Carbon Current
An illustrated editorial animation created for Carbon Current, bringing the fascinating underground world of fungi to life through visual storytelling and gentle movement.
Illustrated Editorial Animation · Illustration · Motion Design (2026)
The Concept
Inspired by the natural forms and hidden connections of fungal networks, I developed an illustrated animation that explores the relationship between fungi and plant life beneath the surface.
Using a parallaxed, layered, storybook-inspired approach, the animation brings the underground ecosystem to life through gentle movement, growing roots and subtle pulses of activity.
Rather than relying on literal scientific diagrams, the aim was to create an inviting visual interpretation of the story, encouraging curiosity about the natural systems that exist beyond what we can see.
The Visual Language
The visual direction takes inspiration from the organic textures, shapes and colours found in nature, using a hand-crafted illustration style to give the animation a warm, tactile feel.
Illustrated elements were built in layers to create depth and a sense of movement, with subtle parallax animation bringing the different elements of the environment together.
Keeping the animation at a considered 8 frames per second helped retain the character of the original illustrations, creating a slightly imperfect, storybook quality rather than an overly polished digital finish.
Movement was kept gentle and purposeful, using soft pulses and gradual growth to suggest the activity happening beneath the surface.
Insight
Some of the most fascinating ecosystems exist beneath our feet, often hidden from view.
Fungi play an important role in the natural world, creating intricate underground networks that connect ecosystems and support plant life. Yet these relationships can be difficult to visualise, particularly when communicating scientific and environmental stories to a wider audience.
The opportunity was to turn an otherwise invisible world into something people could see, explore and connect with.
Challenge
Carbon Current wanted to bring its editorial feature, The Desert Network: Finding Fungi with Georgie Pereira, to life through a short illustrated animation.
The challenge was to translate an environmental story into an engaging visual that could capture the imagination of audiences on social media, while complementing the article and making its subject matter more accessible.
With a short runtime, every visual needed to contribute to the storytelling, communicating the relationship between fungi, roots and the surrounding environment without overwhelming the viewer.
My Role
I worked across illustration and animation from initial visual development through to final delivery.
Visual concept and art direction
Original digital illustration
Layered artwork and scene development
2D animation and motion design
Final
Deliverables:
13-second animation · 1920 × 1080 Full HD ·
9:16 social media adaptation
5 illustrated stills for socials (instagram & LinkedIn)
