A 3D Character Animation Study
As part of a semester class in 3D design using Blender, I created a short animation based on an original character concept. The goal was to build a fun, expressive piece that strengthened my skills in 3D modeling, rigging, animation, and visual storytelling.
Key Learnings
- Character design fundamentals
- Rigging and preparing models for animation
- 3D modeling and motion principles
- Lighting and scene setup
- Video editing and final rendering
From inspiration to final animation
Inspiration Board
I began by creating an inspiration board to define the overall direction and attitude of the character. I explored different illustration and animation styles, pulled out what resonated with me, and translated those elements into my own design language.
Creating the Character
Once I had a clear vision, I sketched the character in Procreate and Illustrator to establish the base shapes and proportions. I kept the sketches loose, knowing I wanted to refine the design directly in Blender.
Building the Character in 3D
I imported the sketch into Blender and continued shaping the character, making design adjustments as I modeled. For example, I realised the head felt too small, so I made it larger and more square to fit the character's personality better. After finalizing the model, I rigged the character and began exploring potential movements and animation ideas based on its form and attitude.
Building the Scene & Animating
With the character complete, I moved on to building the environment. I didn’t start with a predefined narrative — instead, I let the animation evolve organically. I experimented, designed multiple small scenes, and allowed the character’s personality to guide the motion.
The dancing furr
The final animation blends clean and furry textures, moving from letters to when the character breaks into dance with the music. I wanted everything to feel like part of the same universe. I especially love how the character moves, and I also brought in the sensory hub from another project — which is always fun to revisit and remix.
The goal was simple: have fun and expand my 3D modeling and animation skills, which I definitely did.
