some digital clay…

3d character clay render inspired by Doug TenNapel’s Neverhood, featuring exaggerated cartoon features, a clay-like surface, and surreal creatures like a blue snake and mouth on shoulder.

This stylized 3D character is part of the wonderfully weird and whimsical world of The Neverhood, originally created by Doug TenNapel. The character design, which belongs to the Neverhood universe, has been reinterpreted here in a modern 3D pipeline while staying true to the quirky, claymation-inspired aesthetic that defined the original game's cult legacy.

With exaggerated facial features, bulbous eyes, and a comically tense expression, the character captures the surreal charm and manic energy fans of The Neverhood know and love. Modeled to evoke the feel of sculpted clay and physical texture, the piece emphasizes expressive form, wonky proportions, and tangible surface detail. The snake-like creature coiled around the character and the bizarre mouth-on-shoulder add to the oddball surrealism.

Lighting and material work were carefully tuned to retain that handcrafted, stop-motion essence, celebrating the legacy of TenNapel’s world through a digital lens.

Stylized 3D fan art character inspired by Doug TenNapel’s Neverhood, featuring exaggerated cartoon features, a clay-like surface, and surreal creatures like a blue snake and mouth on shoulder.
Stylized 3D fan art character inspired by Doug TenNapel’s Neverhood, featuring exaggerated cartoon features, a clay-like surface, and surreal creatures like a blue snake and mouth on shoulder.