Animation 102: Character Turn Around (2D Character Turn Around)

Feb 24, 2017 We have been presented with the opportunity within animation 102 to create 2D animation tasks rather than stop motion tasks. The brief is exactly the same as the start of the semester, all we do is swap out the stop motion for 2D animation. The 2D animation can be hand-drawn or digital, I've opted to use Adobe Flash as this is a program I am very familiar with and have used countless times. I'm very excited to be finally animating in the medium I've been wanting to improve in since I starting university. There is one task that comes with animating in this way that Johny and Joe outlined to us before they briefed us... that we would have to create a '2D Character Turn Around'. To illustrate what that means here is the example video they showed myself and my peers:

They wanted evidence that we could consistently draw a character with the correct proportions from various view points. I started off by following the example video's technique of using a circle at the bottom of the character's feet that aligned with the shoulders and feet of my character.

On new layers i drew the three other basic dimensions of the character.

This included a left side/right side profile and a back profile.

Once those frames were completed I began to onion skin the animation and draw all of the frames underneath:

I decided to take my character animation one step further and add in yet another set of in between frames.

this image illustrates how many frames ended up being used:

I then coloured the frames in the same colour. This image illustrates the full character turn around.

Below is the video of what the finished effect looked like:

Upon review, my course tutor, Johnny commented on how I need to avoid feathered lines in my 2D animation. I shall redo my animation using weighted lines and I shall study what (Michael D. Mattesi) has to say in the book: 'Force: Dynamic Life Drawing for Animators' about weighted lines. My tutor has assured me this will produce a smoother animation and prove to the viewer that I am more confident in my drawing skills.

I am thankful however for being given the opportunity to commence work on completing this 102 brief through the medium of drawn 2D. I shall update this blog once my work has been edited. UPDATE* I have tried to use more confident and bold lines in my second attempt however I am still not pleased with the proportions. I will later attempt this again and try to draw more confidently using a pose to pose method, rather than straight ahead action.

UPDATED UPDATE** Notes from my course leader, Johny, have outlined that in order to effectively execute the true dynamism in drawn animation, I have to implement more weighted lines in my animation. I was weary of this, as I had been told that my lines were too sketchy in my first turn around animation and too blocky in my second turn around animation. I felt at bit at a loss as to wear I could find a happy medium, it was then that Johny pointed out one of my own illustrations that is on the front page of this blog website:

He said that it was here I had managed to capture dynamism in the lines of my drawings; that if I could capture this in my animations, then I would grow better in my turn around skills but also in my other animation tasks. The real clue that I think he was trying to point out to me was that I needed to stop restricting myself to boring character models. I think he's right because it's the only way I'm going to enjoy the results of my animations. This shall now effect all of my other animation tasks that I have left to animate.