COMPETENCY-BASED LEARNING MODULE ON 211 2D ANIMATION
KEY
By:
RIZZA R. RENOMERON National Assessor for VG NC III CA-VGD0313140909003
JOHN P. LOPEZ JR.
National Assessor for 2D & 3D NC III CA-ANM0313140909021
SHERYL R. MORALES National Assessor for BKP NC III CA-BKP0313140911226
MODULE 1 PRODUCE DRAWINGS ANIMATION
MODULE 1
PRODUCE KEY DRAWINGS .
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Learning Outcome 1. IDENTIFY ANIMATION REQUIREMENTS Information Sheet 1 Basic Animation Concepts Information Sheet 2 Principles and Techniques Information Sheet 3 Process in Animation
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Learning Outcome 2. PRODUCE KEY DRAWINGS Information Sheet 4. Fundamentals of Figure Drawing Information Sheet 5 Character Construction Information Sheet 6. Pose-to-Pose Animation
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MODULE TITLE
PRODUCE KEY
DRAWINGS
Description: This module covers the skills, attitude and knowledge required to identify animation requirements, edit, revise and produce key drawings Course Objective:
At the end of the course, the student will be able to learn the basic knowledge in creating animation
CONTENTS: Information Sheet 1 BASIC ANIMATION CONCEPTS 1.1 W hat is animation 1.2 B rief H istory 1.3 H ow Animation W orks 1.4 Animation and frame rates 1.5 Types of Animation Self- Check 1 Information Sheet 2 PRINCIPLES AND TECH NIQ UES 2.1 12 B asic Principles 2.2 Animation Techniques Self- Check 2 Information Sheet 3 ANIMATION PROCESS 3.1 3.2 3.3
2D Animation Process Chart Equipment The Story B oard Self- Check 3
Information Sheet 4 F UNDAMENTALS OF F IGURE DRAWING 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7
The G esture Structure Shape Analyz ation Values Developing Forms The H ead The Interlocking Forms Self- Check 4
Information Sheet 5 CH ARACTER CONSTRUCTION 5.1 Steps 5.2 Drawing with B asic Shapes Self- Check 5 Information Sheet 6 POSE TO POSE ANIMATION 6.1 What is Pose-to-Pose Animation Method Developing Key Poses Through Working Rough 6.2 6.3 Planning Key Poses 6.4 Expressive Poses
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MODULE 1 IDENTIFYING/ DETERMINING FUNDAMENTAL CAUSE OF PROBLEMS
LEARNING GUIDE Learning Steps
1. Read Information Sheet 1 on Basic Animation Concepts 2. Answer Self-Check 1 3. Read Information Sheet 2 on Principles and Techniques
Resources
Information Sheet 1 Self-Check 1 Information Sheet 2
4. Answer Self-Check 2
Self-Check 2
5. Read Information Sheet 3 on Process in Animation
Information Sheet 3
6. Answer Self-Check 3
Self-Check 3
7. Read Information Sheet 4 on Pfundamentals of Figure Drawing
Information Sheet 4
8. Answer Self-Check 4
Self-Check 4
9. Read Information Sheet 4 on Character Construction
Information Sheet 5
10. Answer Self-Check 5
Self-Check 5
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INFORMATION SHEET 1
BASIC ANIMATION CONCEPTS
1.1 What is animation? “To animate” means “to give life to”. Animations are created from a sequence of still images. The images are displayed rapidly in succession so that the eye is fooled into perceiving continuous motion. This is because of the phenomenon called Persistence of Vision. This is the tendency of the eye and brain to continue to perceive an image even after it has disappeared. For example, in the above shown figure, a sequence of images of a character in various positions gives the illusion of motion when displayed rapidly one after another. Animation generally deals with hand drawn images in contrast to motion video which deals with actual photographs of real-world objects taken through a camera, although both uses the concept of displaying a sequence of images one after another to depict motion. Uses of Animation In multimedia, animation is regarded as an important and useful tool for communicating information. The main application areas of animation include: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Marketing and advertising Staff And Program Development Training Presentations Educational Multimedia Programs Training Programs Sports Edutainment Titles Health-Care Programs Games Process Simulation Cyber Art Interactive Magazines The Internet
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1.2 Brief History Animation is a graphic representation of drawings to show movement within those drawings. A series of drawings are linked together and usually photographed by a camera. The drawings have been slightly changed between individualized frames so when they are played back in rapid succession (24 frames per second) there appears to be seamless movement within the drawings. In 1824, Peter Roget published a paper called “Persistence of Vision With Regard to Moving Objects.” This paper describes the phenomenon that occurs in human vision where an image lingers even after the light from the source has ceased. This phenomenon makes animation possible. This led to numerous “philosophical” toys during the 19th century. These include the Zoetrope, and the Flipbook. The first animated cartoon (in the traditional sense, i.e. on film) was “Fantasmagorie” by the French director Émile Cohl. Released in 1908. One of the very first successful animated cartoons was “Gertie the Dinosaur” by Winsor McCay. It is considered the first example of true character animation. In the 1930s to 1960s, theatrical cartoons were produced in huge numbers, and usually shown before a feature film in a movie theater. MGM, Disney and Warner Brothers were the largest studios producing these 5 to 10-minute “shorts”.Competition from television drew audiences away from movie theaters in the late 1950s, and the theatrical cartoon began its decline. Today, animated cartoons are produced mostly for television, however with the advent of personal computers and the accessibility of the internet and easy animation software such as Flash, it has now become possible for the average person to create animations allowing many novice animators to feature their cartoons online.
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1.3 How animation Works In the traditional animation process, animators will begin by drawing sequences of animation on sheets of paper often using colored pencils, one picture or “frame” at a time. A key animator or lead animator will draw the key drawings (“key” in the sense of “important”) in a scene, using the character layouts as a guide. The key animator draws enough of the frames to get across the major points of the action; in a sequence of a character jumping across a gap, the key animator may draw a frame of the character as he is about to leap, two or more frames as the character is flying through the air, and the frame for the character landing on the other side of the gap. Once the key animation is approved, the lead animator forwards the scene on to the clean-up department, made up of the clean-up animators and the inbetweeners. The clean-up animators take the lead and assistant animators’ drawings and trace them onto a new sheet of paper, taking care in including all of the details present on the original model sheets, so that it appears that one person animated the entire film. The inbetweeners will draw in whatever frames are still missing in between the other animators’ drawings. This procedure is called tweening.
