banner image - a sketch of the artist at work, titled René van Heerden

Storyboarding

Hepatitis C Virus storyboard

Treatment Action Group

2025

I illustrated a 16-page story for a UNITAID and University of Liverpool project, following a South Africans experience with Hepatitis C. I researched and synthesized data, developed a relatable South African character, and wove in harm reduction facts and HCV information. I designed the characters, developed the visuals, and shaped the story while working closely with the client to craft a narrative that was accurate, human-centered, and engaging for everyone involved.

Bus from Hell

Chokis

2025

Storyboards about how life is a little better with Chokis in hand. I took written briefs and reference images and turned them into characters and a storyboard, setting the scene for a filmed advert and shaping the story before it hit production.

Dutch Lady Advert

M&C Saatchi Africa

2017

I turned written briefs into characters and storyboards for a series of milk adverts, designing diverse, relatable people across different ages and backgrounds. The storyboards celebrated small daily moments with milk, showing its benefits for growing strong bones.

Illustration

SnackBox

QWRK

2025

Designed bold, silly characters and a fun visual style for Snack Box’s online presence, using thick black marker lines, vector graphics, web-ready animations, and an illustrated how-to guide — giving the brand a distinctive, playful vibe.

Hadeda

QWRK

2025

Worked with a startup to explore the look and feel of their website and app, collaborating with developers to test designs while creating character and mascot concepts, a color palette, logo variations, and splash screens for login and sign-up.

ZOIC

QWRK

2018

Worked with developers on a pet-tracking app, creating vector illustrations for app mockups, splash and login screens, web assets, and ads. I brought relatable animals and characters to life, highlighting the bond between humans and pets and engaging users with playful, empathetic visuals.

Animation

Educational

Character Art

T-Shirt Designs

Contact