Dean Wilson
@playtonicdean.bsky.social
Art director and 10 year veteran at Playtonic. Previously 10 years at Rare. Passion for graphics and fine art. Not bad cook, I met Arnie once….
Found a couple of old Kameo 2 concepts/level models I did back in 2007, found in an old box, nicely printed onto A4 before the internet existed, probably.
November 21, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Found a couple of old Kameo 2 concepts/level models I did back in 2007, found in an old box, nicely printed onto A4 before the internet existed, probably.
Here’s the file stats. If I’d have done this in 2 hours that would have been 17 brush strokes per second. I’d have some serious RSI by now…
October 3, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Here’s the file stats. If I’d have done this in 2 hours that would have been 17 brush strokes per second. I’d have some serious RSI by now…
Tiny correction 😬🫶
October 3, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Tiny correction 😬🫶
As it’s #sonicthehedgehog ‘s birthday today, seems like a good time to shamelessly plug a little oil painting I did recently. Who needs AI when you’ve got oil, pigments and canvases ;)
June 23, 2025 at 7:17 PM
As it’s #sonicthehedgehog ‘s birthday today, seems like a good time to shamelessly plug a little oil painting I did recently. Who needs AI when you’ve got oil, pigments and canvases ;)
Here’s the rough 3D model of the Tribalstack diorama I created to help with the composition. Working 3D into 2D art can help with some of the heavy lifting :)
November 23, 2024 at 6:36 PM
Here’s the rough 3D model of the Tribalstack diorama I created to help with the composition. Working 3D into 2D art can help with some of the heavy lifting :)
Here was the first palette test. Yooka and Laylee’s pose was originally doing to be a little different
November 23, 2024 at 9:43 AM
Here was the first palette test. Yooka and Laylee’s pose was originally doing to be a little different
Here’s my first sketch of what became the final key art. Dr Quack was going to be in there originally, looking menacing until we decided to go chips-in on Cap B looking REALLY menacing…
November 22, 2024 at 11:59 PM
Here’s my first sketch of what became the final key art. Dr Quack was going to be in there originally, looking menacing until we decided to go chips-in on Cap B looking REALLY menacing…
Could have been folks…. Could have been 🥺
November 22, 2024 at 11:52 PM
Could have been folks…. Could have been 🥺
With the (going to be…) amazing #yookareplaylee on the horizon, here’s a peak at how the spangly new key art came about. As with everything in #gamedev, things go through process, with only the final iterations being what the players usually see. Anyway, here’s a few early sketch ideas…
November 22, 2024 at 11:50 PM
With the (going to be…) amazing #yookareplaylee on the horizon, here’s a peak at how the spangly new key art came about. As with everything in #gamedev, things go through process, with only the final iterations being what the players usually see. Anyway, here’s a few early sketch ideas…
Happy Friday folks. Sooth your eyes from the Vendi hoodie debacle with a couple of not-seen-before early concepts of impossible lair’s overworld :)
November 22, 2024 at 6:54 PM
Happy Friday folks. Sooth your eyes from the Vendi hoodie debacle with a couple of not-seen-before early concepts of impossible lair’s overworld :)
Hi followers new and nearly new 🙋🏻♂️. Here’s a few more super early #impossiblelair test art scenes from a couple of years before we finished it :). A lot of love goes into the journey in our games 💚💜
November 11, 2024 at 8:42 PM
Hi followers new and nearly new 🙋🏻♂️. Here’s a few more super early #impossiblelair test art scenes from a couple of years before we finished it :). A lot of love goes into the journey in our games 💚💜
Oh, here’s all the skybox textures for #impossiblelair. These were fun to do
November 10, 2024 at 8:15 PM
Oh, here’s all the skybox textures for #impossiblelair. These were fun to do
Here’s some more advanced art tests from about 2 years before the game launched, fleshing out the aesthetics of the #impossiblelair ‘s factory and town levels…
November 10, 2024 at 8:01 PM
Here’s some more advanced art tests from about 2 years before the game launched, fleshing out the aesthetics of the #impossiblelair ‘s factory and town levels…
Here’s some MEGA early art tests of impossible lair. This was before we even had a proper 2d setup implemented. Some of the DNA of these art assets made it into parts of the final game. I think I’d been on a Dr Seuss binge around that time :)
November 10, 2024 at 7:14 PM
Here’s some MEGA early art tests of impossible lair. This was before we even had a proper 2d setup implemented. Some of the DNA of these art assets made it into parts of the final game. I think I’d been on a Dr Seuss binge around that time :)
Very rough doodle of the games town levels
November 10, 2024 at 7:08 PM
Very rough doodle of the games town levels
Some very early and largely unused concepts for #impossiblelair the ship was part of my early explorations into a revisit of Galleon Galaxy and the junk/pirate aesthetic. The flower became the games bounce pad prop.
