Crouton - The Puppet from South of Midnight

Meet Crouton, the quirky companion of our protagonist in South of Midnight. Working on this little guy was an absolute joy — and also a bit of a challenge! My goal was to stay as faithful as possible to the original concept by Eugene Balan, capturing that perfect mix of playfulness and quiet melancholy that gives Crouton his unique charm.

Bringing him into 3D while preserving the emotion and intent behind the design was such a rewarding experience. It's always special to work on characters that carry emotional weight, no matter how small or silly they might appear on the surface.

Huge thanks again to Eugene Balan for the beautiful concept, to our art director Whitney Clayton for her essential feedback and Cam Piva for the amazing super-squishy rig that gave Crouton all the bounce and personality he needed!

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/98z01O
https://www.artstation.com/whitneyclayton