Character Animation

Personal Project - Case Study

Overview

After finishing a character animation course, I wanted to challenge myself by designing and animating my own original character from scratch. The goal was to create a character with strong personality, clear shape language, and proportions that would work well for animation.

Goal

My main focus was to improve my character design process and learn how to prepare a character properly for rigging and animation inside After Effects.

Process

I started by designing the character in Illustrator, focusing on readable shapes and simple forms that could move naturally. After that, I built the rig in After Effects using the RubberHose system.

Challenges

The hardest part was preparing the character for rigging. At first, my layers were not organized correctly, and the character moved more like a “confused robot” than a real animation. I struggled with separating body parts, fixing pivot points, and building the structure in a clean way.

Solution

Through trial and error, I learned how to properly organize the character layers, set correct anchor points, and build the rig so the movement felt smoother and more natural.

Outcome

This project helped me apply what I learned from the course and gave me a stronger understanding of how character design and rigging work together. It also improved my ability to create more polished character motion with better control and timing.

Tools Used

After Effects / Illustrator