Case study — 18
Vandy the Pink
GoreBurger character design
A half-burger, half-skeleton character for Vandy the Pink, taken from sketch to animation to 3D.
- Role
- Designer & illustrator
- Tools
- Procreate, Illustrator, Blender
- Services
- Music & culture, 3D & motion
The brief
Vandy the Pink's GoreBurger Special needed a character. I sketched a burger that splits into a skeleton, explored expressions and variations, built out the layers, animated it, and finished with a 3D render.
What I made
The whole character, from first sketch to final render:
- Rough sketches in red line, working out how a burger splits down the middle into a skeleton
- A sheet of line-art variations testing faces, eyes and how much skeleton shows
- A color series that goes from a normal burger to half bone
- An exploded view of every layer: bun, lettuce, cheese, patty, bottom bun and feet
- Title lettering for "Vandy the Pink's GoreBurger Special" with a drippy GoreBurger wordmark
- An animated build and a 3D render with floating burgers and the character front and center
Design decisions
The idea had to be cute and gross at the same time. A plain burger with a face is just a mascot. A burger that's half skull is a joke you get instantly. Keeping it split down the middle means both sides read at once, even tiny.
The color is simple on purpose: warm bun browns, green lettuce, yellow cheese and bone white, all on a hard red background. Thick, even outlines keep it clear on a phone screen or a sticker.
Building it in layers is what made the animated build possible: every part is separate, so the burger can stack itself piece by piece.
What it shows
Character design that goes from flat to motion to 3D in one run. That's the mix I bring to 3D and motion work and to artist and culture projects that need a character people remember.
Related reading
Philadelphia / Worldwide
Have a project in mind?
Tell me what you are making. I reply to every inquiry myself.