Dane Zalsos
LIFE STUDIES
ILLUSTRATIONS
MOVEMENT
DIGITAL ILLUSTRATIONS
moments caught in time
watch (2022)
bullseye (2022)
COERTHAN TORMENT - (2024)
DRAGONSINGER (2024)
MAIN SCENARIO
PHYSICAL ILLUSTRATIONS
moments caught from time
MAZE - paper cutouts w/ gouache & ink, 2023
THEATRE OF THE MIND - gouache, 2024
greenhousing - gouache & ink, 2024
MOOD - graphite, 2025 (inspired by "Mood" - DPR IAN)
"QUIET DOWN" - gouache, 2025
OUTTA MY HEAD - gouache & ink framed by wood, 2024 (inspired by "The Wolf" - SIAMES)
OUTTA MY HEAD - left view
OUTTA MY HEAD - right view
SUMAYAW, SUMUNOD ("dance, follow") - gouache & ink bound by satin tape, 2025
binasuan panel (left)
tinikling panel (middle)
sayaw sa banko panel (right)
baybayin title & spanish colonial-era framework (front cover)
RUNNING 20K LEAGUES - gouache & ink bound with textured paper, 2025
RUNNING 20K LEAGUES - left view
RUNNING 20K LEAGUES - right view
RUNNING 20K LEAGUES - korean lyric from Hope World: "20k leagues under the sea" (back panel)
ANIMATIONS, ANIMATICS, & STORYBOARDS
Animations are listed in order from most to least recent.
"Can I make rent?
'Sure, and NOT MUCH ELSE!'"
"Argument" Thumbnails
"Truth" Thumbnails
Base Animation
Base Animation + Camera Test
Final Animation
Final Animation
"I'LL NEVER BE ENOUGH UNTIL IT'S TOO LATE'"
"Beatdown" Thumbnails, pt. 1
"Beatdown" Thumbnails, pt. 2
Roughs w/ Camera, pt. 1
Roughs w/ Camera, pt. 2
Final Animation
Final Animation
HOPE WORLD
An Animatic-Animation about my experience with a little phenomenon called "Synesthesia."
Hope World is paired with a physical art piece.
Search for "Running 20k Leagues" in the Illustrations Gallery.
Color & Motif Inspiration
HIGHLIGHTS
"Running 20k leagues under the sea"
Storyboards, pt. 1
Storyboards, pt. 2
Roughs, pt. 1
Roughs, pt. 2
Final Animation
"A Life that makes me anticipate living"
Storyboards
Final Animatic
HONOR & VALOR
A Concept Video about a Magical Half-Elf man and his two little siblings.
And also some Allies? ... Enemies?
(More about the Main 3 Characters here).
HIGHLIGHTS
Rotoscoped Strut Scene
Storyboards
Skeleton Test
Roughs, pt. 1
Roughs, pt. 2
Final Animation
"Dragoon Lookout"
Storyboards
Pose Reference
Rough Sketch (Still)
Roughs, pt. 2
Final Animation
THE ARSONIST
A lyric video with the Aesthetic of Setting Things on Fire.
That's it, that's the video.
thumbnails
"arsonist" concept
"arsonist" design
animation test #1
animation test #2
CHARACTER CONCEPTS
THE VALOR FAMILY
Initial Concepts
"Iris"
"Violet" (1)
"Violet" (2)
"Sibling Trio"
"Little Siblings"
Drafts & Designs
Iris - Draft 1
Lavender - Draft 1
Violet - Draft 1
Iris - Bust & Shoulder Sketches
Iris - Draft 2
Lavender - Experiment Sketch
Lavender - Draft 2
Animation Tests
RENN.AI.SSANCE (THE CHARACTER)
Concepts & Drafts
Concept 1
Concept 1.2
Concept 2
Concept 2.2
Concept 3
Concept 4
Extra Expression Doodle
Animation Test
"SASS"
Concepts & Drafts
Early Sketches (1)
Early Sketches (2)
Final Drafts (1)
Final Drafts (2)
SKETCHBOOK
Miscellaneous Work that never had the chance to be fully rendered.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
MEET THE ARTIST!
Dane Zalsos is an animator, storyboard artist, and writer based in the city of Glendale, California. Enamored by culture, and appreciative of history, she has lived life in music, fell in love with both animated and live-action films, and spent almost all her life with a pen or pencil in her hand.Commonly going by the nickname Renn, both as an online moniker and an artist name, Dane strives to tell the world how she sees it in her eyes. Driven by the constant fight to keep artistic passions alive, it is her mission to bring a heartfelt touch of her own to the screen. She does this best by pushing the limits of movement, showing that there is beauty found between staggering, overwhelming changes.Renn's specialties lie with the Japanese term sakuga, a word which translates to "animation," but has garnered attention in the Western animation scene as anime became popularized. It is most often used to refer to high-action, well-produced animated scenes that are directed with exact precision. With this in mind, some of her best work involve 2D effects, storyboard and animatic work, and exaggeration and visual clarity.Renn's mind is always working even when her hands aren't. In her free time, she can be found seeking inspiration through her favorite video games or analyzing her most beloved animated movies, anime shows, and TV series. If not studying digital media, Dane enjoys her downtime by rereading old favorite books, discovering new stories within the genre of fantasy/sci-fi, or exercising her own creative writing skills.
