Where it started
Barry is built around blue fur, black glasses, and an orange shovel. Blue connects to my Chinese nickname, Xiaolan, or “Little Blue.” The shovel gives “Dig up a little fun” a physical gesture, and gives the character a story even when he stands still.
What I worked on
I developed the character’s recognizable features through his silhouette, blue-and-orange palette, and expression. V6.1 focuses on the eyes and eyebrows, aiming for a bright, approachable, slightly curious look.
The process
The whites of the eyes have their own boundaries, the pupils stay inside the eye shapes, and both eyes look in the same direction. Softer eyebrows complete the expression. A layered SVG master keeps features such as the eyes and eyebrows independently editable.
Current status
This is an independent character experiment. The page presents the V6.1 design and its production files, using a web-compatible SVG that stays sharp when enlarged. Future expressions and poses will build on this version.