I am Vira, an experienced Rive animator with a number of successful projects. In the last 5 years, I have specialised in creating and animating unique characters, props assets, and UI components for games, applications, NFT, and websites. I create animations of any complexity in Rive: from simple idle animations of icons and loaders to complex ones, including walking cycles and whole scene animation. In my work, I use the full range of features provided by Rive: bones, constraints, and state machine. Also, I can make the animations fully interactive by using Rive listeners. I adapt quickly to the client's style guide and meticulously follow all recommendations. To guarantee the leading of a viewer's attention to the relevant components on the screen, I use a variety of creative techniques and create any new essential graphic elements. I'm able to create a storyboard and then build animations that successfully communicate the storyline and emotions to the spectator. Usually, I start my work with a paper sketch, and once approved, I create a vector picture within the Sketch app. After that (if necessary), I create for my characters a set of facial expressions and body positions that helps a lot to animate them. The deliveries at this step will include original vector images (usually SVG) and, if necessary, any raster formats such as png or jpeg. Next, I import a vector image to the Rive app to animate it. The Rive app is something like SVG animation but more advanced and friendlier. It's easy to integrate Rive animations into Flutter mobile applications, iOS, Android, React Native, Web, React, Vue, and Angular. The Rive app native format is .riv, an animated vector image file, which can be integrated into the app or game using Rive's free runtimes. I can also export to animated gifs, .webM, .mov, .mp4, or other desired formats, so my animations can be used everywhere: websites, NFT, games, and apps. It is also possible to animate your existing vector artwork if you have it. In case you have a raster image, I also offer a service of manual vectorisation and animation. I create animations using raster graphics as well. I'm responsible for my work and try to achieve the best result. I follow modern design trends and also study the art of famous artists and animators from Disney and DreamWorks studios, draw sketches, and create watercolour and oil paintings.…

ViraPG

5.0 (2 reviews)

I am Vira, an experienced Rive animator with a number of successful projects. In the last 5 years, I have specialised in creating and animating unique characters, props assets, and UI components for games, applications, NFT, and websites. I create animations of any complexity in Rive: from simple idle animations of icons and loaders to complex ones, including walking cycles and whole scene animation. In my work, I use the full range of features provided by Rive: bones, constraints, and state machine. Also, I can make the animations fully interactive by using Rive listeners. I adapt quickly to the client's style guide and meticulously follow all recommendations. To guarantee the leading of a viewer's attention to the relevant components on the screen, I use a variety of creative techniques and create any new essential graphic elements. I'm able to create a storyboard and then build animations that successfully communicate the storyline and emotions to the spectator. Usually, I start my work with a paper sketch, and once approved, I create a vector picture within the Sketch app. After that (if necessary), I create for my characters a set of facial expressions and body positions that helps a lot to animate them. The deliveries at this step will include original vector images (usually SVG) and, if necessary, any raster formats such as png or jpeg. Next, I import a vector image to the Rive app to animate it. The Rive app is something like SVG animation but more advanced and friendlier. It's easy to integrate Rive animations into Flutter mobile applications, iOS, Android, React Native, Web, React, Vue, and Angular. The Rive app native format is .riv, an animated vector image file, which can be integrated into the app or game using Rive's free runtimes. I can also export to animated gifs, .webM, .mov, .mp4, or other desired formats, so my animations can be used everywhere: websites, NFT, games, and apps. It is also possible to animate your existing vector artwork if you have it. In case you have a raster image, I also offer a service of manual vectorisation and animation. I create animations using raster graphics as well. I'm responsible for my work and try to achieve the best result. I follow modern design trends and also study the art of famous artists and animators from Disney and DreamWorks studios, draw sketches, and create watercolour and oil paintings.…

Available to hire

I am Vira, an experienced Rive animator with a number of successful projects. In the last 5 years, I have specialised in creating and animating unique characters, props assets, and UI components for games, applications, NFT, and websites.

