Aves's Animation

[AvestheForumFox]

I asked Jeremy if I could have a seperate gallery for my animation work. He gave me the go ahead, so here we go! :)

This will a fresh gallery though, so each piece I post in here will have been created beforehand. Nothing old and dated like my original gallery. :3


AniTest#1 - Falene Sneeze
http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t346/PutterWatch/Animation/falsneezeanimsheet.jpg
http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t346/PutterWatch/Animation/AniTest1-FaleneSneeze.gif

For my first animation project, I decided to have my web-comic character Falene do a sneeze. Notice how I kind of rushed this project.

1.) I drew all the frames on one single sheet of computer paper
2.) scanned the image into the computer
3.) copied and pasted each frame into seperate layers using Paint Shop Pro
4.) cleaned up the images a bit then transported each layer into Animation Shop into their own frames
5.) Set each frame duration to 20% (keeping to the 2 frame rule)
6.) ???
7.) Profit

This may be how I do my animations until I get the proper setup. While its not really smooth, it seems to work. :P

[joedorsey]

Great first animation! It seems a little stiff, but looks very consistent!

[AvestheForumFox]

Great first animation! It seems a little stiff, but looks very consistent!

Nothing a little practice cant fix :)

thanks!

[Poulpette]

Hey that's really good!
It would be better with a more flowing movements.

Good good good. :)

[WillW]

Nice work, you'd be able to take the animation further by modifying the timing of the frames a bit, at current it feels a little too even. I stuck the gif into flash and you had it all on 3's (each frame exposed 3 times) and I found it looked much better with the first 2 frames exposed twice, the 3rd frame exposed 4 times, the forth exposed 6 times (to create a hold before they sneeze) the next frame exposed once and the next one twice and the final frame can be any length as it ends the short sequence. Here's how my time line looked to give a more clear picture on what I mean.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/tyokio/timeline.jpg

this is the result from that. (link) (http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/tyokio/Untitled-2.gif) it adds more impact to the sneeze by holding the frame just before the release of energy.

Hope this helps : D

[AvestheForumFox]

Nice work, you'd be able to take the animation further by modifying the timing of the frames a bit, at current it feels a little too even. I stuck the gif into flash and you had it all on 3's (each frame exposed 3 times) and I found it looked much better with the first 2 frames exposed twice, the 3rd frame exposed 4 times, the forth exposed 6 times (to create a hold before they sneeze) the next frame exposed once and the next one twice and the final frame can be any length as it ends the short sequence. Here's how my time line looked to give a more clear picture on what I mean.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/tyokio/timeline.jpg

this is the result from that. (link) (http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/tyokio/Untitled-2.gif) it adds more impact to the sneeze by holding the frame just before the release of energy.

Hope this helps : D

Hey, Will, that does make a good difference :)
Animation Shop is a bit different than Flash (it doesn't have all those really nice features)

This is what I have to work with at the moment.
http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t346/PutterWatch/animshop.jpg

The Display timer sets the frame's duration, the default is 10% I had all the frames set to 20%. I can set each individual frame for a certain duration though and I may experiment with that in the next few animation tests.

Thanks for your time and advise :)

[WillW]

Ah I see, you should give a program called monkey jam a go http://www.giantscreamingrobotmonkeys.com/monkeyjam/download.html its got some great features and its completely free! I was able to arrange the time line in exactly the same way as I was in flash.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/tyokio/monkeyjam.jpg

you can even use it to capture frames from a camera/scanner. Having a time line like that will give you far more control over the timing of the animation.

[AvestheForumFox]

Hey, that does look like an awesome piece of software! :) I'll have to give it a go when I get back home later tonight. thanks for the link! And free software is always a grand thing :)

[AvestheForumFox]

Animation 2: Here Comes the Plumber!
http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t346/PutterWatch/Animation/herecomesplumbersheet.jpg
http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t346/PutterWatch/Animation/AniTest2-HereComesPlumber.gif

An attempt at a walk cycle. Very crude (it didnt help that the pen wasnt agreeing with me on some of the frames) but again, like the last animation, it seems to work somewhat.

All the frames were sketched on a tiny index card and the same method as the sneeze animation was aplied there afterwards.

I havent got around to using the animation software that Will prescribed to me, (downloading it now) so bear with me on this, Will :)

[AvestheForumFox]

Hai guiz!

Just letting everyone know I'm still alive. I was going to attempt to do an animation each day this year and post it up on here, but these past two days I was stuck moving from one place to another.

