Thursday, December 27, 2012

Animation Tips

Character design is significant to the overall animation. There are many great books on the topic of character design and development, and luckily for you I have read most of them. I suggest Stan Lee’s How to Draw Comics and Sterling Publishing’s Art of Drawing Manga. Both books are filled with illustrations and useful drawing tips and provide instructions for how to draw characters and position them based on their role in the storyline.
 

It is important to distinguish a protagonist and antagonist in your animation, and there are a variety of techniques to accomplish this. An obvious method is to make the hero bright and the villain dark; however, this is not the case in the beloved Batman series. In this series, Batman is the protagonist, yet he is very dark. I think most people would agree the Bruce Wayne/Batman figure is so fully developed that it is clear Batman is the hero despite his dark portrayal. If you are creating animation that has a storyline that relies heavily on characters, take the time to develop the characters properly.
 

If you decide to animate text or shapes, it is important to have a rhythmic soundtrack. In this case, it would be a good time investment to sync the sound because doing so makes it more enjoyable for your audience. You should always consider your audience when creating animation:  make sure your animation entertains, informs, and captures your target audience’s interest.

Use your imagination and create an animation that reflects your personality and creativity. Be inspired by the world around you, and always remember to “think outside the word” and know that anything is possible. “Think Outside the Word” is the title of my blog, and it is a way of life.   
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2 comments:

  1. For 3D animations, objects (models) are built on the computer monitor (modeled) and 3D figures are rigged with a virtual skeleton. For 2D figure animations, separate objects (illustrations) and separate transparent layers are used, with or without a virtual skeleton. Then the limbs, eyes, mouth, clothes, etc.


    Alex Frisch

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    1. Alex thank you for your comment. Do you find it easier to work with rigs and virtual skeletons or more complex?

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