my dedication to replicating the iconic style of Arcane, blending sculpting, texturing, and hand-painting techniques to create a visually compelling piece.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about my journey and projects in this Rookies contest entry. I hope you enjoyed exploring my work as much as I enjoyed creating it. Your support and feedback mean a lot to me. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. Thank you again!