Animation Fundamentals ✦Project 2✦

 

08.05.23 - 02.06.23
WEEK 6 - WEEK 9

✦Ariel Chin Bei Yi 0343651✦

Bachelor of Science (Hons) Food Science

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✦LECTURE RECAP✦

 Week 6 

When animating a character, it is highly technical compared to the bouncing ball as there are multiple elements that make up a human. A simple walk cycle can be achieved by different type of poses:

• Key: an extreme frame that tells a story
• Extreme
• Breakdown: In between extremes which utilizes arcs and slow in slow out
• In between: added to provide flexibility

Vanilla Walk

A walk cycle consists of

• Poses
• Timing: normal walkcycle is 12 frames per step.
• Method

The cycle starts with a contact, followed by a flipped contact and ends with a contact. A natural walk consist of 12 frames each step in which 2 steps takes a second. Reducing the amount of frames indicate a faster walk speed while increasing the amount of frames indicate a lower walk speed.

Figure 1.1: Animation breakdown of walk cycle from the Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams (pg 114)

During practical class, we learnt how to animate a simple vanilla walk in which Mr. Kamal break down each frame to show us how it contributes to a natural walk animation.

Figure 1.2: Walk cycle animation practice using Adobe Animate.

 Week 7 

Animating with action clarity is different from the basic animation sequences taught previously in past lectures. A more complex action requires different number of frames at different point of actions. A dynamic action, such as jumping, can be separated into the following sequences in which each sequence consists of different timing:

• Normal pose
• Anticipation (Hold it)
• Action (Jump)
• Follow through (Hold it)
• Normal pose

Figure 1.3: Breakdown of Jump Action by from the Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams (pg 220)

During practical class, we learnt how to animate a jump animation following the examples given by the animator guide book.

Figure  1.4: Jump action practiced using Adobe Animate.

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✦INSTRUCTIONS✦

Figure 2.1: Assignment guidelines for Animation Fundamentals.

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✦1.0 WALK CYCLE✦

The first progression of Project 2 of Animation Fundamentals includes the making of a vanilla walk animation with the side view of the character designed in Project 1. The animation should feature both the Rough and the Tie-Down animation which includes poses and timing from the book of Animator’s Survival Kit such as:

• Contact pose (3 frames)
• Down pose (3 frames)
• Pass pose (3 frames)
• Up pose (3 frames)

 1.1 Rough Animation 

A rough animation is a sequence that includes basic form and sketchy stroke. I have started the rough by blocking out the silhouette of my character. I made sketches of the limbs using different colours as to differentiated the left and right limbs. This allows the clear separation of the swaying of limbs as the walk cycle progresses.

Figure 3.1: Sketching of rough animation in Clip Studio Paint.

I drew 8 frames of the walk cycle which includes contact pose, down pose, pass pose and up pose. Then, I have exported the image sequences of the rough animation into Adobe Animate in which the timing and spacing were adjusted. I have animated the walk cycle on threes.

Figure 3.2: Animation progress of rough animation in Adobe Animate. 

The rough animation is completed as below.

Figure 3.3: Rough animation of vanilla walk cycle - GIF.

Figure 3.4: Rough animation of vanilla walk cycle - MP4.

 1.2 Tie Down Animation 

This is followed by the making of a tie down animation using the rough animation as a guide. A tie down animation is the review of an animation prior to clean up to ensure every single detail is on the model. As previously, I drew the required frames in Clip Studio Paint. The character reference sheet that I have designed in Project 1 has been constantly reference throughout the drawing process to keep the features of the character consistent. 

Figure 3.5: Drawing of tie down using rough as a guide in Clip Studio Paint.

After the frames have been drawn, I have exported the image sequence into Adobe Animate and adjusted the timing of each frame. 

Figure 3.6: Animation process of tie down animation in Adobe Animate.

The tie down animation is completed as below.

Figure 3.7: Tie down animation of vanilla walk cycle - GIF.

Figure 3.8: Tie down animation of vanilla walk cycle - MP4.

 1.3 Final Outcome 

The rough and tie down animation is then compiled into one reel and output as a compilation video.

Figure 3.9: Compilation video of Rough and Tie Down animation of Vanilla Walk Cycle featuring original character.

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✦2.0 JUMP ANIMATION✦

The second progression of Project 2 of Animation Fundamentals include the making of a jump cycle animation with the character designed in Project 1. The animation should feature both the Rough and the Tie-Down animation which includes anticipation and follow through poses, timing with hold from the book of Animator's Survival Kit such as:

• Normal pose
• Anticipation pose
• Jump action pose
• Follow through pose (Push off, On air, Landing)
• Normal pose

 2.1 Rough Animation 

As the process in the creation of the walk cycle animation, I have sketched out the basis of the animation by blocking out the silhouette of my character. The limbs were also differentiated by colours to maintain clarity between each frames.

Figure 4.1: Sketching of rough animation in Clip Studio Paint.

There were 12 keyframes in total of the jump cycle which includes the required anticipation and follow through poses as well as in-between frames to improve fluidity of the animation. The jump cycle is animated on 2s.

Figure 4.2: Animation process of rough animation in Adobe Animate.

The rough animation is completed as below.

Figure 4.3: Rough animation of jump cycle - GIF.

Figure 4.8: Rough animation of jump cycle - MP4.

 2.2 Tie Down Animation 

The Tie Down animation is then created while referencing the character reference sheet to ensure all details of the character is present. 

Figure 4.5: Drawing of tie down using rough as a guide in Clip Studio Paint.

The most challenging detail is the hair in which her twin tails has to be animated in a way that floats in the air while jumping. I have implemented the principles learnt during the ball with tail animation and applied them into the animation to allow the fluid motion of her twin tails as she jumps.

Figure 4.6: Animation process of tie down animation in Adobe Animate.

The tie down animation is completed as below.

Figure 4.7: Tie down animation of jump cycle - GIF.

Figure 4.8: Tie down animation of jump cycle - MP4.

 2.3 Final Outcome 

The rough and tie down animation is then compiled into one reel and output as a compilation video.

Figure 4.9: Compilation video of Rough and Tie Down animation of Jump Cycle featuring or-ginal character.

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✦REFLECTION✦

Project 2 of Animation Fundamentals involves a more advance animation compared to the previous assignments. We are instructed to create two animation reels, which include a walk cycle and a jump cycle. Both animations involve different principles, hence, it serves a slight challenge to complete them in a short period of time.

However, I find this assignment very fun and enjoyable. Although there were a number of frames to draw and adjust in which some might find the process tedious, I found the progression interesting as it was delightful to see my characters come to life in such few frames. 

The Animation Survival Kit provided by our module lecturer, Mr. Kamal, has assisted me greatly in the completion of this assignment. Other than the two animation reels required, I have did some further reading of the digital book and studied more on other animation techniques. Hence, this assignment have allowed me to successfully grasp the basics of animation and improved my technique in the principles of animation.