I create animations of any complexity in Rive: from simple idle animations of icons and loaders to complex ones, including walking cycles and whole scene animation.

In my work, I use the full range of features provided by Rive: bones, constraints, and state machine. Also, I can make the animations fully interactive by using Rive listeners.

I adapt quickly to the client’s style guide and meticulously follow all recommendations.

To guarantee the leading of a viewer’s attention to the relevant components on the screen, I use a variety of creative techniques and create any new essential graphic elements.

I’m able to create a storyboard and then build animations that successfully communicate the storyline and emotions to the spectator.

Usually, I start my work with a paper sketch, and once approved, I create a vector picture within the Sketch app.

After that (if necessary), I create for my characters a set of facial expressions and body positions that helps a lot to animate them.

The deliveries at this step will include original vector images (usually SVG) and, if necessary, any raster formats such as png or jpeg.

Next, I import a vector image to the Rive app to animate it.

The Rive app is something like SVG animation but more advanced and friendlier. It’s easy to integrate Rive animations into Flutter mobile applications, iOS, Android, React Native, Web, React, Vue, and Angular.

The Rive app native format is .riv, an animated vector image file, which can be integrated into the app or game using Rive’s free runtimes.

I can also export to animated gifs, .webM, .mov, .mp4, or other desired formats, so my animations can be used everywhere: websites, NFT, games, and apps.

It is also possible to animate your existing vector artwork if you have it.

In case you have a raster image, I also offer a service of manual vectorisation and animation.

I create animations using raster graphics as well.

I’m responsible for my work and try to achieve the best result.

I follow modern design trends and also study the art of famous artists and animators from Disney and DreamWorks studios, draw sketches, and create watercolour and oil paintings.

See more

Skills

2D
2D Animation
An
Animation
Ca
Cartoon
Ch
Character Design
Ga
Game Design
See more

Experience Level

2D Animation
Expert
Animation
Expert
Cartoon
Expert
Character Design
Expert
Game Design
Expert
Icon
Expert
Illustration
Expert
Logo
Expert
Motion Graphic
Expert

Language

English
Fluent
Spanish; Castilian
Fluent
Ukrainian
Fluent

Education

Character Design for Video Games at California Institute of the Arts
June 1, 2016 - February 1, 2017
In this course I explored concepts and approaches involved in creating successful character designs that can be applied to video games. After studying some foundational concepts for successful character design, I had master classes where I observed three professional character designers at work in the studio: Andy Ristaino (Adventure Time), Jacky Ke Jiang (Journey), and Robertryan Cory (SpongeBob SquarePants). Each designer took on two different design challenges on the fly and addressed the various issues in designing characters for games, such as movement, expression, and technical limitations. At the end of each master class, I had an opportunity to try out some of the concepts on characters of my own design. This fun and the engaging course was very useful for me as I'm interested in animation as well as games.
World Design for Video Games at California Institute of the Arts
March 5, 2017 - May 22, 2017
In this course, I explored game worlds in existing games and studied the art and influences that inform their themes and styles. Also, I investigated key components of environment and level design as well as strategies designers use to define gameplay or advance it. I looked at navigation and the elements that make your world as real (or unreal) as you want it to be. A weekly challenge prompted me to explore styles and inspirations for possible game worlds, and I learned effective ways to communicate my ideas from concepts to presentation-worthy proofs of concept.
Visual and Literary Culture in Nineteenth Century Japan at The University of Tokyo
June 4, 2016 - August 18, 2016
This engaging course assisted me in developing the ability to discern and comprehend the differences between traditional Japanese art forms. I gained a deeper understanding of Japanese self-perceptions and learned how Japan, as a nation state, rose to the forefront of "modernity" in the late nineteenth century.
What Is Contemporary Art? at The Museum of Modern Art
June 11, 2015 - July 20, 2015
In this course, I considered the question “What Is Contemporary Art?” through more than 70 works of art made between 1980 and the present, with a focus on art from the past decade. I herd directly from artists, architects, and designers from around the globe about their creative processes, materials, and inspiration.
In the Studio: Postwar Abstract Painting at The Museum of Modern Art
April 1, 2015 - May 30, 2015
This course gave me an in-depth, hands-on look at the materials, techniques, and thinking of seven New York School artists, including Willem de Kooning, Yayoi Kusama, Agnes Martin, Barnett Newman, Jackson Pollock, Ad Reinhardt, and Mark Rothko.
Modern Art & Ideas at The Museum of Modern Art
February 1, 2015 - March 22, 2015
From this course I discovered how to take inspiration from environment and learned to use everyday objects to challenge assumptions about what constitutes a work of art and how it should be made.
Master of Computer Science (MSCS), Applied Mathematics at National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute"
September 1, 1995 - June 1, 2001
Master of Computer Science honours degree

