This piece started as a very simple, hand-drawn abstract bird created with markers. The shape is intentionally geometric—reduced down to sharp angles and flat planes, with just a few line details to suggest form and texture. There was no complexity in the design. That was the point.
What made this piece interesting came later, when I turned that static shape into a short motion experiment you can view on Pinterest. By separating the illustration into layers in Adobe Illustrator and bringing it into After Effects, I was able to explore how minimal forms can suggest movement.
The goal wasn’t realism. It was suggestion.
- A slight shift in angle.
- A subtle rotation.
- A repeated motion pattern.
Suddenly, the rigid shape becomes a fluttering bird.
This kind of motion relies less on detail and more on timing and structure. Because the design is so stripped down, even the smallest movement becomes noticeable. It forces the animation to carry the weight instead of the illustration. The process itself was straightforward:
- Create a flat, abstract design in Adobe Illustrator
- Break the artwork into separate layers
- Import into After Effects
- Animate simple, repeated motion to imply flight
Even though the final piece is intentionally rudimentary, it opened the door to a much larger idea—using abstract shapes to explore motion, rhythm, and transformation.
This is the kind of work that tends to evolve quickly. One small experiment turns into ten variations, then into a series. Different shapes, different movements, different levels of complexity layered on top of the same core concept. Consider this the first flutter of many.