November 10, 2024 at 7:05 PM
Some very early and largely unused concepts for #impossiblelair the ship was part of my early explorations into a revisit of Galleon Galaxy and the junk/pirate aesthetic. The flower became the games bounce pad prop.
I’ll start with a mockup I did of the Xbox #impossiblelair box art…. Before it was even called that 🐝
November 10, 2024 at 7:00 PM
I’ll start with a mockup I did of the Xbox #impossiblelair box art…. Before it was even called that 🐝
For anyone interested in painting and fine art, I dabble in a bit of oil painting from time to time. Here’s a shameless plug of my insta page. I’m currently trying to paint my #sonic #lego. Turns out Lego is hard to draw :)
www.instagram.com/deanwilsonar...
www.instagram.com/deanwilsonar...
November 7, 2024 at 8:30 PM
For anyone interested in painting and fine art, I dabble in a bit of oil painting from time to time. Here’s a shameless plug of my insta page. I’m currently trying to paint my #sonic #lego. Turns out Lego is hard to draw :)
www.instagram.com/deanwilsonar...
www.instagram.com/deanwilsonar...
More unseen bits from the history of #yookalaylee. Unused concept art from the #impossiblelair. Originally we toyed with the idea of 2d versions of the original levels. I was keen to explore more of Galleon Galaxy’s junk aesthetic by having a rusty junk planet. Maybe in future ;)
November 5, 2024 at 7:24 PM
More unseen bits from the history of #yookalaylee. Unused concept art from the #impossiblelair. Originally we toyed with the idea of 2d versions of the original levels. I was keen to explore more of Galleon Galaxy’s junk aesthetic by having a rusty junk planet. Maybe in future ;)
Going back even further - here’s the only WIPS I can find of the original YL key art. Originally we had Puzz as the Mumbo stand-in in the bottom left, before we changed her to Trowzer, nyer…
November 4, 2024 at 7:33 PM
Going back even further - here’s the only WIPS I can find of the original YL key art. Originally we had Puzz as the Mumbo stand-in in the bottom left, before we changed her to Trowzer, nyer…
More lost stuff from the archives of #yookalaylee. Here’s the key art from Impossible Lair and how it started out. Trust the process 💚💜
November 4, 2024 at 6:31 PM
More lost stuff from the archives of #yookalaylee. Here’s the key art from Impossible Lair and how it started out. Trust the process 💚💜
And this one. Worth noting this wasn’t a Playtonic project, but a personal one ;)
November 3, 2024 at 8:02 PM
And this one. Worth noting this wasn’t a Playtonic project, but a personal one ;)
Few more from what would have been the ‘Cyberden’
November 3, 2024 at 8:01 PM
Few more from what would have been the ‘Cyberden’
Little surprise here but felt like posting - back in 2020 I caught up with Steve Ellis and David Doak whome I’d worked with in the past.Before Free Rad was reformed they asked me to knock up some pre-vis for the sadly cancelled Timesplitters 4. Thought I’d share these before they’re lost to time x
November 3, 2024 at 8:01 PM
Little surprise here but felt like posting - back in 2020 I caught up with Steve Ellis and David Doak whome I’d worked with in the past.Before Free Rad was reformed they asked me to knock up some pre-vis for the sadly cancelled Timesplitters 4. Thought I’d share these before they’re lost to time x