Catburglar
Client: Hornet
Role: Character Designer
About the project
In 2026, I had the honor and privilege to work with Hornet on a really fun 3D character. The brief: A Catburglar is taunting a mobility-challenged cat by displaying his own cat-like agility and playfulness (not to mention cheeky-ness).
Special thanks to Art Director Justin Burks for bringing me onto the project and for a wonderful collaboration!
Phase 1: Roughs
We started with really rough sketches to explore how the character’s look could highlight his personality. How suave or goofy should he be? Does he need to have both? We also wanted to stay away from any look that was too malicious; striking the balance between cheeky and plain mean was crucial.
Once we started to narrow down our options for the face, we wanted to explore the character’s personality in his posing. We used this opportunity to play with some more cat-like poses.
Phase 2: The Pitch
We presented the rough options to the client, who narrowed it down to two options (shown above, below). They wanted to see if we could combine the two designs into one unified character design—bringing what they loved about both designs into the final.
Phase 3: Further Exploration
We began exploring how these two designs could be merged in a way that was harmonious and full of the cheeky personality the client wanted.
Phase 4: Refine the Design
Once we started to find a design that was hitting all of the characteristics and personality the client was looking for, we began to work on the finer points of the design—and how it would be modeled in 3D.
Facial hair, costume pieces, and materials all needed to be defined so the 3D artists could build the character.
