From Sketch to Soul

When Style, Motion, and Flexibility Collide

What happens when a static brief meets an agile creative pipeline?

This project challenged us to reinterpret static design into dynamic expression, working from minimal input to deliver a flexible, animated 2.5D asset suite. With layered tools and a modular approach, we turned a lone concept into a set of expressive, moving visuals—ready to captivate in the fast-evolving world of NFTs.

Structure

Start with the soul. Build the skeleton. Move with purpose.
We used the client’s concept art as our creative anchor. From there:
•Modeled each character in Blender, preserving silhouette, proportion, and signature details
•Implemented full rigging to allow pose flexibility and rapid iteration
•Kept the pipeline modular to reduce rework and accelerate feedback loops
 
The result: a fast, fluid production rhythm with total creative alignment.

Style

Hand-crafted style meets smart tech.
Every character was presented in three expressive poses, selected collaboratively throughout production. Thanks to early rigging, we could tweak poses on demand without slowing down.
  • Texturing via Substance Painter (surface depth, stylized shading)
  • 2.5D shaders in Blender for visual impact
  • Grease Pencil lines for hand-drawn personality
  • Subtle turnaround camera animations to add life without distraction

Scene

Backgrounds that support the art, not steal the spotlight.
We created layered environments in Photoshop, then animated them in After Effects with parallax to evoke depth. This added visual richness while keeping characters front and center. Every layer was designed to be adaptable across multiple formats.

Peeling Back the Process

A single sketch became a scalable, animated character system—ready for the NFT frontier.

Thanks to smart rigging, stylized motion, and a flexible creative process, we brought static design into motion with clarity, soul, and style.

2.5D

character

animation

3D Artist
+
Animator
+
Post FX.
2
weeks
Assemble Your Squad
Blender
Substance Painter
After
Photoshop

Start in days — not weeks

Skip the long onboarding. We jump in fast so your project gets moving right away.

Integrated AI speeds up creative and dev pipelines

We use the right AI tools at the right moments to deliver sharper, faster results.

Modular, on-demand teams — scale as needed

From one designer to a full squad — we adapt to your needs, no overhead.

Contact

Book a 30-minute call.

No pressure, no sales pitch. Just a real conversation about your goals and how we might help.

  • info@onionsquad.studio
  • California, US
© 2025 OnionSquad. All ideas, visuals, and code are ours—unless we built them for you.