1.4 Animation and Frame Rates Virtually all visual animation media uses frames—a series of still images shown very rapidly to simulate motion or change. Anything you see on a computer, television, or movie screen is based on frames. This goes back to the earliest days of cartoon animation, where the individual pictures were drawn on sheets of cellophane and became known as cels, and the earliest motion pictures, where a similar technique was used with multiple photographs. TV video builds 30 entire frames or pictures every second. Movies are shot at a shutter rate of 24 frames per second, but using projections tricks the flicker is increased to 48. On some projectors each frame is shown 3 times before the next frame, for a total of 72 flickers per second which helps eliminate the flicker effect.
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1.5 Types of Animation There are many different types of animation that are used nowadays. The main types are clay animation, computer animation, cel-shaded animation and regular animation.
Clay Animation Clay animation is not really a new technique as many people might think. Clay animation began shortly after plasticine (a clay-like substance) was invented in 1897, and one of the first films to use it was made in 1902. This type of animation was not very popular until Gumby was invented. The invention of Gumby was a big step in the history of clay animation. Now, clay animation has become more popular and easier to do. Later on, more clay animation films were made, such as the Wallace and Gromit series of movies, the advertisements that were made for the California Raisin Advisory Board and the Celebrity Deathmatch series.
Computer Animation
Computer animation has also become common. Computer animation began about 40 years ago when the first computer drawing system was created by General Motors and IBM. It allowed the user to view a 3D model of a car and change the angles and rotation. Years later, more people helped make computer animation better. Movies that used computer animation are: The Abyss, Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump, and more. Also, computer animation was used differently, as in the show 'South Park', which used stop motion cutout animation; recently it uses computer animation. A well-known computer animation company is Pixar. They are responsible for making Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, and more. Also, video games have used computer animation as well.
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Cel-Shaded Animation Cel-shaded animation is makes computer graphics appear to be hand-drawn. This type of animation is most commonly turning up in console video games. Most of the time the cel-shading process starts with a typical 3D model. The difference occurs when a cel-shaded object is drawn on-screen. The rendering engine only selects a few shades of each color for the object, making it look flat. In order to draw black ink lines outlining an object's contours, the back-face culling is inverted to draw back-faced triangles with black-colored vertices. The vertices must be drawn many times with a slight change in translation to make the lines thick. This produces a black-shaded silhouette. The back-face culling is then set back to normal to draw the shading and optional textures of the object. The result is that the object is drawn with a black outline. The first 3D video game to feature true real-time cel shading was Jet Set Radio for the Sega Dreamcast. After Jet Set Radio, many other cel-shaded games were introduced during a minor fad involving cel-shaded graphics. The next games with cel-shading to capture attention in some form were 2002's Jet Set Radio Future and Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus. Over time, more cel-shaded titles such as Dark Cloud 2, Cel Damage, Klonoa 2, and the Viewtiful Joe series were released with good results. There were also some television shows that used the cel-shading style. These shows included Family Guy, Futurama, Fairly Oddparents, Spider-Man, The Simpsons, and many more.
Regular Animation Animation began with Winsor McCay. He did his animations all by himself, and it took him a long time (about a year for a five minute cartoon). But for some, it was ridiculous that they would have to wait so much for so little. Then the modern animation studio came to be. Years later, more people would invent more cartoon characters. Otto Messmer invented the character 'Felix the Cat'. Later on, the Walt Disney Studio created 'Steamboat Willie', which introduced the character Mickey Mouse. Other companies started to make their own cartoons; some of which we can still watch today.
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"Steamboat Willie" (Regular Animation)
"South Park" (Computer Animation)
"Gumby" (Clay Animation)
"Family Guy" (CelShaded Animation)
"Finding Nemo" (Computer Animation)
"Celebrity Deathmatch" (Clay Animation)
Actually, no rigorous classification of computer animation exists. However, the following non-exclusive terms are used to label different types of animation: •
Real time animation: an animation is real time if a computer is computing and displaying the animation at the same speed as it is designed to be seen at. Typically only simple animations can be displayed in real time.
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Keyframe animation: a technique for producing animations whereby important positions, sizes and orientations of objects at particular points in time are identified and everything else in-between is filled in by interpolation.
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Character animation: animation focused on the display of expressions, emotions and behaviors normally associated with intelligent life forms.
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Motion path animation: a technique where objects or cameras move along a path.
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Hierarchical animation: animation of hierarchical objects.
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Shape animation: there are various forms but the most well known is morphing where one shape changes into another shape.
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Procedural animation: animations typically require considerable data in their production. Procedural animation aims to compute animation data rather than have an animator specify it.
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Simulation: may be characterised as scientific animation. Typically simulations will be using data computed from the laws of physics.
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Camera animation: typified by architectural walkthroughs. In its pure form the only thing which moves is the camera.
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SELF-CHECK 1
A. Identification 1. All visual animation media uses __________a series of still
images shown very rapidly to simulate motion or change. 2. It is a visual technique that provides the illusion of motion
by displaying a collection of images in rapid sequence 3. It is an animation focused on the display of expressions, emotions and behaviors normally associated with intelligent life forms. 4. It is a technique for producing animations whereby important positions, sizes and orientations of objects at particular points in time are identified and everything else in-between is filled in by interpolation. 5. In animation it uses _________ frames per second. B. Create a timeline for significant development in animation.
C. Site at least 3 examples of the following Computer games __________________________________ • Internet: __________________________________ • Advertising: __________________________________ • Science: __________________________________ • Military simulation: __________________________________ • Transport: __________________________________ ●
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C. Do the following: 1. Find a story that migrated from a less visual medium (like a book or play) to animation. Compare the story in both mediums. How did it change?
2. What do you think the animation industry will be like in twenty years? In fifty? What influences might change it? Discuss.
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INFORMATION SHEET 2
PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES
2.1
12 Basic Principles of Animation
The 12 basic principles of animation is a set of principles of animation introduced by the Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas in their 1981 book The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation. Johnston and Thomas in turn based their book on the work of the leading Disney animators from the 1930s onwards, and their effort to produce more realistic animations. The main purpose of the principles was to produce an illusion of characters adhering to the basic laws of physics, but they also dealt with more abstract issues, such as emotional timing and character appeal. The book and its principles have become generally adopted, and have been referred to as the "Bible of the industry. In 1999 the book was voted number one of the "best animation books of all time" in an online poll. Though originally intended to apply to traditional, hand-drawn animation, the principles still have great relevance for today's more prevalent computer animation. 1. Squash and stretch
The most important principle is "squash and stretch", the purpose of which is to give a sense of weight and flexibility to drawn objects. It can be applied to simple objects, like a bouncing ball, or more complex constructions, like the musculature of a human face. Taken to an extreme point, a figure stretched or squashed to an exaggerated degree can have a comical effect. In realistic animation, however, the most important aspect of this principle is the fact that an object's volume does not change when squashed or stretched. If the length of a ball is stretched vertically, its width (in three dimensions, also its depth) needs to contract correspondingly horizontally.
