ANIMATION FUNDAMENTAL-EXERCISES
ANIMATION FUNDAMENTAL
Monday,Sep. 23 .2024
23.09.2024 - 20.10.2024 | Week 1 - Week 4
Jia Wenbing /0365436/
Design principles/Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
INSTRUCTIONS
LECTURES
WEEK 1
This week, the teacher mainly explains the overall overview of the content of this module, the software used, and the basic movement principles of animation.
Fig. 1.1 Module Introduction
Fig. 1.2 Module Introduction
WEEK 2
Frame rate: The higher the frame rate, the more frames there are.
Timing: The more detailed the dynamic drawing process, the slower things appear.
Timing and spacing are very important in animation and need to be coordinated properly.
Arc: Use arc to represent the trajectory of an object's motion.
Fig. 1.3 Slide Notes (W2)- Fluid and FlowURL
WEEK 3
This week we mainly talk about squash and stretch in the basic principles of animation, and use drag, follow and weight to show the flexibility of objects in animation. To show the flexibility of animation, you can use pose-to-pose or straight-line animation methods.
Animation style: realism, semi-realism and cartoon style
Through further reading, I learned that the 12 principles of animation include:
- Squash and stretch
- Anticipation
- Staging
- Straight ahead action and pose and pose
- Follow through and overlapping action
- Slow in and slow out
- Arcs
- Secondary action
- Timing
- Exaggeration
- Solid drawing
- Appeal
Fig. 1.4 Slide Notes (W3)- Elasticity & Flexibility in Animation
WEEK 4
This week we will focus on 3D, dynamic clarity and gesture expression in animation
Animation style: realism, semi-realism and cartoon style.
Fig. 1.5 Slide Notes (W4)- Solid Drawing
Line of Action
- Definition: An imaginary line running through the character's body, describing the direction and force of motion; it is the core of the character's movement.
- Function:
- Unifies the action and conveys its force.Represents the main idea of the pose using 1-2 lines.Dynamic poses use sharp angles and straight lines; relaxed poses use soft curves.
- Techniques:Push the limits of the pose.Emphasize contrast in animation by varying lines of action to highlight rhythm and tension.
Silhouette
- Clear Silhouette: Poses and actions should be presented with a clear outline to ensure visual clarity.
- Negative Space:Focus on the empty spaces around the character (e.g., gaps between arms and legs).Use contrasts between large and small negative spaces to create dynamic and visually interesting poses.
- Shape and Joint Overlap: Ensure the outline of the action is clear, avoiding visual ambiguity.
Twinning & Parallel (Avoid Symmetry and Parallel Movements)
- Avoid Symmetry: Symmetrical poses look stiff; avoid making both sides identical.
- Use Contrapposto (Counterpose):Create contrast between movements on each side of the body to add natural dynamism.Incorporate twists in the body to enhance realism and fluidity.
Poses with Basic Form
- Bean and Robo Bean:
- Simplify torso motion using the "bean" shape.The "Robo Bean" provides a more structured approach to understanding the relationship between body parts.Perspective and Foreshortening: Use varying perspectives to enhance the spatial depth of the action.
Weight and Balance
- Convey Weight:
- Ensure realistic weight distribution in character poses.Maintain balance in the pose to make it appear natural and believable.Dynamic Balance: Enhance dynamism by contrasting movement flow and force distribution.
Fundamental Animation Techniques (Additional Tips)
- Anticipation: Preceding movements help the audience anticipate the character’s main action.
- Squash and Stretch: Adds exaggeration and vitality to the action.
- Timing: Combine fast and slow movements to create rhythm.
- Follow Through: Depict inertia and fluidity as the motion concludes.
EXERCISES
Exercise 1: Bouncing ball animation
In this exercise, we were asked to apply the animation principles learned in the second week, timing, spacing, slow in and slow out, and arcs. We used Animate software to create a bouncing ball animation. The required frame rate was 24fps. I followed the teacher's instructions in class and then perfected it.
Fig. 1.1 The process of making a bouncing ball
Here is the animation video I made:
Fig. 1.3 Bouncing ball animation
Attach the Adobe Animate file :
When I was making the bouncing ball, I thought that in animation, objects can be slightly exaggerated and deformed.
So I stretched the ball a little bit during its descent due to the gravity in the air, and after landing, it rebounded a little due to the force.
Fig. 1.4 Pull into oval shape
But this does not meet the 24fps requirement of the assignment. I just use it as an advanced exercise to test my own production.
Practice animation：
Fig. 2.1 Squash and stretch the ball
Fig. 2.3 Draw the ball's tail again
Fig. 1.5 Pull into oval shape
Attach the Adobe Animate file :
Exercise 2: Ball with tail
Adobe Animate software was used to animate the bouncing ball by applying the principles of squash and stretch, which show the elasticity of the material and give it life as a character through a pose-to-pose animation method. The soft and elastic ball has a tail attached to it, and I needed to show the flexibility of its movement by applying the principles of drag, follow and overlapping actions through a linear animation method.
In class, we followed Mr. Kamal to make the ball stretch and squeeze, and then started to make the ball tail drag and follow.
Fig. 2.2 Draw the ball's tail
Since I used the mouse to draw the ball's tail in class, I didn't like it very much, so I deleted the layer and used the tablet to draw the ball's tail again.
Here is the animation video I made:
Fig. 2.4 Ball with tail
Attach the Adobe Animate file :
FEEDBACK
WEEk 2:
The ball should move faster and slower, and follow the arc to ensure that all movements are accelerated or decelerated naturally. You can make the animation look more realistic and interesting by adding and removing keyframes.
WEEk 3:
The ball tail should be more dynamic, with different thicknesses and lines that change as the ball moves and deforms.The movement of the ball should be connected, otherwise it will look stiff.
REFLECTION
EXERCISE 1:
I find this exercise very interesting. I like the process of making animations, which gives me a sense of accomplishment. However, when I first made this animation, I didn’t understand the role of layers and keyframes, which made my content very confusing. I am very grateful to Mr. Kamal for his help, which made me better understand how to complete my homework.
EXERCISE 2:
This exercise obviously requires more keyframes to draw more detailed content. But I found that my shortcoming is that I don’t have much patience. I will gradually lose patience during the production process. This is a problem I need to correct. But when I finished the production and saw a flexible ball animation, I felt a great sense of accomplishment. This made me feel that the previous boring was very worthwhile.
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