I'll be going at these little animation projects again hopefully tonight once I get settled. I did manage to put together a small makeshift light table (using a plastic see through container and a table lamp and a see-through plastic clipboard) so my methods will be changing, hopefully with a much more smoother transition in animation :)

I also found a cheap wooden ruler that I think I could turn into a pegboard (a cheap fifty-nine cent ruler made with three holes specifically made to be stowed away in a three ring binder) I just need three dowels that can fit in the holes and some glue then I'll be set :P

Yes, my setup is a bit primitive, but effective. expect to see some pictures of this setup as well as some new animations.

And if Dave is reading this, I sent an e-mail to you, please go read and respond, it concerns my options in becoming a Dons Club member

[jeremyhopkins]

Yeah the creative setups that people have here are really great! As long as you can get the job done, it doesn't matter what you have. You're doing very well and I like your first tests. My only advice is to think in terms of extremes and inbetweens. What this means is to do your extreme drawings of a walk first (example, 1, then the flipside 7, 3 then 9, 5 then 11) This will help you control volume and mass as well as help get your ideas down quicker. Great start and once and hope you keep on animating!

[AvestheForumFox]

Here's a belated thanks to you Jeremy for the advise :)

I started using my makeshift light table for the first time last night attempting a bouncing ball effect with some additional effects of my own. I hope to have it scanned and posted later tonight.

Stay tuned!

[AvestheForumFox]

My first attempt with: the light table, the bouncing ball effect, still background, and path setup
http://i514.photobucket.com/albums/t346/PutterWatch/Animation/BouncyTom.gif

Let me know what y'all think! :)

[OwenWelsh]

I can really feel the squash when the ball comes down. Nice work on that. Are you animating straight ahead? One drawing after another... or are you animating with the extreme / inbetween method?

[AvestheForumFox]

I can really feel the squash when the ball comes down. Nice work on that. Are you animating straight ahead? One drawing after another... or are you animating with the extreme / inbetween method?

straight ahead at the moment. I feel I need practice with the key-frames (or extremes as y'all call them) until I get a perfect hand for drawing extremes I probably wont attempt any of the inbetween frames. I do get the idea of how they work though :P

I learned about action curves from another website and some easy methods for applying them. Still my animation feels a little too jerky.

I just need to keep practicing until I get it all down pat.

[Poulpette]

That's good. :)
Personally I don't think that your animation is too jerky? no, it's OK for me.

Good work.

[OwenWelsh]

straight ahead at the moment. I feel I need practice with the key-frames (or extremes as y'all call them) until I get a perfect hand for drawing extremes I probably wont attempt any of the inbetween frames. I do get the idea of how they work though :P

I learned about action curves from another website and some easy methods for applying them. Still my animation feels a little too jerky.

I just need to keep practicing until I get it all down pat.

Sometimes when I need to plan out arcs and timing I take a separate piece of paper and just draw the arcs for the motion. Then I draw every drawing for the animation with the proper spacing on that same piece of paper on the arcs that the character will follow. That way I can plan out the timing quickly. It might look a little messy when the drawings bunch up, but then you just simply trace from your plan. It worked me and when I did the bouncing ball test. Do you know what I mean?

[AvestheForumFox]

That's good. :)
Personally I don't think that your animation is too jerky? no, it's OK for me.

Good work.

Thanks! That makes me feel a bit better about my work here :)


Sometimes when I need to plan out arcs and timing I take a separate piece of paper and just draw the arcs for the motion. Then I draw every drawing for the animation with the proper spacing on that same piece of paper on the arcs that the character will follow. That way I can plan out the timing quickly. It might look a little messy when the drawings bunch up, but then you just simply trace from your plan. It worked me and when I did the bouncing ball test. Do you know what I mean?

Oh yeah, I completely understand your meaning. I just get a bit overwhelmed when the drawings do bunch up and worry that all the lines would lead to confusion when I begin the process of drawing the individual frames. I will attempt the practice though. Thanks for the tip :)

Also, that's what I did with the curve. I drew it on a separate sheet of paper with lines for the background, and on another sheet of paper I etched some simple position lines, numbering them as I went. I may upload that today to give you an idea, if you'd like me to :)

[joedorsey]

I like your bouncing ball. It's a nice having him flying down and bouncing into the water.

[jeremyhopkins]

I think it's a cute test as well. You managed to give the little guy(or girl or thing) some personality which is impressive. My only piece of advice is to do a vanilla bouncing ball test first even if it seems boring. The reason why is because it teaches everything, weight, squash and stretch, arcs, slow in and slow out. Don't be afraid to look at reference or shoot video of different balls bouncing and try to understand the difference between a rubber ball and bowling ball. Then apply your knowledge of acting to the test. Cameron Miyazaki has a really good example using all the principals in acting to make the bouncing balls come alive: http://www.cameronmiyasaki.com/Animation/animation_frameset.htm Hope that helps and keep going because it's looking good!