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2. Anticipation An action occurs in three parts: 1. the preparation for the action - this is anticipation
2. the action 3. the termination of the action Anticipation can be the anatomical preparation for the action, e.g., retracting a foot before kicking a ball. It can also be a device to attract the viewer's attention to the proper screen area and to prepare them for the action, e.g., raising the arms and staring at something before picking it up, or staring offscreen at something and then reacting to it before the action moves onscreen. An example of this is the opening scene of Luxo, jr.. The father is looking off-screen and then reacts to something. This sets up the viewers to look at that part of the screen so they are prepared when Luxo, jr. hops in from off-screen. A properly timed anticipation can enable the viewer to better understand a rapid action, e.g., preparing to run and then dashing off-screen. Anticipation can also create the perception of weight or mass, e.g., a heavy person might put their arms on a chair before they rise, whereas a smaller person might just stand up.
3. Staging
This principle is akin to staging as it is known in theatre and film. Its purpose is to direct the audience's attention, and make it clear what is of greatest importance in a scene; what is happening, and what is about to happen. Johnston and Thomas defined it as "the presentation of any idea so that it is completely and unmistakably clear", whether that idea is an action, a personality, an expression or a mood. This can be done by various means, such as the placement of a character in the frame, the use of light and shadow, and the angle and position of the camera. The essence of this principle is keeping focus on what is relevant, and avoiding unnecessary detail.
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4. Straight Ahead Action and Pose-to-Pose Action Straight Ahead Action in hand drawn animation is when the animator starts at the first drawing in a scene and then draws all of the subsequent frames until he reaches the end of the scene. This creates very spontaneous and zany looking animation and is used for wild, scrambling action. Pose-to-Pose Action is when the animator carefully plans out the animation, draws a sequence of poses, i.e., the initial, some in-between, and the final poses and then draws all the in-between frames (or another artist or the computer draws the inbetween frames). This is used when the scene requires more thought and the poses and timing are important. This is similar to keyframing with computer graphics but it must be modified slightly since the inbetweens may be too unpredictable. For example, objects or parts of objects may intersect one another. Computer keyframing can take advantage of the hierarchical model structure of a complex object. Different parts of the hierarchy can be transformed at different keyframes. For example, in a jump, translation keyframes can be set for the entire model in the X and Z directions. Then other rotation or translation keyframes can be set for portions of the model, e.g., the legs and arms.
5. Follow through and overlapping action
These closely related techniques help render movement more realistic, and give the impression that characters follow the laws of physics. "Follow through" means that separate parts of a body will continue moving after the character has stopped. "Overlapping action" is the tendency for parts of the body to move at different rates (an arm will move on different timing of the head and so on). A third technique is "drag", where a character starts to move and parts of him take a few frames to catch up. These parts can be inanimate objects like clothing or the antenna on a car, or parts of the body, such as arms or hair. On the human body, the torso is the core, with arms, legs, head and hair appendices that normally follow the torso's movement. Body parts with much tissue, such as large stomachs and breasts, or the
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loose skin on a dog, are more prone to independent movement than bonier body parts. Again, exaggerated use of the technique can produce a comical effect, while more realistic animation must time the actions exactly, to produce a convincing result. Thomas and Johnston also developed the principle of the "moving hold". A character not in movement can be rendered absolutely still; this is often done, particularly to draw attention to the main action. According to Thomas and Johnston, however, this gave a dull and lifeless result, and should be avoided. Even characters sitting still can display some sort of movement, such as the torso moving in and out with breathing. 6. Slow In and Out This refers to the spacing of the inbetween frames at maximum positions. It is the second and third order continuity of motion of the object. Rather than having a uniform velocity for an object, it is more appealing, and sometimes more realistic, to have the velocity vary at the extremes. For example, a bouncing ball moves faster as it approaches or leaves the ground and slower as it approaches leaves its maximum position. The name comes from having the object or character "slow out" of one pose and "slow in" to the next pose. This is usually achieved by using splines to control the path of an object. The various spline parameters can be adjusted to give the required effect. In 3D Studio this is controlled by the parameters Ease To and Ease From in the Key info window (from the Track info window). When these are zero, there is a constant velocity in either direction, i.e., to/from the keyframe. When Ease To is set to a higher value, the motion is faster as it leaves the previous keyframe and slows as it approaches the current keyframe. When Ease From is set to a higher value the motion is slower leaving the current keyframe and speeds up as it approaches the next keyframe. The tick mark spacing shows the velocity with closer tick marks indicating a slower rate and spaced out ones indicating a faster rate. Examples: •
Ease To/From both set to 0 (bounce0.flc)
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Ease To/From both set to 50 (max value)(bounce1.flc)
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There are other potential problems with spline controlled movements. Because of the nature of splines, there may be an overshoot effect, For example, look at box1.flc. The upper box was keyframed to just touch the top of the bottom box, but because of the properties of the spline curve, it overshoots and goes into the lower box. There are three other parameters that control the approach to/from keyframes. Tension controls the overall shape of the spline curve. Continuity equally affects the angles at which the spline enters and leaves the keyframe. Bias affects the overshoot or undershoot of the motion through the keyframe.
