{"id":886,"date":"2019-12-12T01:52:52","date_gmt":"2019-12-12T01:52:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/2019\/12\/12\/10-ways-to-create-better-character-animations\/"},"modified":"2019-12-12T01:52:52","modified_gmt":"2019-12-12T01:52:52","slug":"10-ways-to-create-better-character-animations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/2019\/12\/12\/10-ways-to-create-better-character-animations\/","title":{"rendered":"10 ways to create better character animations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p>With the size of the 3D industry growing year on year, it&#8217;s more important than ever to make sure your work stands out from the crowd. Whatever your skill level as a 3D artist, there are key principles that are sure to take your character animation up a level.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Character movement and gesture are vital for ensuring your characters are realistic and watchable. That means many of these tips are geared towards improving your skill as a puppet master making your characters dance.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"hawk-widget\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\"\/>\n<p>If you want to learn more about how to design excellent characters, check out our post on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.creativebloq.com\/character-design\/tips-5132643\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">character design<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"01-research-reference-and-record\">01. Research, reference and record<\/h2>\n<p>There are many ways to study character. Make it a habit to plan your work. Look at people other than yourself. Look at actors who are similar to your character. \u201cGood artists copy, great artists steal,\u201d claimed Picasso. The trick is to not steal from other animation. Always take from life and make it the essence of what you referenced.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"02-notice-the-design-in-movement\">02. Notice the design in movement<\/h2>\n<p>Animation is designed movement and all sorts of paths of motion exist in a character. You have to design movement to fit the scene. Sometimes the design of movement in animation is overdone. Focus on how your gestures move through space. Look for ways of making it feel physical but also beautiful to watch.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"03-embrace-the-power-of-stillness\">03. Embrace the power of stillness<\/h2>\n<figure data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vanilla.futurecdn.net\/creativebloq\/media\/img\/missing-image.svg\" alt=\"Character animation: beefeater standing still\" class=\" lazy-image lazy-image-loading lazyload optional-image\" onerror=\"if(this.src &amp;&amp; this.src.indexOf('missing-image.svg') !== -1){return true;};this.parentNode.replaceChild(window.missingImage(),this)\" sizes=\"auto\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/vanilla.futurecdn.net\/creativebloq\/media\/img\/missing-image.svg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iziBYiYD85s8aks8UoFzse-320-80.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iziBYiYD85s8aks8UoFzse-320-80.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iziBYiYD85s8aks8UoFzse-650-80.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iziBYiYD85s8aks8UoFzse-970-80.jpg 970w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iziBYiYD85s8aks8UoFzse.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/iziBYiYD85s8aks8UoFzse.jpg\"\/><\/p><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Often it makes sense for your character to be still <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When in doubt, throw it out! Often it makes sense to just do nothing. I\u2019m not saying don\u2019t move the character, but look for moments to tone down the animation or find other things to do besides gesturing. In live-action films, some of the most powerful moments are subtle. Animation does not need to be overdone.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"04-understand-the-gesture-space\">04. Understand the gesture space<\/h2>\n<p>It&#8217;s important to understand the area the character is gesturing in. Is it inside the body space, outside, near or below the face? What is the story point? Does it read? Does it need to be a large open gesture, or is it meant to be a secondary element? Look for areas to change between gesture spaces \u2013 contrast is a great tool.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"05-consider-contrast\">05. Consider contrast<\/h2>\n<p>Texture and timing is important. Contrast: show something tense, relaxing, or a loose gesture changing into a quick move. Break up the enemy of animation: evenness. Movement can be even, but always having evenness is boring and uninteresting to watch. Think about where can you put a punctuation on a gesture.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"06-reinvent-clich-xe9-s\">06. Reinvent clich\u00e9s<\/h2>\n<p>A cliche\u0301 used to be a genius idea, but it was used over and over until it turned into the worst idea; an idea that everyone knows and has seen. Some common ones in animation are neck rubs, points, W gestures. If you\u2019re going to use a popular gesture or cliche\u0301, do it a different way. Find a way to make it yours.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"07-add-props\">07. Add props<\/h2>\n<figure data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vanilla.futurecdn.net\/creativebloq\/media\/img\/missing-image.svg\" alt=\"Character animation: beefeater with pencil\" class=\" lazy-image lazy-image-loading lazyload optional-image\" onerror=\"if(this.src &amp;&amp; this.src.indexOf('missing-image.svg') !== -1){return true;};this.parentNode.replaceChild(window.missingImage(),this)\" sizes=\"auto\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/vanilla.futurecdn.net\/creativebloq\/media\/img\/missing-image.svg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/UcixF9tc6eUxTkeAwDUpP5-320-80.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/UcixF9tc6eUxTkeAwDUpP5-320-80.jpg 320w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/UcixF9tc6eUxTkeAwDUpP5-650-80.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/UcixF9tc6eUxTkeAwDUpP5-970-80.jpg 970w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/UcixF9tc6eUxTkeAwDUpP5.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/UcixF9tc6eUxTkeAwDUpP5.jpg\"\/><\/p><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\"><span class=\"caption-text\">Gesturing with props feels real <\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In animation I love the idea of giving the character objects to use. You are trying to make things in animation look spontaneous. Gesturing with props feels real. An animator needs to find ways of squeezing the entertainment out of scenes \u2013 just don\u2019t overuse or overspice the shot. Use it as something to accent a scene.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"08-use-head-movements\">08. Use head movements<\/h2>\n<p>Every part of a character can move, so let\u2019s just think about the ways you gesture if you can\u2019t use hands. If you had to tell a story using just the head, what do you do? How do you describe things? What angles does your head take? When you animate head gestures, start simple and polish. Take into account the weight of the move.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"09-avoid-common-mistakes\">09. Avoid common mistakes<\/h2>\n<p>The biggest mistake is just too much. Less is more. Another is to not polish it well. It\u2019s important to make gestures feel like they have weight and physicality. Understand that we\u2019re trying to create characters that have a truth to them. A toy, a bug, a superhero \u2013 each will gesture differently, and will have its own language of gestures.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"10-imagine-the-future\">10. Imagine the future<\/h2>\n<p>What could be next for character animation? I\u2019m interested in interaction \u2013 the ability to move cloth, hair, etc. Capture tools could be useful for gestures; a hand pose capture, a way of moving the character that might be easier than manipulated a rig&#8230; I want to see animation that pushes acting ideas in different ways. Be original, entertaining and true to the character.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>This article was originally published in issue 130 of 3D Artist. <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk\/3D-Artist-Print-Back-Issues\/3d-artist-issue-130\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Buy issue 130<\/em><\/a><em> or <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk\/design\/3d-artist-magazine-subscription\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><em>subscribe to 3D Artist<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"600\" data-lazy-priority=\"low\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/future-publishing.msgfocus.com\/k\/Future-&#10;Publishing\/d_artist_newsletter_signups\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.creativebloq.com\/how-to\/10-ways-to-create-better-character-animations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] With the size of the 3D industry growing year on year, it&#8217;s more important than ever to make sure your work stands out from the crowd. Whatever your skill level as a 3D artist, there are key principles that are sure to take your character animation up a level.\u00a0 Character movement and gesture are [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[188],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-animation"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/e928cfdc7rs.exactdn.com\/info\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/12\/10-ways-to-create-better-character-animations-scaled.jpg?strip=all","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2TFCd-ei","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=886"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/886\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielparente.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}