As fans across the world mourn the death of one of the greatest music icons on the planet, a talented artist has captured the varied guises and transformations made famous by David Bowie. A GIF created by 23-year-old Birmingham-based artist Helen Green has now gone viral on the internet, with thousands of shares across social media. Green created the animated series of hand drawn illustrations depicting the visionary singer’s stylish, experimental personas throughout the years – from Ziggy Stardust to the Thin White Duke. There was a wave of sadness around the globe today, as fans learned of Bowie’s death, whose career spanned six decades. Thousands of fans paid emotional tributes to the star following his death, setting up shrines in his memory all across the world. The iconic singer, whose new album came out just last week, died from cancer aged 69 after battling cancer in secret for 18 months. He passed away in New York City on Monday surrounded by his family. A freelance illustrator specialising mainly in portraiture, Green said Bowie had made a “huge impact” on people’s lives. She said, “It was a self-initiated piece that I created in the lead up to David Bowie’s 68th Birthday. It took about a month to create, I think roughly 35 hours. It was challenging, but the outcome I had in my mind spurred me on to complete it. I’m a huge Bowie fan and even bigger a fan since visiting the ‘David Bowie is…’ exhibition at the V&A in London in 2013.” Green added, “I’ve loved his music for years, with Hunky Dory remaining one of my all time favourite albums. He’s a hero to many, me included. It’s so difficult to come to terms with the news, which came so suddenly. It’s been a painfully sad day and will take some time for the news to sink in. We should be extremely thankful for what Bowie has left behind and the impact he’s had on our lives.” Bowie’s latest album has now been described by some as “his own epitaph”. The world of sport has also paid tribute to the star, with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger telling a press conference, “The message he gave to my generation was very important because it was basically ‘be strong enough to be yourself’.” British Prime Minister David Cameron said, “Today we are mourning the loss of an immense British talent. Genius is an over-used word but I think musically, creatively, artistically, David Bowie was a genius.” Green was commissioned by Sky Arts to make the GIF for its David Bowie weekend in November 2015.