Qualifications

Character Design for Video Games (California Institute of the Arts)
June 4, 2017 - September 4, 2017
In this course I explored concepts and approaches involved in creating successful character designs that can be applied to video games. After studying some foundational concepts for successful character design, I had master classes where I observed three professional character designers at work in the studio: Andy Ristaino (Adventure Time), Jacky Ke Jiang (Journey), and Robertryan Cory (SpongeBob SquarePants). Each designer took on two different design challenges on the fly and addressed the various issues in designing characters for games, such as movement, expression, and technical limitations. At the end of each master class, I had an opportunity to try out some of the concepts on characters of my own design. This fun and the engaging course was very useful for me as I'm interested in animation as well as games.
World Design for Video Games (California Institute of the Arts)
March 5, 2017 - May 22, 2017
In this course, I explored game worlds in existing games and studied the art and influences that inform their themes and styles. Also, I investigated key components of environment and level design as well as strategies designers use to define gameplay or advance it. I looked at navigation and the elements that make your world as real (or unreal) as you want it to be. A weekly challenge prompted me to explore styles and inspirations for possible game worlds, and I learned effective ways to communicate my ideas from concepts to presentation-worthy proofs of concept.

Industry Experience

Gaming, Software & Internet
    uniE608 Cat Character 2D animation (Rive)
    The FeedTheFish game is designed in a fun cartoon style. So the gamers might escape their daily problems by immersing themselves in a bright and colourful fish realm. However, the game goal is also to provide the users with new information about the inhabitants of the undersea world, as well as to raise their consciousness of the environmental concerns caused by global ocean pollution. So, my task was to create a character that would be a personal assistant for FeedTheFish game users. Its purposes are to provide tips and advice, as well as to recognise and reward accomplishments. It also assigns tasks to the players. Furthermore, if the user makes a mistake, this companion gently warns him. That is why a nice, adorable, and trustworthy character was required. Also, this character is used as the "face" of the game: as the program icon, in the splash screen, and in promotional materials. Based on the task at hand, I opted to create a charming, colourful kitten with wide, trusting eyes and an irresistible smile. The animation of the Cat's movements is calm and graceful. The character literally squints with delight at the prospect of interacting with the gamer! Is it even possible not to love it? As usual, I started working on this character with a paper sketch. Once my drawing was approved, I created a vector image and all the necessary emotions and reactions for it within Sketch app. I've chosen the Rive app to animate Cat's movements and emotions, because I previously have had a lot of positive experience with this application, and I’m very fond of it. Rive's State Machine simplifies my collaboration with the software developers because there is no need for a complicated handoff, in addition, it perfectly defines the logic that drives the transitions. As I know from my work with Flutter development teams, the programers prefer to use animated vector image files in the native Rive app format, because of their easy integration into the app or game using Rive's free runtimes. 2DAnimation GameArt UIAnimation AnimatedCartoon Rive CharacterAnimation Sketch LogoAnimation CharacterDesign IconDesign VectorArt CartoonStyle MobileGame CartoonCharacter Animation Character Game Logo Icon…
    uniE608 Easter motivational animation (made with Rive)
