I explored multiple methods of presenting natural scenes with subtle motion graphics. Each scene was used as a study for different styles and techniques.
My Otter Half
This was a personal project I took on after seeing sea otters in Monterey Bay. I began with a sketch and then moved to Illustrator. Once I had a clean Illustration, I moved to After Effects to create a subtle animation of them floating in the ocean. I was looking for a style reminiscent of cut paper. I then also created a static design.
Initial Sketch
Static Illustration
Koi Pond
This project was an After Effects exploration of alternative animation methods using simple built-in effects and features such as repeater, text animator, follow-paths, and wiggle expressions.
I started with having the fish, which were constructed with text (.) repeating with offsets, following paths. I then filled the scene with various foliage and used wiggle expressions on their positions and rotations to achieve the effect of floating pond lilies. Finally, I used text effects with repeaters to create ripples in the water.
Everglades
This was a personal project. I animated an illustration from a US National Parks calendar of the Everglades. I recreated the design in Illustrator and then brought it into After Effects to finalize the animation. Creating the crane character presented a unique challenge due to its shape.
Natural Disasters
The focus of this project was to animate various natural disasters. On my end, I was interested in creating animations that contrasted sharply with each other while remaining cohesive. I also wanted to focus on sound design.
I began by drawing inspiration from other artists, modifying their designs to be used in motion graphics, or from images that caught my eye. All designs were recreated in Illustrator in a way that I could then import layers into After Effects to animate.
Dribbble: Hom Ho
https://dribbble.com/homho
I enjoyed the strong energy that this piece conveyed from istock.
I enjoyed the overall look of this scene from Shutterstock. However, I chose to omit the car and rescuers in my piece.
This photograph stood out to me, particularly for its color tone. The sense of cold is was I liked most about it.