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Artistic Concept
Artistic Concept
A concept is an abstract idea. Artists use different concepts to take those ideas from abstraction to reality. The concepts being explored through the lens of the Studio Habit - Engage and Persist is Perseverance and Practice.
Perseverance lies in an artist's ability to find something that is important to them and/or important to a client or targeted audience to devote their attention, time, and creativity to. It lies in an artist's ability to develop and sustain focus on an artwork, process, and medium through trial, error, and repeated practice.
Practice lies in an artist's ability to keep trying at improving and learning more and more about a particular art form, technique, or medium over and over again with a growth mindset. Practice, especially when "stuck" or frustrated, can be difficult to sustain or focus on, but is necessary for artist's to grow, improve, and develop. Practice is a habit that needs to be developed over time to be able to "stick with it" through successes and failures to see a project through to completion.
12 Principles of Animation
12 Principles of Animation
Being Explored in this Project:
Arcs
Arcs
Arcs in animation refers to how the motion of a particular action is not a straight line from point A to point B. It is actually an arc that has a low point, a climax - where the action is at it's biggest and most exaggerated, and end point where the action concludes.
Professional Examples
Professional Examples
Robin Hood
Night and Day
Make Observations
Make Observations
Get up and walk! Watch a friend walk. How do their feet move? How does the rest of their body balance their weight? What does the secondary action look like? How would you characterize the timing?
Be VERY observant!
Creating the Walk Cycle
Creating the Walk Cycle
The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams lays out clear directions on creating a believable walk cycle for a simple character.
The Keyframe Poses in a Walk Cycle:
The Keyframe Poses in a Walk Cycle:
Poses include:
Contact - where both legs are on the ground
Low point (or down) - where the knee is bent on the weight bearing leg and the other leg is coming off of the ground
Passing - where one leg is firmly on the ground and the other leg is passing right by it as it transitions to the front
High point (or up) - where the leg that was weight bearing in the passing pose is now lifting off of the ground slightly and the other leg is moving out front to become the weight bearing leg
Start with a contact pose where both feet are on the ground but one leg has the toe up and the other leg has the heel up. Next move to the passing pose where the head and body is at slightly above the midpoint of the arc and the arms and legs are crossing through the middle of the body. Then go back to the low point, or down pose. This is where the body is lower as the knees are bent. One leg is flat on the ground, and the other has rolled all the way to the tip of the toes. Finish the keyframes by doing the high point, or up pose. This is where the body is at the highest point or peak of the arc. One leg is completely off of the ground and forward, and the other leg is on its toes.
These are the four keyframe poses for one step. Repeat this process for the second step, shading in the opposite arm and leg.
One step sequence - spread out
Two step sequence - spread out
The image on the left shows the four keyframe poses of one step spread out from each other. The contact shown at the end of the image is the first keyframe pose for the second step. Our animation will place these keyframes right on top of each other so that it appears that your character is walking in the middle of the page. The image on the right shows all eight keyframe poses for the animation spread out in a two step sequence. These are just the keyframes.
After the keyframes are complete, you will need to draw an in-between between each of the keyframe poses so that the animation looks fluid and not robotic or choppy.
The final walk cycle will consist of 8 keyframe pages for the two steps, and 8 in-between pages for the two steps. This means that your cycled animation will be 16 frames long.
The Process
The Process
Create a keyframe for each of the four poses with the right foot forward. Shade the back leg and the back arm. (4 frames)
Create a keyframe for each of the four poses with the left foot forward. Shade the back leg and back arm. (4 frames)
Make sure as the weight changes that the body bends down a bit and then pulls up a bit.
Keep your poses in the center of your animation paper.
Draw one in-between between each of the four major poses for each leg (8 frames)
Foot Movements
Foot Movements
Arm Movements
Arm Movements
Don't forget the principle of Arcs. The body should move in organic, arc motions. The foot should roll heel to toe in a smooth arc as it lifts off of the ground. The arms should flow in a smooth arc as it swings backward and forwards. The overall up and down movement of the body occurs in the same arc motion - or like a wave as it goes up and down with the weight.
Keep in mind the principle of Slow in and Slow out as well. The arms and feet will slow as they are about to transition to the next step or as they swing backward and forward.
Humans do not move in a mechanical way. Our feet move in a subtle arc pattern as we walk. Make sure that this is a part of your final animation.
As with our feet, our arms don't move in a linear fashion, but follow an arc as we walk. Make sure that this is a part of your final animation.
making the movie
objectives and national standards
what to know more? exploratory animation
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