    After I created a motivational St. Patrick's Day animation for a fitness app, my client decided that next month he wanted to reward his users with a new animation, this time an Easter one. The assignment was that an Easter bunny had to throw eggs into a basket depending on the number of miles the user walked. The Easter animation could not do without the obligatory festive attributes such as the Easter Bunny and the basket of brightly coloured eggs. After I created all the necessary vector images in the Sketch app, I moved to Rive to create animations. To make the throwing animation more interesting, I make the rabbit bounce as it throws. When the rabbit is not busy throwing eggs, Idle animation is triggered. At 100% of the user's progress, a cute chick flies out of the last egg, which is the finishing touch to the animation. The user progress animation is implemented using the State Machine, which consists of 11 branches and 56 states. MotionGraphics Health&Fitness MobileApp UIAnimation AnimatedCartoon VectorArt VectorGraphic 2DAnimation Sketch GameArt CharacterDesign CharacterAnimation CartoonStyle CartoonCharacter Animation Rive…
    uniE608 Emoji and UI components animations (created with Rive) for mobile game
    While working on this project, I created many animations with Rive for emoji, icons, emoji rains, and other UI element animations. All of them are used in the mobile app to draw users' attention to the UI elements. I show some of them here. Example 1: button color changing, caption blinking, animation of two emoji characters and two emoji rains. Example 2: emoji animation. Emoji images were provided by the client. emoji mobileapp rive 2DAnimation GameArt UIAnimation AnimatedCartoon CharacterAnimation Sketch LogoAnimation CharacterDesign IconDesign VectorArt CartoonStyle MobileGame CartoonCharacter Animation Character Game Logo Icon…
    uniE608 Rive animation of children's books with raster characters for YouTube
    The publisher of classic paper children's books desired to turn his project into an animated one in order to encourage the youngest children to read. I was extremely fortunate to collaborate with him and the outstanding illustrator of these books. I genuinely hope that our project together will be a success :) The entire Animal Tails series project consists of seven illustrated books, each dedicated to a different animal: bears, pigs, kitties, etc. My goal was to create an animated film for each of the books that would simulate the process of reading a paper book, but make it more entertaining for kids. The animation for each page of the book had to tell its own short story and to be synchronized with the voice over. So that the text and characters would appear on the page in accordance with the words spoken. Also, background music and sound effects had to be added to the books. In addition, I had to create a general style for the project that would unite all the books in the series. To imitate the process of reading a paper book, I applied the following solutions. At the beginning of each animation film I show a closed book, which is opened by the paw of the animal, the main character of the book. Every page of the book is its own little story. I created a storyboard that connects the appearance of the text with the appearance of the characters, defines their behavior and interaction toward each other. I tried to make these stories fascinating for the little viewers, full of action and energy. At the same time, at the end of the story all the characters were in the same places as in the original paper book. When the page is read, the animal's paw flips it over, and a new story begins. Working as a team with the illustrator of these books, we adapted the original raster images for animation. The challenge was that all of the illustrations were originally created for print books. So I had to explain to the illustrator the specific requirements of the images used in the animation. I also did the editing of the raster graphics myself. When everything was ready, I did my main animation work with Rive. All books begin with the same Opening animation, and end with the Farewell and Credits animation. After the animations were created, I did video editing to merge the image and voice over, and to still synchronize the spoken words with the appearance of the corresponding text and characters. To make it even more interesting for young viewers to watch our videos, we needed to add music and sound effects that would accentuate the appearance of the characters and key events. To accomplish this part of the project, I worked as a manager with a sound effects specialist and with a musical artist, defining the requirements and coordinating their work. Working on such a large and complex project, I combined several roles: Story Board Creator, Rive Animator, Raster Graphics Editor, Video Editor, Music and Sound Effects Manager.…
    uniE608 Rive animation for the whole scene (including walking cycle)
