Blender Animation Adds Painterly Smears to Intense Fight Scene
Senior animator Ave Espelita showcased a striking fighting animation that blends Blender’s 3D capabilities with painterly smears, giving the sequence a hand‑drawn feel reminiscent of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ Lucy. The clip features a young woman battling a masked uniformed man, and Espelita explained how he layered smear frames over the animation to create the effect.
Espelita posted the animation on LinkedIn, describing how he added smear frames as an overlay to give the fight a painted look. The scene shows a young girl confronting a masked, uniformed opponent.
Using Blender for the core animation demonstrates how open‑source tools can be paired with traditional techniques. Smear frames, common in hand‑drawn animation to convey speed, were applied digitally to enhance visual depth.
The work is notable not only for its visual quality but also for its creative blend of 3D and painterly elements. It shows designers and animators that powerful artistic effects can be achieved with freely available software.
Espelita has previously worked on the Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced remake and has shared behind‑the‑scenes footage on 80 Level. This new piece continues his exploration of combining classic and modern animation methods.
For those looking for inspiration in contemporary animation workflows, this project offers a clear example. Future releases from Espelita and peers may expand on these techniques in larger productions.