Animation Fundamentals- Project 2A: Walk Cycle & Project 2B: Jump Animation

28.05.2024 - 28.06.2024 (Week 6 - Week 9)
Kelly Lau Jie Ning/ 0354839
Animation Fundamentals/ Bachelor of Design (Honors) in Creative Media
Project 2A: Walk Cycle & Project 2B: Jump Animation

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INSTRUCTION

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Project 2A: Walk Cycle
In this project, we need to draw a walk cycle animation frame by frame. 

The process of drawing will be divided into rough sketch, sketch and tie down.

Before I start drawing, I try to refer to Animator's Survival Kit to know the principle of walking.

Reference from Animation's Survival Kit

Rough Sketch

I used a matchstick man to make sure each frame was for action poses.

Rough sketch

After confirming the action poses for each frame, I try to lower the opacity of the rough sketch and start to put my character on it to make it walk.

Sketch

After drawing the character make sure the character moves smoothly by using the rough sketch. I threw away the rough sketch and became a tie-down.

Tie-down

Full video

Feedback

-Make the hair and the cap thing some movement

Final output

Project 2B: Jump Animation

In this project, we need to draw a jump animation frame by frame.

Before I start to draw sketch I also refer to the jump animation from Animator's Survival Kit.

Jump animation from Animator Survival Kit

By referring to the reference above, I start to draw the rough sketch.

Rough sketch

After confirming the sketch doesn't have a problem, I start to tie it down.

Tie-down

Full video

Feedback

-the timing needs to be adjusted

Feedback on jump animation

Final Output

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Reflection

Project 2A: Walk Cycle Animation

Creating a walk cycle taught me about the importance of timing and spacing in animation. I learned how each frame contributes to the fluidity of the movement. It was interesting to see how changing the position of the character's legs, arms, and body in each frame can create a smooth and natural walking motion. This exercise also helped me understand how to convey weight and balance, which are essential for making the character's movement look believable.

Project 2B: Jump Animation

The jump animation was a bit more complex, as it involved capturing the character's anticipation, jumping, and landing. I learned how to break down the jump into different stages and create keyframes that highlight the key positions. Understanding how to exaggerate poses and use timing to create a sense of energy and momentum was crucial for making the jump look dynamic.