01 / Design
Keep the feeling in the face.
Use the front, profile, and rear studies to compare the eyes, soft muzzle, long neck, and body proportions.
Cinderbox original
LOST NESSIE
A lonely Loch Ness monster leaves the only home she has ever known to search the world for her own kind. Along the way children learn aboout geography, that travel if the anidobt for ignorance, and the need for connection,
Standing portrait · Character study 01 / 10 · Select to enlarge
Project notes
A search for belonging, beyond the loch.
Where the legend paints a lurking mystery, this story begins with someone lonely. Forced from the only home she has ever known, Nessie follows any sign of her own kind. Rooted in Scottish heritage, the project explores isolation, courage, and connection through a stop-motion sensibility.
On the workbench
CharacterA gentle nature and the courage to leave home.
Visual languageSilhouette, expression, and the relationship between character and scale.
PerformancePosture, timing, and movement that communicate loneliness and curiosity.
Toolkit / Agile production
Learn the tool by making the thing.
Every Cinderbox world starts with a tool Ty doesn't know yet. The story sets the problem, the software becomes the lesson, and every sprint gets shared, wins and misses alike. Agile fundamentals, a commitment to craft, and kaizen. To paraphrase Paula Scher: the way to make good work is to make a lot of bad work. One day, better. Today, practice.
The challenge
Model a lovable, printable children's 3D Toy character modeled and rendered in Cinema 4D, using Grey Scled Gorilla textures, tools Ty had never used.
Built with
Now exploring
Inside the shop / Cinderbox
From a silhouette to a swimming character.
A look at the decisions behind Nessie: how the form reads, where movement begins, and how a quiet character can express curiosity.
Featured bench study / 01
Keep the personality above the surface.
This swimming mockup puts the whole character in context. The eyes stay above the waterline while the neck, flippers, and tail describe the pose below.
Readability
The long neck and wide eyes carry the expression. The waterline offers a useful check: how much of Nessie needs to be visible for the feeling to read?
Form and movement
The flipper roots, curved neck, and tapered tail suggest different areas of movement. The mockup makes those relationships visible before a motion test.
Next test
Explore a slow glide, a cautious look above the surface, and a turn. Watch the silhouette and eye line through each pose.
02 / Build
Resolve the form.
Study the neck-to-body transition, flipper attachments, and tail taper as reference for sculpting and articulation choices.
03 / Perform
Let a small gesture tell the story.
Next studies: a hesitant surface look and a relaxed glide. Compare what changes in the neck, gaze, and body angle.
Character studies / Lost Nessie
A character from every angle.
Standing and swimming forms. Explore the silhouette, posture, and clay-like surface. Select any study to enlarge.