7. Arcs
Most human and animal actions occur along an arched trajectory, and animation should reproduce these movements for greater realism. This can apply to a limb moving by rotating a joint, or a thrown object moving along a parabolic trajectory. The exception is mechanical movement, which typically moves in straight lines. 8. Secondary action This is an action that directly results from another action. It can be used to increase the complexity and interest in a scene. It should always be subordinate to and not compete with the primary action in the scene. An example might be the facial expression on a character. The body would be expressing the primary action while the expression adds to it. Another example would be the trailing electrical cord of Luxo, jr. Adding secondary actions to the main action gives a scene more life, and can help to support the main action. A person walking can simultaneously swing his arms or keep them in his pockets, he can speak or whistle, or he can express emotions through facial expressions. The important thing about secondary actions is that they emphasize, rather than take attention away from the main action. If the latter is the case, those actions are better left out. In the case of facial expressions, during a dramatic movement these will
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often go unnoticed. In these cases it is better to include them at the beginning and the end of the movement, rather than during. 9. Timing and Motion
The speed of an action, i.e., timing, gives meaning to movement, both physical and emotional meaning. The animator must spend the appropriate amount of time on the anticipation of an action, on the action, and on the reaction to the action. If too much time is spent, then the viewer may lose attention, if too little, then the viewer may not notice or understand the action. Timing can also affect the perception of mass of an object. A heavier object takes a greater force and a longer time to accelerate and decelerate. For example, if a character picks up a heavy object, e.g., a bowlng ball, they should do it much slower than picking up a light object such as a basketball. Similarly, timing affects the perception of object size. A larger object moves more slowly than a smaller object and has greater inertia. These effects are done not by changing the poses, but by varying the spaces or time (number of frames) between poses. Timing can also indicate an emotional state. Consider a scenario with a head looking first over the right shoulder and then over the left shoulder. By varying the number of inbetween frames the following meanings can be implied: • • • • • • • •
No in-betweens - the character has been hit by a strong force and its head almost snappedd off One in-betweens - the character has been hit by something substantial, .e.g., frying pan Two in-betweens - the character has a nervous twitch Three in-betweens - the character is dodging a flying object Four in-betweens - the character is giving a crisp order Six in-betweens - the character sees something inviting Nine in-betweens - the character is thinking about something Ten in-betweens - the character is stretching a sore muscle
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10. Exaggeration Exaggeration is an effect especially useful for animation, as perfect imitation of reality can look static and dull in cartoons. The level of exaggeration depends on whether one seeks realism or a particular style, like a caricature or the style of an artist. The classical definition of exaggeration, employed by Disney, was to remain true to reality, just presenting it in a wilder, more extreme form. Other forms of exaggeration can involve the supernatural or surreal, alterations in the physical features of a character, or elements in the storyline itself. It is important to employ a certain level of restraint when using exaggeration; if a scene contains several elements, there should be a balance in how those elements are exaggerated in relation to each other, to avoid confusing or overawing the viewer. 11. Solid drawing The principle of solid — or good — drawing, really means that the same principles apply to an animator as to an academic artist. The drawer has to understand the basics of anatomy, composition, weight, balance, light and shadow etc. For the classical animator, this involved taking art classes and doing sketches from life. One thing in particular that Johnston and Thomas warned against was creating "twins": characters whose left and right sides mirrored each other, and looked lifeless. Modern-day computer animators in theory do not need to draw at all, yet their work can still benefit greatly from a basic understanding of these principles.
12. Appeal Appeal in a cartoon character corresponds to what would be called charisma in an actor. A character who is appealing is not necessarily sympathetic — villains or monsters can also be appealing — the important thing is that the viewer feels the character is real and interesting.[There are several tricks for making a character connect better with the audience; for likable characters a symmetrical or particularly baby-like face tends to be effective.
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2.2 Animation Techniques Animation is the process by which we see still pictures MOVE. Each picture is shot on film one at a time and is shown at the rate of 24 pictures per second making the pictures appear to move.
Why do we see these images as moving? The reason our eyes are tricked into seeing movement can be explained by the ‘Persistence of Vision’ theory.
The persistence of vision theory: Our brain holds onto an image for a fraction of a second after the image has passed. If the eye sees a series of still images very quickly one picture after another, then the images will appear to move because our eyes cannot cope with fastmoving images - our eyes have been tricked into thinking they have seen movement.
The Moving Hand Theory: You can do this by waving your hand in front of your eyes very fast. You will seem to see several hands at once. Try doing this in front of a television screen when it is switched on. You will see even more images of your hand because the television is actually flickering. By waving your hand in front of it you make your eyes very confused about what they are actually seeing.
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Basic techniques used in animation: 1. Drawn Animation. 2. Cutout Animation. 3. Model Animation. 4. Computer Animation. 5. Others.
Drawn Animation: This covers any form where another replaces one drawing in a sequence. Each drawing is slightly different from the one before. It works the way a flipbook does. These animated films are made up of thousands of drawings which are shown on screen very quickly one after the other.
Cutout Animation: This covers any form of animation where cutout shapes are moved around or replaced by other cutouts. Flat objects like buttons, matchsticks and string can also be used in this form of animation. Cutouts can also be laid on top of drawings.
Model Animation: This involves the filming of puppets or any form of three-dimensional models. The materials used could include plasticize, clay or wire - in fact anything that can be bent or formed into another shape. The puppets are positioned and filmed before being moved ever so slightly and filmed again. These shots are put together as a piece of film and will give the impression of the models moving.
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Computer Animation:
Animation has historically been produced in two ways. The first is by artists creating a succession of cartoon frames, which are then combined into a film. A second method is by using physical models, e.g. King Kong, which are positioned, the image recorded, then the model is moved, the next image is recorded, and this process is continued. Using a rendering machine to produce successive frames wherein some aspect of the image is varied can produce computer animation. For a simple animation this might be just moving the camera or the relative motion of rigid bodies in the scene. This is analogous to the second technique described above, i.e., using physical models. More sophisticated computer animation can move the camera and/or the objects in more interesting ways, e.g. along computed curved paths, and can even use the laws of Physics to determine the behavior of objects. Animation is used in Visualization to show the time dependent behavior of complex systems. A major part of animation is motion control. Early systems did not have the computational power to allow for animation preview and interactive control. Also, many early animators were computer scientists rather than artists. Thus, scripting systems were developed. These systems were used as a computer highlevel language where the animator wrote a script (program) to control the animation. Whereas a high level programming language allows for the definition of complex data types, the scripting languages allowed for the definition of “actors”, objects with their own animation rules. Later systems have allowed for different types of motion control. One way to classify animation techniques is by the level of abstraction in the motion control techniques. A low-level system requires the animator to precisely specify each detail of motion, whereas a high-level system would allow them to use more general or abstract methods. For example, to move a simple rigid object such as a cube requires six degrees of freedom (numbers) per frame. A more complex object will have more degrees of freedom, for example a bird might have over twenty degrees of freedom. Now think about animating an entire flock of birds.
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Therefore, a Control Hierarchy is required, so that high-level control constructs can be specified which are then mapped into more detailed control constructs. This is analogous to high level computer languages with complex control structures or data types which are translated at runtime into low level constructs. This refers to the drawing of three-dimensional models and sets on the computer. Images can be scanned into the computer using digital photography or made within the computer itself. Human characters can be built from clay whilst sets and furnishings are modeled using design systems similar to architects drawings. These models are scanned into the computer as wire-frame models that are gradually built up into a colored and textured form that will finally be recorded onto film. The wire-frame model was made on a computer before being built up into the character.
