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This will be a long tutorial, I will probably take a few days finishing it up and since I am rather busy I'll just start slowely.
Word's regarding animation.
So lets start.
Animating with stickmen!
Animation with stickmen is mostly like any other form of animation, but the body shape is much more simple and easier on the eye. For that reason its important to animate them properly and with style to be able to impress and entertain the crowd.
Lets start by looking at an example of stick construction.
*
For the sake of this tutorial I'll just be using a basic proportional stickman. Look at the legs and hands, compare them to the rest of the body.
**
As you can see the legs are about as high as the body and so are the arms. This is a very common mistake, begginners that do not know much about anatomy think the body is way bigger than the legs and arms, when infact the arms are a little longer and so are the arms.
Stickmen are such a simple form of animation so when animating them dont be too realistic. This also applies to fullbody though a little less since they are a more complex form of art and should look a bit more natural. Stickmen should be animated with style and physics should be allowed to bend for the animation.
The real world is a stiff and boring place. Use animation to expand the variety of movements and exaggerate all you can.
The concepts of animating!
Easing
Easing is the most important, and really the foundation of the fundimentals of animation. Easing effects force, anticipation, follow through, momentum, flow and all of the other animation concepts and fundimentals.
Easing is extremely simple, but is so often forgotten. Easing is when you gradually increase the space between frames in an animatin. Slow at the beginning, fast in the middle of the movement and then it slowes down as it comes near the end. When putting "easing" into action, people also speak of "spacing".
Anticipation
Anticipation is the build up of force before a movement. Easing is often enough to make an action have natural force, but for more static and force full movements a "preparing" movement is often neccasary. This is often a step backwards in a punch, bending the back and knees down to the ground before a jump, etc.. Anticipation is a vital part of animation and shouldnt be forgotten.
Momentum
Momentum is almost another form of anticipation. Think of a batter, swinging his bat against a baseball. As he swings it through the air he is generating a huge amount of force. When the batter has hit the ball, the bat still keeps swinging. The reason for that is momentum. Since not nearly all the force of the bat went straight into the ball, the energy must be transferred somewhere. In a combo or a sequence of movements momentum is a really important factor since it allowes movements to flow properly. Momentum also allowes you to make movements without anticipation. Beware though, since there can be no stop beetween the movements.
**extremely badly drawn stick. Look at the other example for a full figure.
*W.I.P more shall be added soon.
Word's regarding animation.
- Spoiler:
-Easing
Easing is the most important fundimental of animation, everything regarding animation is effected by easing, force anticipation and spacing. Will be explained later on.
-Force
Force is the heavier spaced frames of a movement. Extremely important for sticks since there isnt much you can do with them but brutally kill each other. Will be explained later on.
-Anticipation
Anticipation is the gathering of force. Genuently a movement in the oposit direction, a step backwards for a forward punch, or a movement like running to get momentum. Anticipation is heavily infuenced by momentum and a basic understanding of physics is thats why fundimental. Will be explained later on.
-Momentum
Momentum is the force of a movement kept on moving instead of being waisted in a stop. Allowes people to make quick movements without stopping and anticipating for every single movement and gives us a chance of flow. Will be explained later on.
-Flow
Flow is the transition between movements. If an animation is stiff it will also effect the flow. Will be explained later on.
So lets start.
Animating with stickmen!
Animation with stickmen is mostly like any other form of animation, but the body shape is much more simple and easier on the eye. For that reason its important to animate them properly and with style to be able to impress and entertain the crowd.
Lets start by looking at an example of stick construction.
*
For the sake of this tutorial I'll just be using a basic proportional stickman. Look at the legs and hands, compare them to the rest of the body.
**
As you can see the legs are about as high as the body and so are the arms. This is a very common mistake, begginners that do not know much about anatomy think the body is way bigger than the legs and arms, when infact the arms are a little longer and so are the arms.
Stickmen are such a simple form of animation so when animating them dont be too realistic. This also applies to fullbody though a little less since they are a more complex form of art and should look a bit more natural. Stickmen should be animated with style and physics should be allowed to bend for the animation.
The real world is a stiff and boring place. Use animation to expand the variety of movements and exaggerate all you can.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The concepts of animating!
Easing
Easing is the most important, and really the foundation of the fundimentals of animation. Easing effects force, anticipation, follow through, momentum, flow and all of the other animation concepts and fundimentals.
Easing is extremely simple, but is so often forgotten. Easing is when you gradually increase the space between frames in an animatin. Slow at the beginning, fast in the middle of the movement and then it slowes down as it comes near the end. When putting "easing" into action, people also speak of "spacing".
Anticipation
Anticipation is the build up of force before a movement. Easing is often enough to make an action have natural force, but for more static and force full movements a "preparing" movement is often neccasary. This is often a step backwards in a punch, bending the back and knees down to the ground before a jump, etc.. Anticipation is a vital part of animation and shouldnt be forgotten.
Momentum
Momentum is almost another form of anticipation. Think of a batter, swinging his bat against a baseball. As he swings it through the air he is generating a huge amount of force. When the batter has hit the ball, the bat still keeps swinging. The reason for that is momentum. Since not nearly all the force of the bat went straight into the ball, the energy must be transferred somewhere. In a combo or a sequence of movements momentum is a really important factor since it allowes movements to flow properly. Momentum also allowes you to make movements without anticipation. Beware though, since there can be no stop beetween the movements.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*note extremely boring stickfigure, as you get better you will explore and learn different styles.**extremely badly drawn stick. Look at the other example for a full figure.
*W.I.P more shall be added soon.
Last edited by gunnni on Fri Dec 24, 2010 8:45 am; edited 5 times in total
