Gus
This project involved designing and animating a collection of GIF stickers centered around this character I illustrated named Gus. The objective was to create eight distinct emotions and reactions that users could easily recognize and share in everyday conversations. Each animation was designed to communicate a specific feeling while incorporating a playful sense of humor that gave the character its own personality. Through expressive motion, exaggerated poses, and simple visual storytelling, the sticker pack transformed a minimal character design into a versatile set of reactions suitable for messaging platforms and social communication.
Process
To bring Gus to life, the character was rigged and animated using the RubberHose plugin in After Effects, allowing for full control over each limb and movement. This rigging system made it possible to create smooth, flexible animations while exaggerating poses and expressions to enhance the character’s personality and comedic appeal. Animation was driven through carefully placed keyframes and refined using the speed graph, creating natural acceleration, deceleration, and fluid motion throughout each sequence.
Impact
The project proved successful by achieving strong engagement across multiple messaging platforms. The sticker pack received a high number of downloads and was frequently shared through iMessage and other applications that support GIFs.