Note: This article was originally published in Spanish HERE.
Few things fulfill me more than channeling deep emotion through the characters I create. This particular one had been lingering in my mind for some time, waiting patiently until I could finally dedicate the attention it deserved.
One of the key tools I use to evoke feeling is contrast. I’ve always believed that the most compelling ideas are born from unexpected associations. In this case, I envisioned a Latin American princess—with frizzy hair, brown skin, and proud features. But I wanted more. I wanted her to be a knight—yes, in the tradition of Quixote, that iconic European figure embedded in the collective imagination.
And that’s where the magic happened.
When we think of knights, we almost always picture men—or, in rare cases, women portrayed through a Eurocentric lens. Think of Joan of Arc: the image that typically comes to mind is that of a white woman with straight, reddish hair. Animated cinema in particular lacks Latin American representation in these archetypal, symbolic roles.
And while I know this character isn’t “historically accurate,” that’s the power of artistic freedom: we dream not just of what was, but of what could be.
What began as a casual exercise quickly evolved into a full-blown passion project—one that led me through the entire production pipeline: character design, modeling, grooming, texturing, rigging, animation, and rendering. It’s always exciting to see what I’m capable of now, especially when I reflect on my journey—one that started at the age of 13, when I first fell in love with animation.
The Creative Process
The concept began with rough sketches—simple gestures that captured emotional weight and movement. As an animator, I can’t help but think in keyframes. It's in the expression, the nuance of a glance or posture, where true emotion lives.
For modeling, I worked entirely in Maya, using a combination of booleans, manual and automatic retopology. The character came together quickly, and for the armor, I leaned on Quad Draw to ensure clean topology that matched the silhouette I had envisioned.
Textures were created using Mudbox, blending procedural elements with hand-painted layers. When it comes to fine detail, I prefer complete creative control, and Mudbox allowed me to craft every nuance with precision.
Hair and cloth simulation came with a unique challenge: replicating the texture of Latinx hair, which demands higher point density and more complex calculations. I used XGen and nCloth to bring both the hair and fabric to life. The rendering time may have made my computer sweat, but the final result was well worth it.
Rigging was accomplished using a mix of multiple skinning systems and deformers available in the latest versions of Maya—tools that gave me just the flexibility I needed to breathe life into every pose and gesture.
And finally, the name—"Mojarra"—is a bit of playful serendipity. As John Lennon might have called it, it’s a “Ringism”—a name that stuck, playful and rhythmic. It comes from a typical dish from Colombia’s Caribbean coast (my country), and while it may refer to a fish, it had a charm I couldn't resist.
And that’s it!
Two weeks, one artist, and a whole lot of passion.
I hope you enjoy “Mojarra” as much as I enjoyed bringing her to life.
Note: This article was originally published in Spanish HERE.
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