Rodney's Thread

[Rodney]

Having fun but still way behind the power curve.
Thought I should start this threat to fall in line with everyone else and collect my attepts to (eventually) get my assignments in on time.

I did manage to scratch out my basic poses and hope to have those uploaded in the workshop for review but I suppose its too late for Dave to get those set up for critiques from Don.

So... posting this because I thought it was interesting. I added Peepers as an overlay on the pan background supplied by Don:

I discovered several mistakes in my drawings by looking at the images in this way that I hadn't noticed prior to scanning. In trying to track the far leg I shaded one in and I must have shaded the wrong one somewhere along the line! Yikes!

I'm seeing the importance of the Pose Test as I see enough change in my drawings. Not enough opposites or extremes either and where's the Squash and Stretch?

Don says, "No excuses."
Got it. I'll get them in there next time.

Yikes!

[samuelvictorjones]

Looks like you're having fun & making good progress. Its quite low res but from what I can see I like your Peepers drawings a lot.

I did a very temporary attempt at scrolling the background behind my walkcycle when developping it and also found that it helped show up flaws that you don't notice whilst looking at individual frames on a white background :)

[Rodney]

Looks like you're having fun & making good progress.

There is no doubt I am having fun! I'm learning a ton and my understanding of what I need to get down on paper gets clearer and clearer every day. That is indeed progress.

I've been trying to absorb the feedback Don gave us yesterday. (There was a goldmine there)

This morning I woke up with one particular thought; namely that everyone attending the workshop is already pretty well grounded but Don had just planted the seeds to grow something new and wonderful there.

What a difference there is in seeing Don expertly demonstrate how to move beyond our current understanding and constantly improve upon what we find there.

[samuelvictorjones]

I've been trying to absorb the feedback Don gave us yesterday. (There was a goldmine there)

This morning I woke up with one particular thought; namely that everyone attending the workshop is already pretty well grounded but Don had just planted the seeds to grow something new and wonderful there.

What a difference there is in seeing Don expertly demonstrate how to move beyond our current understanding and constantly improve upon what we find there.

Oh yeah 100%. I myself took several weeks of watching Don's seminars and reading the forums before ever attempting to submit anything to Don for appraisal. Everytime he makes comment on someone else's work, and how to improve it, I made notes, and applied it to my own, essentially learnign in theory how to animate, before even trying to apply anythign to paper.

It amazes me how positive Don has been about the stuff that I've sent to him, as the Jake and Stuey animations are literally the first hand drawn animations I've ever done without rotoscoping or "cheating" in some other way. However, any compliments he puts to my work are essentially complimenting his teaching style, as everything I am currently doing is drawing on everything I've listenned to him say for the last 2 months :) His words are, as you say, a literal goldmine :)

[Rodney]

I'm still hopelessly behind the power curve here at the Workshop but my mind has been focusing on Walk Cycles lately. Perhaps there is hope for me yet?

I wanted to share this link from ThinkingAnimation.com on walk cycles as it echo's a lot of what Don has said recently. Note that there is a nice little bridging thumbnail at the top of the page. To my way of thinking it tries to hint at the transitional area between the ball bounce and the walk cycle exercises. The illustration is definitely a keeper as far as ball bounces go but... the numbers below the balls (both odd and even frame?) has corn-fused my head.

Also, understand that while the walk cycles are demonstrated in CG the principles of the walks remain the same.

Link: http://thinkinganimation.com/walkcycles.php