Came across this beautiful short animation called “Tezcatlipoca”. The animation is the amazing work of Robin George and tells the mythical story of the Aztec god, Tezcatlipoca, who decends from heaven to earth as his nagual, his animal counterpart, the jaguar.

The 3 minute animation is a graduating project from Southern Adventist University’s School of Visual Art and Design. The project took Robin about a year and a half from initial concept to final render. The project was completed in Maya.

I think the character animation in this short is absolutely fantastic. Everything, in fact, is quite stunning, but the movement of the jaguar in particular is nothing short of amazing. Be sure to check out Robin George’s website to read more about Tezcatlipoca.

Tezcatlipoca

Render test showing walk cycles as well as a test for the final look of the project.

Animatic for the short.