Study Task 7 of Animation Fundamentals: Evaluation

Animation 1: Animation Skills

Study Task 7: Evaluation

To evaluate the process of my work, over all of the modules, I used the Evaluation PDF document we were given and followed the questions in order to produce a critical and analytical evaluation. I produced a draft of the process, with the PDF link here:




The evaluation process was quite easy, I found, as I had already evaluated my work throughout the blog posts and became used to critically analysing my videos and animation process.

Study Task 6 of Animation Fundamentals: Secondary Action

Animation 1: Animation Skills

Study Task 6: Secondary Action

For the second to last study task, as my final outcome, I wanted to recreate my storyboard to improve elements of the character movements and cuts, in order to make the animation flow better. I used the character I had previously created, Chamomile and additionally wanted to focus on creating backgrounds, as I had not done this prior.

Process Video

Overall, I think that the animation contains and creates an overview of all of the previous animation fundamentals, however I think there could be further exaggeration, such as with the shot at the end. To include a secondary action, I animated the rocks spraying up as he jumps and the dust settling when he lands. This was completed in a separate layer in Photoshop.

I looked at background/concept artwork created by other shows, such as Gravity Falls, as it fit with the natural backgrounds I wanted to recreate, as a crystal cave.

Backgrounds


Final Animation with Sound

Overall, I think I have improved on my timing and spacing. I incorporated squash and stretch, exaggeration, anticipations, arcs and overlapping actions. I think it could also be further improved with additional squash when he jumps down and more detailed camera movement in post-editing.

Study Task 5 of Animation Fundamentals

Animation 1: Animation Skills

Study Task 5: PARTS A and B - Anticipation, Exaggeration, Follow Through and Overlapping Animation

For Part A of the task I had to demonstrate anticipation and exaggeration, this was combined with Part B to produce a full mixed-media animation. I decided to try cut-out animation for Part A and compiled it together in Photoshop. The backgrounds and foreground were painted traditionally, however I think the animation could be improved with more cut-out frames for fluidity and could be improved quality-wise.

For the backgrounds, I researched the use of backgrounds in the concept art for Disney's Bambi, which uses a watercolour-like texture. I additionally referenced the duller toned The Tale Three Brothers animation, featured in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, as part of my research.

Traditional Backgrounds

 Made using acrylic paint and watercolours

Digital Backgrounds

Part B - Follow Through and Overlapping

For this part of the animation, I decided to do it entirely digital, using the digital backgrounds also. The animation incorporates follow-through and overlapping, through the ears and the run cycles, when the character leaps into frame. Once lined and coloured, I added sound effects.

During this part of the task, I added a blink animation, as Chamomile turns his head to incorporate the blink into the task. I found that from "The Animators Survival Kit", where it references using a blink, to create a snappier turn.

I think it could be improved by creating a flowing transition between the initial cut-out animation to the digital animation. The timing could also be improved in the cut-out, by including additional frames.

Animation 1: Animation Fundamentals - Feedback

Animation 1: Animation Skills

Formative Feedback and Improvement

Positive Feedback:

• Good pendulums
• Task 2: Turn around worked well, Storyboard dynamic
• Task 3: Bouncing ball improved greatly the second time

From both my peers and tutor, I received minor feedback to improve the work I have already done and also the work I complete in the future. I was told by both my tutor and peers to add colour and make my original storyboard more understandable. Which was the first thing I completed.

The Original

Improvements

In addition to this, I was told to make my poses more dynamic in my model sheet and also redo the solid drawing task, to make the movements of the figures less stiff, following a line of action. I improved the model sheet and was able to practise fluid movement in both model sheets.

Orions' Sheet

Chamomiles' Sheet

To improve my line-of-action studies, with the solid drawing Study Task 1, I decided to redo the poses and try to break them down more to a skeleton, then fleshed out. The one colour and full render were also redone:

Here is the PDF Link to the solid drawing redos and the spot colour drawings and full render.

Here is the PDF embedded:

Spot Colour:

Full Render:

Here is the link to the OLD version

Old PDF:

Study 3 of Animation Fundamentals: Timing

Animation 1: Animation Skills

Study Task 3: Timing

The Blinking Animation

For this study task we had to create a blink animation, creating a "snappy" motion as practise. Once completing the blink, I coloured the frames and then moved onto the scene/shot animation. I think that I managed to demonstrate snappy movement with the blinking, however I feel I could improve by making more consistent lines with the eyes. I was able to make improvements to my timing, when I also referenced the book, "Animators Survival Kit", which has a section on timing.