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Others: Facial Animation: Facial animation is the most important part of character animation, and realistic and natural expression of emotions is one of the most important parts of animating a believable character. This, however, is also one of the most challenging aspects of animating a character. The human face is one of the most interesting and intricate parts of the human body. We can detect even the subtlest change of expression within the face, and its familiarity allows us to recognize one face out of a sea of hundreds that we come into contact with every day. In order to successfully animate facial expressions and emotion, a thorough understanding of the human facial muscular structure and how expressions are formed is necessary.
Limited Animation: With limited animation as many repeats as possible are used within the 24 frames per second. A hold is also lengthened to reduce the number of drawings. As a rule not more than 6 drawings are produced for one second of animation. Limited drawings are produced for one second of animation. Limited animation requires almost as much skill on the part of the animator as full animation, since he must create an illusion of action with the greatest sense of economy.
Pose-to-Pose Animation: Some animations for television were made on pose to pose basis because of budget constraints. In pose-to-pose animation purpose of creating and animating is served, but does not enhance it. However animations for features demand more appeal, where pose-to-pose animation does not serve any purpose of producing the feature. Pose-to-pose animation does not serve any purpose of producing the feature. Poseto-pose animation is widely used for stylized animation productions.
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Full Animation: Full animation implies a large number of drawings per second of action. Some action may require that every single frame of the 24 frames within the second is animated in order to achieve an illusion of fluidity on the screen. Neither time nor money is spared on animation. As a rule only TV commercials and feature length animated films can afford this luxury. Animation is expensive and time consuming. It is not economically possible to animate more than is needed and edit the scenes later, as it is in live action films. In cartoons the director carefully presumes every action so that the animator works within exact limits and does no more drawings than necessary. Ideally, director should be able to view line test loops of the film as it progresses and so have a chance to make adjustments. But often there is no time to make corrections in limited animation and the aim is to make the animation work the firsttime.
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ACTIVITY 1
A. Identify the animation principle used in the following example
1. ____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
4. ____________________________
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B. Illustrate the following and tell the animation principle used 1. In the medium shot on the left Mister Moonface looks sad, however the long shot on the right places him in an isolated location, emphasising his loneliness and sadness
2. Mister Moonface’ cape billows out behind him as he walks. When be comes to an abrupt halt, the cape continues moving forwards, wrapping around him, before falling into its natural position.
3. Mister Moonface’ next door neighbour is Mister Midnight. While Mister Moonface is a happy and fun character, Mister Midnight is nasty and scheming.
4. Mister Moonface is startled by a spider. His facial expression is exaggerated, and Mister Moonface’ reaction is exaggerated even further, to the extent that he actually jumps off the floor
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INFORMATION SHEET 3
ANIMATION PROCESS
3.1 2D ANIMATION PROCESS CHART
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STORY DEVELOPMENT Building the storyboard is an integral part of putting together an animated feature. The process provides not only a visual interpretation of the script; it also allows designers in each department to get a feel for what is being presented on screen. Creating the visual story composed of consecutive story sketch panels that depict the action and staging of the film’s script is the first step in the animation production process. Twenty or more departments, converting them into a final full color film, will build upon the concepts and timing initiated here. The storyboard is the basic game plan, the vision of continuity that will drive the entire production. Storyboarding involves working from a film script to set a story down in picture or illustration form; rather like a comic book. The storyboard functions as the blueprint of an animated picture. The following is a breakdown of the story-sketch artist’s set up, and the thought and drawing processes involved.
3.2 EQUIPMENT
1. Pencils:
Whatever the individual feels comfortable with. Anything from an HB to a 6B depending on the quality of the line and darkness of shadow required.
2. Paper: 8.5 x 11, standard white. 3. Field
Guide: Story sketches are drawn to a standard 8-field size (5.5 x 10.25). This is traced down on the paper and represents the screen edge all around. Significant details will occasionally be drawn outside this cutoff since all production artwork is finished out to the edge of the paper. Wide screen projects will have altered field sizes and measurements.
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4. Xerox™ Machine with Variable Size Capability:
It is frequently necessary to enlarge or reduce artwork to specific sizes, both to save time and for cutting purposes. Final approved boards are then enlarged or reduced to proper production size.
5. Desk:
Any comfortable desk will suffice. An animation disk is not necessary, though backlight is sometimes useful.
6. Pin-Up Boards: For displaying sketches in continuity. 7. Push Pins: To pin up sketches 8. X-Acto™ Blade: For cutting Xerox copies before revising. 9. Erasers:
Plastic or kneaded soft eraser: the plastic getting rid of drawings completely, the soft for lightening lines.
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10. Model Sheets and Reference as needed.
11.Chair 12.Overhead Light. 13.Pencil Sharpener.
It is also important to keep your work area neat and easily accessible. Keep the desk functional and as uncluttered as possible. Reference material should be pinned up or displayed for use as you draw.
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3.3 THE STORY BOARD:
A smooth visual flow is the major objective in any film, especially if it is an animated one. Good continuity depends on coordinating the action of the character, choreography, scene changes and camera movement. All these different aspects cannot be considered in isolation. They must work together to put across a story point. Furthermore the right emphasis on such planning, including the behavior of the character, must also be realized. The storyboard should serve as a blueprint for any film project and as the first visual impression of the film. It is at this stage that the major decisions are taken as far as the film’s content is concerned. It is generally accepted that no production should proceed until a satisfactory storyboard is achieved and most of the creative and technical problems that may arise during the film’s production have been considered
There is no strict rule, how many sketches are required for a film. It depends on the type, character and content of the project. A rough guideline is approximately 100 storyboard sketches for each minute of film. If, however a film is technically complex the number of sketches could double. For a TV commercial, more sketches are produced as a rule because there are usually more scene changes and more action than in longer films.
When developing the storyboards, careful attention was paid to budgetary and creative constraints designated by the client. Any solutions that allowed for greater efficiency and better use of the budget without hurting the quality of product were worked into the storyboard, while constantly aiming for increased action and overall coolness. The storyboard process was critical, as it would fine tune the story and serve as a point of reference throughout production. Major corrections and story changes took place during this phase of the project to avoid making them during vital parts of production down the road. Once the storyboards had been approved, they were scanned and taken into Final Cut Pro to be edited into a 2D animatic. The editing of the 2D animatic is where we first took a swing at the trailer’s timing… roughly depicting the camera motion, as well as the actions of the characters.
