For the visual style of the animated short, “26 Martyrs”, we wanted to take a stylized approach, but we wanted it to have the look and feel of traditional Japanese art. The final designs also incorporated a strong element of contemporary Japanese art inspired by Anime and Magna graphic novels.
Character design was something we spent a lot of time developing, being very conscious that we were telling the story of men that have become icons to many around the world.

Character building – the faces of each character are “sculpted” and shaped using specialised software.
While exploring different ideas for the character design, directors Ian and Dominic Higgins were adamant about one thing, “for the character designs for 26 Martyrs, it’s important that the personalities are visible in the faces of the characters. We want memorable faces”.
View the trailer for “26 Martyrs” below.






