DEADFLEASH CULT - It is armor, It gives them life, it gives them a face.

DEADFLEASH CULT - It is armor, It gives them life, it gives them a face.


This is a concept idea and exercise I made for myself based on a few areas I have wanted to work on over the past 12 months. Linework, keeping my clean lines with the pencil crisp and no compromise and time not taken to be happy, but happy with the speed and process I have made to suit me. It was mainly critiquing myself with the skills I had obtained and trusting my judgment. After studying Animation, Illustration, Design, Concept designs, Character and Background design and some storyboarding. These are the things I am most passionate about. I love concept and design. All of it. Pre-production is my jams, I dig it. I get excited. So...
This was for, four years you have many concepts and ideas busting in your skull but cultivating and brewing just enough. The members of  the DEADFLEASH CULT  live wrapped in flesh and it breaths around them it resembles tentacles with a fire like ripple. It is armor, It gives them life, it gives them a face.

Here is a poster I put together all five members.
(left to right, top to bottom)

Malice the Executioner
Arrow of Abboherence
The Ninja of Vehemence
Shinobi Assassin

The Puppet Sorcerer
(in background)

I rough out the pencil work and pose 3-4 time before I am 100% happy with :

1) The pose - A pose must tell a story, I love a good story. Mystery. Even in my sweetest of drawings
2) Overall clothing - What are they wearing? How and where will items sit?
3) Extra details of items - This is deciding the final destination of where a lot of things will sit
4) Clean up - It is challenging, but once in the right mind set its fun.

I do all these steps together to keep my energy up, with this last three.

Get a rough skin tone down. Then work on the texture to give it a skin, comic book easy colour.

Erase all that you don't need and add some more pigments. 

I like to then duplicate the layers and adjust the huyes so they all come out the same colour. Then like with the skin I erase what I don't need. Adding the orbs (single layer to get the light source in place.

Adjust colours using RGB colours to suit.

I started on Shinobi Assassin to get the overall feel. 

Posed in action below:

Thank you for checking out my art. I like to keep my journal of how I progress and am also writing these notes for myself. I am not the master. I am forever the student. Always learning. Always sharing.

Mr Leon Taylor

The Ninja of Vehemence- THE DEADFLEASHCULT - Textured speed paint.

I really wanted to make a super group of characters with the idea behind it taking Japanese style prints of actors. My love for things that tend to rot and a new way of attacking the digital painting side of things. I use a technique I adopted from learning 3D animation and "texturing" my concept. This makes the skin appear more legitimate and overall. More rotten. Here is my second character The Ninja of Vehemence.

THE NINJA OF VEHEMENCE

The Puppet Sorcerer - THE DEADFLESH CULT - Speed paint

I really wanted to make a super group of characters with the idea behind it taking Japanese style prints of actors. My love for things that tend to rot and a new way of attacking the digital painting side of things. I use a technique I adopted from learning 3D animation and "texturing" my concept. This makes the skin appear more legitimate and overall. More rotten. Here is my first character and mastermind of attack THE PUPPET SORCERER.

1) Main texture 

2) Decide on a colour palate 

3) Basic colour added texture and minor light source / shadow

4) Match colours to suit using hue and saturation

5) Work on minor details

6) Add more shadows and detail to add depth.

7) Slight adjustments with the colour / hue.

3 versions of the same piece. In card, Facebook quality and instagram quality.

Demonic Zombie back breaker - Scariest pose

I am a massive Horror fan. But in learning animation there is not to many jobs in the macabre. So for the past few years I have focused on drama, thriller and children shows. Currently working with one of my favourite New Zealand death/ thrash metal bands

Horror is actual one of the hardiest genres to do, but I was unaware of this.

I wanted to do a very difficult demonic , spider walk style pose. Something I had not drawn before.

I wanted to do a quick(ish) study ( 7 hours ). This was something I had wanted to draw for about three months. Final I had problem solved it my head. I love Jacen Burrows and his work. His line style and characters are just rad and very scary.

Here is the end result.