For this animated short, we set out to bring one of JB Copeland’s memorable quotes to life - something witty, honest, and relatable. From the start, we knew we wanted to express it through a cowboy: a figure who could carry humor and heart with confidence.

We built the animation in Maya and Blender, designing a stylized but emotionally rich world centered around a cozy Western saloon. The cowboy stands at the bar, delivering JB’s quote with calm resilience. His design came together through a focus on texture and simplicity - wide-brimmed hat, leather vest, mustard shirt, belted trousers, and spurred boots - all chosen to feel tactile, grounded, and expressive.

His movements are subtle but meaningful: flipping a coin into a glass, nodding, tipping his hat, and walking through the swinging doors into the warm desert light. Each gesture was animated to reflect the spirit of the quote - letting go and moving on.

For the environment, we focused on tone and atmosphere. Stylized wood, glass, and metal textures give the space character without overcomplicating the scene. A warm, cohesive color palette helped us blend desert sunlight with the soft interior glow of the saloon. We also layered in quiet, ambient sounds - creaking floorboards, a breeze, distant tumbleweeds - to ground the scene and support the voice track.