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Storyboard Process Chart:
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Whether from an original concept or by buying rights to a book, a story must be developed to fit the proposed duration of the movie. This in turn will be refined into a storyboard. A storyboard shows sketches of the envisaged movie, each of which represents perhaps 4-5 seconds of action, with the dialogue shown against each picture. A shooting script and a timing chart are also normally produced. Model sheets are also prepared. These show the major characters in different poses, from various angles and with a variety of expressions. They will also show the coloring to be used. In effect, the model sheet is the nearest an animator usually has to a sculpture of the character. The model sheet is used to fix in the animator’s mind how the character moves and what it looks like. This completes the design phase.. Sample storyboard
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SELF-CHECK 3
A. Visit an animation studio. Diagram the animation production pipeline. Discuss in class. B. Creating a storyboard. Create a conceptual thumbnail about a man playing golf.
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LEARNING OUTCOME 2 PRODUCE KEY DRAWINGS
Introduction We know that animation is nothing but a combined movement of individual frames. Key drawings are communicators of your action.
In the above example, notice the main key position that can communicate the whole action. Drawings at the key positions are know as key drawings or frames, often called as poses. As the number of in-betweens becomes evident the numbering of the key drawings will change. Most commercially available computer animation systems are based on animating with keyframes. At first, this seems like the same thing as keyframes in traditional hand-drawn animation, but it is slightly different, and therefore, you should approach your animation differently. In hand-drawn animation, you work on the basic poses of the scene first, drawing poses of the entire character so the timing and acting can be worked out with a minimum of drawings created. Once the poses are finalized, then the inbetween drawings are created to complete the action. With computer animation, keyframes are values at certain frames for the articulation controls of a model, which are usually set up in a hierarchy. The computer calculates the inbetweens values based on a spline curve connecting the keyframe values..
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INFORMATION SHEET 4 FUNDAMENTALS OF FIGURE DRAWING
4.1 The Gesture This is the most important step of the drawing because it dictates all other steps in the process. Gesture is the action of the pose or movement between its forms. However, this is too vague because gesture should also establish the length, width and direction of all the masses of the figure. In a more abstract sense, the gesture is the life, flow and energy of the figure. The gesture should be established using the longest lines possible. Anything else is a scribble not a line. In the first pass through the figure you should find the triangular or pyramid shape of the pose. Almost all poses fit in to a triangle of one proportion or another. Next, begin to establish the gesture of the pose using those long lines we talked about earlier. Remember above all else, keep it light. Nothing is a mistake until you can’t erase it. 1) Establish the head first using either a bloated triangle or an oval (which ever works best for you), and the sweep of the neck.
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2) Next establish the sweep of the shoulders from acromium process to acromium process (the acromium process is the visible and palpable bump near each end of the collar bone)
3) Now find your way to the ground as efficientlyas possible. This is usually through the center line, or from the pit of the neck to the weight baring foot.
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4) From the acromium process on each side draw a line mimicking the center line down to the crotch. Then draw a line from the outside of the neck to the hip on each side. These lines should establish the gesture of the torso and hips while ignoring the true breadth of the rib cage and pelvis.
From here you should inject only as much structure as is needed to connect the limbs. 5) Establish the gesture of the limbs by first drawing the flow of the limb (usually the tendenous inner portion). Then by establishing the width (the boney outer portion). Also terminate the limbs with the hands and feet, use simple geometric shapes at this time.
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6) Complete the gesture with any supporting elements, in this case the stool, block, pole, etc.
Principles of Gesture 1. Stretch and Pinch. Stretch and pinch is essentially the idea that in any
natural pose the body has an active or “pinch” side and an inactive or “stretch” side. This is best seen through the bean bag metaphor. When you bend a bean bag you can see the fabric elongate on one side and bunch up on the other. In fact you can stick arms, legs and a head on the bean bag and have a decent representation of a human figure. This theory actually applies to most parts of the figure, but none so obviously as the trunk of the body.
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2. Plumb lines. are basically straight vertical or horizontal lines to help establish proper placement in your drawing. This is especially helpful in the case of foreshortening. The way plumb lines work is to hold up your pencil exactly vertical or horizontal. Where things line up on either a vertical or horizontal axis, they should line up exactly the same way in your drawing. This is a good way of double checking your drawing with the model.
Characteristics of Gesture 1) Movement between forms 2) Curved, fluid, graceful 3) Lifeline 4) Connecting line 5) Long 6) Keep it simple (s-curve c-curve straight) 7) Stretch 8) Two-dimensional 4.2 Structure Structure is the movement around a form. While gesture is more or less a twodimensional lay-in, Structure adds a third dimension, depth. Essentially structure turns a shape into a form. The main difference between a shape and a form breaks down like this. A square is a shape, a cube is a form; a circle is a shape, while a sphere is a form.
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In the second stage of the drawing we are going be adding volume to our linear construction. The reason for using this method is so we can all be sure we understand the volumes and are not just mimicking superficial shading tricks that we have seen used by other artists. We should understand the principles behind the tricks so that we can come up with our own way of communicating with the viewer and not be stuck being a second rate copy of some other artist.
Here we are mainly going to be working with cross contour lines, which essentially take the gesture line and turn them either into a rounded cylindrical form, a squared of boxy form or anything in between. This is basically a tool for you to use later on in the drawing, a shorthand or road map for guiding you in your shading of a the form, much the way you will draw in a guideline before cutting a piece of wood. So let us begin. First we need to analyze each form and decide three things: 1) What is the primitive form, is it a cylinder, a
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cube, sphere or a cone? 2) How rounded or squared off is this form? 3) What is its position in three-dimensional space? Is it angled towards me, away from me, or parallel to me? These principles are going to dictate our cross contours.
Characteristics of Structure 1) Movement over form 2) Three-dimensional 3) Pinch, flexion, tension 4) Form, depth, perspective 5) Strength 4.3 Shape Analyzation Shape analyzation is probably one of the most difficult aspects of drawing for most people. It requires you to put aside most of what you have spent so long learning for a time and trust your eye. We spend most of our lives learning what an eye or nose or arm looks like.
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The best way of improving shape analyzation skills is just practice, practice, practice. That cannot be taught. The first thing that has helped me in seeing shapes more accurately is to squint. By squint is to sit at one arms length from my drawing surface, relax, then close my eyes and open them back up slowly until I can make out the figure as a series of blurry light and dark shapes. This is the proper way to see when analyzing shapes. Another trick for getting to draw the shapes more accurately it to think of it almost like connect the dots, but (and here is the trick) you have to find the dots. So basically when looking at the perimeter of a shape mentally, or physically if you find it helps, put a dot on my drawing surface where ever I see a major change of angle. Then I connect the dots with with a straight or slightly curved line, whichever seems most appropriate. Where exactly you choose to put these “dots” and curved and straight lines is called your “design sense”. The result of seeing
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and drawing this way is the simplification of the incredibly complex visuals that nature presents us with into a geometric, posterized, two value version of reality. There are times that what works visually in the real three-dimensional world will not work in the illusionary two-dimensional world of our drawing pad. This is why we sometime have to interpret what we see and not simply translate. When drawing a form that is slightly foreshortened, (which by the way almost all forms are) instead of pushing that form more into profile like a lot of beginning artists do (this is one of the things that gives a lot of artists that very stiff uptight look) I push it more into foreshortening just slightly. Another thing is to push the outlines of a forms closer to you in front of the outlines of forms farther from me. For instance if the models arm is pointed at me I push the lines of the hand in front of the those of the wrist, those of the wrist in front of the forearm, etc. One last thing I like push in my drawings are a anatomical indications that show the volume of a form and conversely remove or play down those that go against that form. For instance I might push the hip insertion of a foreshortened leg, but not the downward bowing arch of the teardrop shape of the vastus internus.
