Whale Song
A dreamy, hand-drawn dive into the deep.
Whale Song started as a spontaneous sketch, a mystical narwhal caught mid-dive. We loved the looseness and energy in the original ink drawing and set out to keep that same spirit alive in motion.
The narwhal is modelled, rigged, and animated in 3D, with hand-painted textures to preserve the feel of traditional media. Splashes and bubbles were added in 2D, animated frame by frame to echo the spontaneity of ink on paper. To tie everything together, we overlaid a soft paper texture, grounding the scene in its sketchbook origins.
The look of the shot was carefully developed to retain the 2D qualities of the original illustration, full of fluidity and expressive marks that feel alive, not polished.
The audio, designed by Will Curry, adds a playful atmosphere to the piece. A whale calls out to the sea, accompanied by a whimsical melody, while a ticking sound in the background mimics the rhythm of flipping pages. You can almost feel the texture of a flip-book in motion.
Designed in Photoshop
2D Animation in After Effects
Hand painted textures in Photoshop
Rigged, modelled and animated in C4D
Audio by Will Curry
We see Whale Song as a quiet celebration of a beautiful creature. The narwhal, often called the unicorn of the sea, is found in Arctic waters and can dive as deep as 1,500 meters. But their world is changing. Climate change, noise pollution, and increased shipping traffic are threatening their fragile habitat.
This piece invites you to pause, listen, and appreciate the magic of the ocean’s more mysterious residents.
