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After reading an ARC of Nikkita Bell’s debut, The Bombshell Devil’s Advocate, I challenged myself to model and animate the main character’s familiar and have it interact with real-world objects.
Year
2025
Client
Nikkita Bell
Animation
Storyboard
Based on the familiar in the book, the original idea was to transform the scorpion, Nero, into an earring as a reference to his abilities. The research was equally interesting due to the structure of his body, legs, and stinger, which consists of different bones and armor.
Assets and Programs
Learning how to use Blender and Adobe Substance Painter, it takes me roughly three months to learn how to accurately position Nero’s legs and arms, to make it not move in a cartoonish way, and to paint on a reflective shine using the darkest material available. Out of the entire experience, the trial-and-error phase has been my favorite part, creating enough fun moments to share with the author.
Credits and Mentionables
Book - Author (and Illustrator): The Bombshell Devil’s Advocate - Nikkita Bell
Character: Nero the Scorpion Familiar
Program: Blender, Adobe After Effects