Portal VFX - Particle System

I wanted to create something that looked like an unstable gateway, potentially to be used as an indicator of the end of the level in a platforming game. The portal begins to open up, hesitates, and then opens up and begins to rotate. It was so interesting to see that some alpha images that I created in Photoshop could be put together and create something as visually interesting as this. In my work, I always say to myself, "Okay, this is good, I think I'm done," but I always come back to add more. I love improving on my work. Initially, there was no rising smoke or cinders, and I think that alone added so much character. Then I took a break from it and came back to add the swirly pinwheel to the base of the portal. It goes to show that if you take the time to improve something, the end product can really benefit from it.