Piper the boy

A cunning young pirate with a flair for the arcane, this boy commands the seas not with cannons, but with the haunting melody of his enchanted flute. His loyal familiars—ferocious sea rats—respond instantly to his call, swarming any marked enemy with unrelenting ferocity. He keeps his swarm hidden in a weathered barrel, repurposed as a mobile rat cage, always ready to unleash chaos. Once he sets his sights, escape is impossible—the rats never stop.

This character—a pirate boy who controls sea rats with a magic flute—was developed through extensive visual exploration and narrative-driven design. I focused on creating an iconic silhouette and personality by exploring diverse shapes, props, and companion creature designs that support his identity.

To prepare for 3D collaboration, I created a detailed turnaround sheet and clean line drawings, learning how to communicate character intent clearly across disciplines. Supporting illustrations and background elements were also refined to highlight his world and reinforce his narrative role. Through this project, I learned how deep exploration and storytelling can lead to a compelling, production-ready character design.