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Keys to shape analyzation 1) Squint 2) Squint 3) Squint 4) Two values 5) Connect the dots 6) Keep it simple 7) Visually relate lights and darks 4.4 Values Start your drawing with two values, this two value breakup is very important to maintain through the drawing. Once you have this established you can add as many values as you want (it is not advisable however) as long as you keep the added values secondary to the big two value separation. The rule for this says “The lightest light in the dark should always be darker than the darkest dark in the light.” Thus, nothing in the unlit side of the form should be as light as anything on the lit side of the form. The best process to establish full value range goes like this: 1) Establish the big two value block in (posterize and simplify) 2) Add in your middle tone to add depth and soften the transition between the light and dark 3) Add your darkest dark and and lightest light, preferably around your focal point with contrast lessening as you move outward away from your focal point. Keys to controlling values 1) Squint 2) Five values or less 3) step 1: block in light and dark step 2: add half tone step 3: add darkest dark step 4: add lightest light
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u 4.5 Developing Forms Form by definition is the shape or struct re of anything. A at this point in our drawing we should have already defined the forms when we defined the structure but now we need to create the illusion of light on form. To do this it is best if we break things down into the four basic primitives of form; the cylinder, sphere, cube, and cone. We have already discussed this to some degree,in the previous chapters, but as in all things art related, there is overlap. The key factor in developing form and that is edges, or the transition between light and dark. Any time you have a light and dark value coming together within a form a corner or change of plane is created visually. The sudden or gradual transition from one ,value,to another is going to tell us weather this change of plane is sudden like on a cube or gradual like on a sphere or cylinder. This transition is what is called an edge in drawing or painting. Basically there ,are four kinds of edges, soft firm hard, and lost. Soft edges are those gradual transitions that you will see on a rounded form. Hard edges are what you would see on an angular form like a square or at the edge of a cast shadow. A firm edge as its name implies, is somewhere in between and would be found most commonly on an angular form that is not completely squared off, like a nose, knee or other bony areas. Occasionally you will observe a dark band of value at the edge of a shadow. This is called a core shadow. Basically this is created when there is a transitional plane that is not being lit by the direct light source or by the reflected light bouncing off the surface beneath the form. Identifying the value zones is very important to developing form. Even before , applying your edges the careful analyzation and placement of your light shadow and reflected light can reveal important changes of plane to the viewer. Be careful to not over-play the reflected light or core shadow card. When, used too often they can create a metallic look to your figure. Even more they can break down a drawing into too many values, and in doing so create confusion for the viewers eye. You should always strive to keep the lighting situation very clear. It will allow the viewer a stronger foot hold in your little world you have created, and47therefore make a more comfortable place for the viewer to visit.
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, A few problem solving tips: ●
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If your drawing or painting is looking ,cartoon-like check to see if your edges are too hard. This can create a graphic or cartoon-like look to your drawings. If your shapes are appearing ambiguous and lacking in structure check to see if your edges are to soft this can create a foggy or weak appearance to the drawing. Overly hard edges are generally favorable to overly soft for two reasons. One viewers will grow quickly bored of a drawing they are having difficulty solving, and two, it is easier to soften an edge than to harden an edge.
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Keys to Developing Form 1) Think in terms of primitives (cubes, spheres, cylinders,, and cones) 2) Carefully observe and utilize your edges 3) Identify the breakup between direct light reflected light and core shadow. 4) In the beginning error on the side of hard edges. 5.6 The Head There are many ways of approaching the head. Lets start at the beginning. The silhouette of the head can be drawn, from the front, as a boxy oval not unlike a pumpkin seed. And from just about every other angle except behind as a sort of bulging triangle. The head can essentially be broken up into thirds vertically and fifths horizontally. If we take the face plane of the head, starting at the top of the forehead or hairline and running down to the chin, and break it up into perfect thirds we will find that the top of the eye socket and the ear will fall on the top division, below the hair line, and the nose and bottom of the ear on the bottom division, above the chin. Now if we divide the width of the head into fifths we will find that the middle fifth defines the width of the nose which is then flanked be the eyes, and those by the width of the head. I f we now look at the head in profile we find that our vertical measurements still hold true, but our horizontal obviously change. The head in profile will fit exactly into a perfect square, if we take that square and cut it in half
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both vertically and horizontally we find that the ear rides on the back of the horizontal halfway and between the brow and nose marks that we found earlier. If we place the vertical halfway we can use that the place both the bottom lid of our eye as well as where the neck connects to the back of the head. A common mistake with connecting the head to the neck is placing the neck on the center of the head like a lollipop. Avoid this mistake by using this measurement. When dealing with up and down head tilts it is helpful to think of the head as a cylinder or more precisely as a whistle. The main reason it is helpful to think of the head this way is because it is easier to visualize your axis and division bending into perspective. If you observe a cylinder with three equal divisions tilted up or tilted down you can find the top of your eye sockets, the bottom of your nose and your ears at any angle.. I am not going to go in depth into each of the features in this book, but there are some important points that I would like to makesome corrections to the most common mistakes
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It is important to realize that for protection, all of the features are built with a bit of an over-hang to protect them from things falling from above. They also fit to the slight curved contour of the , face plane. Rely on skeletal markers for the placement of your features-at the brow ridge where the cartilage of the nose connects to the nasal bone, and where the flesh portion of the
lips connects to the face at the base of the nose
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and at the mentolabial sulcus at the top of the chin.. Do not rely as much on cartilage and even less on flesh, because this varies so much from one individual to the next.