The Frames on 12s

For the second task as part of this, we had to create a series of 6-12 drawings to demonstrate the movement from one shot on our storyboard to the next. As my storyboard consisted of a lot of cuts, there was only one I could use. This consisted of my character jumping, at a close-up and a smash zoom-out to demonstrate him protecting the rabbit. I decided to animate the camera movement also to time that correctly.

Timed Frames

I think that I did well in managing to get the animation done in two hours and that I created both fluid and snappy movement. I could improve by making the shape and body more consistent and the lines consistent in drawing. 

Timed Frames Coloured

Shaded Gif:

Study 2 of Animation Fundamentals: Staging

Animation 1: Animation Skills

Study Task 2: Staging

Within developing a storyboard, I decided to create two further characters which would explore my original characters' archetype. For reference, we took photos in groups of scenarios for each shot to help with framing. When developing my storyboard, I kept straying away from the original ideas, however most shots remained based upon the original photos.

Link to PDF containing initial sketches and ideas

I found it difficult to apply animal-type creatures to human references, so I used the photos taken to understand the cameras' position in relation to the character and how this would change their shape or dynamic. 

With the final storyboard, I feel I could improve by containing more dynamic shots to create interest and darker tones within the backgrounds. 

Study 2 of Animation Fundamentals: Appeal

Animation 1: Animation Skills

Study Task 2: Appeal
(Click images for original sized versions)

The first section of study task two consisted of creating a character based upon a certain archetype and producing a turnaround model, a character model sheet and a development sheet.

I chose to explore the Rebel archetype and produced a Mind Map of ideas and concepts, including research online. From this, I created a character development sheet. I initially struggled with developing an interesting character, but I went with what first came into my mind, which was a demonic character to fit the archetype.

I wasn't sure how to start the model sheet, nor turnaround, so I created a series of sketches and developments in my sketchbook, before creating a finalised digital Character Model Sheet and Character Turnaround. I wanted to keep the colours bold, but simple, therefore I used a grey skin-tone and bright red eyes, to fit the rebellious and "risk taking" personality.

I used reference photos and research to create the character of Orion, which was a combination of images of bats, previous drawn images and inspiration from the puppet wolf, used for Sirius Black in Harry Potter, as his wolf-form. The model sheet was drawn entirely in Photoshop, which I have knowledge of using prior to the course.

Study Task 1 of Animation Fundamentals: Solid Drawing 2 (Improvements)

Animation 1: Animation Skills

Study Task 1: Solid Drawing 2

To improve on the Solid Drawing task, I decided to redo the poses and push the line of action further. I also followed the idea of breaking down the poses to a "skeleton" before further refining them. The one colours and full render were scanned and coloured digitally.

Here is a link to the PDF Document containing the 2 minute and 5 minute drawings.
And the Embedded file:


I feel that I've greatly improved and the drawings feel less stiff. I wanted to do the same for the spot colour and full render drawings, here.

The OLD Spot colour drawings, in comparison:

Study 1 of Animation Fundamentals: Solid Drawing

Animation 1: Animation Skills

Study Task 1: Solid Drawing

For the first study task, we were told to create a series of twenty drawings, starting with ten 'line of action' studies.

 I found that I was quite good at analysing the action and depth with each two minute pose. A lot of the anatomy within the poses was difficult at first, however after several poses, I found it became easier. One thing I noticed was that I tended to skip steps, making the drawings more refined straight away, rather than just a skeleton drawing.  This task was completed in Biro pen, as a weakness of mine is wanting to erase lines straight away, thus using a pen meant the line was permanent.

The five minute studies were similar to the two-minute ones,  however when it came to "copying" the poses to refine them, I found that it was difficult to get the pose right again. When I moved onto the Black and White "refined" drawings, I completed three, two being the same pose, but with a different approach to line work. 

Both the spot-colour drawings and the "final render" drawings used a pencil sketch, as I had learnt to use from the previous drawings. Due to the limit of time, the pose and character had to remain simple.

Link here to PDF Document

PDF Here: