I'm entranced by this weird paper-like 3D Blender animation

We love to see experimental image and animation projects in Blender. Although the free open-source program is best known for 3D modelling, its versatility also earns it a place in our pick of the best animation software,

Just this week we were looking at a render we couldn't believe wasn't a real photo. This latest project I spotted on Reddit is something totally, different but equally intriguing: a hybrid 3D and 2D animation that looks like it was made from paper.

Running in circles 🙃 from r/blender

Lucas Toboggan's animation shows a 2D man running in circles (or is that Cycles after Blender's offline render?) in a paper-like 3D environment. It feels a bit like an old cartoon, with a clear influence from Robert Crumb's Keep On Truckin' in the character's elongated limbs.

Lucas says he began with a drawing that he did on paper while at work. He then made the character's 2D animation in Photoshop using a pen tablet and the 3D environment in Blender before combining them. He says he used a "poorly executed coloring of the animation" frame by frame, to give the feeling of a paper shape evolving in stop motion

I love the way it recalls old cel-animation cartoons (see our guide to the best animation styles) while also feeling a little uncanny. The textures and lighting create a really interesting effect. One person on Reddit said it reminds them of a 1920s dystopia.

See our roundup for Blender tutorials for tips for your own work. We also have a guide to the best laptops for animation, or you can see prices in your region below.