    I admire the laconicism and expressive intensity of Japanese classical painting. So, I've created a variety of watercolors in this manner to feel the rules of this intriguing genre. But what happens if these static pictures suddenly came to life? How would their characters move, how would they feel, and what qualities would they show if I tried to breathe life into them? Looking for the answers, I decided to create the personal project: a tired Rickshaw pulling a wagon. I believe I did a pretty good job of expressing the characters' moods in this animation. I used classic walking cycle animation concepts to give life and realism to Rickshaw's movements and depict his exhaustion from his daily hard work. He finds it difficult to drag the wagon, so as he walks, he leans forward a lot, looking for a better balance. To generate a sense of weight, I slow his foot down to the final moment before it leaves the ground. To make the movement more dynamic, I smash the foot hard on the road at the end of the stride. To make the animation more lifelike, I also use residual movements of the clothing fabric and bobbing of the torso and head. The Girl's animation conveys her serenity and indifference to the poor Rickshaw's problems. She sways in rhythm with the wagon's movement and enjoys the beauty of the surrounding landscape. The Rickshaw jerks the wagon a little, which shows his efforts and tells the spectator that the road surface is uneven. The background animation enhances the sense of the dynamics of the characters' movements while also displaying their progress. For this project I've created: -) watercolour picture -) vector pictures of characters and background elements with the Sketch app -) characters and background scene animation with the Rive app To create this animation, I've chosen the Rive app because I have had a lot of positive experience with this application. I enjoy how the Rive app provides the animator with a wide range of features to work with, while maintaining a straightforward, user-friendly interface. Using Bones provides an intuitive and natural way to animate multiple connected parts, and the work with Constraints allows me to control the properties of an object through another target object. Inspired by old Japanese art style and Kubo cartoon art. 2DAnimation GameArt UIAnimation AnimatedCartoon CharacterAnimation Sketch LogoAnimation CharacterDesign IconDesign VectorArt CartoonStyle MobileGame CartoonCharacter Animation Character Game Logo Icon rive…
    uniE608 May Rain Motivator (Rive animation)
    In May, my clients Fitness App decided to surprise their users with a new animation. My assignment was to represent a girl who, despite the rain, would be cheerful and positive. For this animation, I created a vector image of a cute little girl in a mackintosh and rubber boots. I created a brightly colored umbrella to show the user's progress: the more miles traveled, the higher the girl lifts it. When the user's progress is 100%, the sun comes out, and the girl laughs happily. I used the full range of features provided by Rive: bones, constraints (including IK constraints), and state machine. rive mobileApp 2DAnimation GameArt UIAnimation AnimatedCartoon CharacterAnimation Sketch LogoAnimation CharacterDesign IconDesign VectorArt CartoonStyle MobileGame CartoonCharacter Animation Character Game Logo Icon…
    uniE608 Emojis animation (Rive) for mobile application
    My clients, the creators of a mobile football app, decided to add emoji animations to draw users' attention to the interface elements. Like all the previous animation projects I've created for them, this one is also made in the Rive app. This time my role was the animator only because vector emoji images were provided by the client. emoji rive 2DAnimation GameArt UIAnimation AnimatedCartoon CharacterAnimation Sketch LogoAnimation CharacterDesign IconDesign VectorArt CartoonStyle MobileGame CartoonCharacter Animation Character Game Logo Icon…
    uniE608 Loading screen Rive animation for Flutter app
    For this project, I created several paper sketches and vector images in the Sketch app. Then I created Rive animations for loading screen of Flutter application. Here is the animation for Face Recognition. rive splashScreen MobileApp 2DAnimation GameArt UIAnimation AnimatedCartoon CharacterAnimation Sketch LogoAnimation CharacterDesign IconDesign VectorArt CartoonStyle MobileGame CartoonCharacter Animation Character Game Logo Icon…