Keys to Drawing the Head 1) Break the head down into thirds vertically 2) Break the head down into fifths horizontally from the front 3) Head fits into a box in profile 4) Use a cylinder metaphor to help find up and down tilts 5) head sits forward on the neck, avoid the lollipop head 5.7 Interlocking Forms It is very important to think of the figure as a whole, and not as a series of anatomical pieces. So, as artists we need to find a way to lock these pieces together in a believable manner. For instance, the shoulder area is a very difficult area because of the double articulation of the shoulder socket and the scapula The shoulder socket itself has only about 90 degrees of movement in any direction except backwards, which is substantially less. After this, the scapula takes over for any further motionthis is what give the human shoulder such an incredible range of motion. A good visual metaphor for this is a towel peg like you might see in a gym locker room. Think of the peg as the upper arm and the towel draped over it as the deltoid, pectoralis and scapular muscles.
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Joints are always a difficult area to deal with. I will often try to break it down into interlocking puzzle pieces. Instead of using two cylinders stuck together, I employ more of a tongue-in-groove construction as demonstrated with the arm’s elbow joint on the right. Another good way of connecting areas is combined shapes. For instance, combining a sphere and a cone. This can be useful in drawing any ball-in-socket joint such as the shoulder or hip. Practice all of these, but remember that these are just principles. Don’t just steal these and go on about your day! Each individual pose will present you with a different set of problems, and to solve them you will need to understand why they work. An indepth knowledge of anatomy will help with coming up with visual metaphors, but it is not necessary. What is more important is that you understand form. Once you do, you can use it as a very powerful tool to turn figure drawing into a much simpler and pleasurable experience. Keys to Interlocking Forms 1) Simplify 2) Use visual metaphors 3) Overlap forms
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SELF-CHECK 4
A. Draw the illustration below. (No tracing please)
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B. Creating gesture drawing 1. Hatch out a line similar to the spinal curve and start there.
2. Look at the position of the shoulders and how the arms extend outwards. They also form dynamic action lines. Now, note the position of the hips, and how the legs extend from the pelvis. Again, more dynamic line work. At this stage you should be creating a stick man skeleton.
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3. This is the foundation of your gesture drawing. Once that is complete, block in the head and neck, followed by the upper torso and pelvis. Do not make the upper body one piece, otherwise you will make your form look more like a barrel than a person. Take a quick second and think about your own anatomy. Your rib cage isn’t fused to your pelvis like a tin can – you have your spinal column to provide the anchor, and your pelvis acts as a pivot point. Therefore, they should be drawn separately. Keep the drawing loose and simple – you can refine these details later. Your next step should be to create the forms of the legs and feet and all the joints in between – knees and ankles. Now, your drawing should look more like a wooden mannequin. Remember – NO ERASING. Just draw. There’s no style points in a gesture drawing. You’re training yourself to create forms quickly and build a better response between your eye, brain and hand.
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INFORMATION SHEET 5 CHARACTER CONSTRUCTION
5.1 STEPS Step 1:
First begin with a LINE OF ACTION. The LINE OF ACTION should always be active. Avoid vertical lines — they are still and can make your character wooden. Try a sweeping curve, a diagonal or horizontal LINE OF ACTION.
Step 2:
Add some simple shapes to the LINE OF ACTION. Think of these shapes as three dimensional, i.e., as FORMS with depth.
Step 3:
We now need to build some STRUCTURE in our character. Draw simple lines for the structure of the arms and legs. TIP: The hips are always attached across from each other and they are
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always opposite each other. If one is forward, the other is back. If one is up, the other is down. Step 4:
Create forms around the line of structure for the arms and legs. Most of the time you will be using cylinders.
TIP: Experiment with different shapes of cylinders. Curved lines against curves or, better yet, curved lines against straight lines form more dynamic and interesting shapes
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5.2 DRAWING WITH BASIC SHAPES
Basic shapes can be adopted to build characters and props. Basic shapes not only enable character creation, but can also be used to create non-living props like Houses, Bike, and Cars etc…
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Some Drawings with Basic Shapes:
Drawing a Cat:
Step 1:
Start your drawing with basic shapes & centerlines.
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Step 2:
Step3:
Step 4:
The next step is to draw the shapes of the Cats Legs.
At this point we sketch in the details, eyes mouth etc.
The last step is to clean up your character on a separate piece of paper, Cat is now finished.
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SELF-CHECK 5
ACTIVITY 1. LET’S DRAW USING BASIC SHAPES Using the steps above, draw a Dolphin with the final image below
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5.3 MODEL SHEETS
In animation, a model sheet is a document used to help standardize the appearance, poses, and gestures of an animated character. Model sheets are required when large numbers of artists are involved in the production of an animated film to help maintain continuity in characters from scene to scene, as one animator may only do one shot out of the several hundred that are required to complete an animated feature film.
In a model sheet you can find the respective character in different poses like side, back, front and three fourth. Animating any character without a model sheet will produce animations with major problems like non-consistency of character. Even an experienced animator will find it hard to conceive how a character looks in different poses, so it is best advised to start animation with a proper model sheet.
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Character Model Sheets:
Character Model Sheets are the templates of the characters used by the animation staff. They provide the construction, structure, proportion, design, etc. for each character. Usually, several models sheets are needed for each character to show the physical and design nuances. Each animator, artists have their own style of drawing. The model sheet guides the 300 or so artists working on the production toward making all the characters look “ON MODEL”. “ON MODEL” means the model sheets have been followed to perfection as if one artist (instead of over 300) has drawn the character. Below is a Model Rotation - its purpose to show the character from all sides
Notice how the character is drawing in the front, profile (side), 3/4 and back views. This is called a CHARACTER ROTATION. For this, we use a simple shaped character. A simple shaped character uses one basic shape or FORM for the main body of character.
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Below are three options you should consider for your character design. They are: a ball, a triangle (or cone) and a combination - a ball and a cone. Please keep in mind the dimensional aspects of your drawing - in other words what appear to be shapes are really 3D forms.
A character rotation should include a front view, back view, 3/4 view, and profile view of the character. These views help the animator (s) understand the character’s construction and proportion. The rotation also insures the character design can be turned. The ability to turn a character is an element of animation that increases the character’s believability.
The easiest and best way to draw out a Rotation is to break down the character into its simplest forms. Then you just rotate the forms. Here the model sheet of Matt is distilled into simple forms. (Pads for the hands and feet, cylinders for the arms and legs, a ball for the body and a ball for the head) Remember that the head (and neck if seen) are ALWAYS on the FRONT side of the body.
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Once the basic forms are drawn- the details are drawn over top the forms. Remember that the hair and fur are like carpeting over the form. Try to simplify the details and apply basic rules of design. (Check to make details, asymmetrical and pay attention to your positive and negative space)
The next page of the model sheet involves a close-up with the details, proportions and structure of the characters head. Use the same procedure for the construction of the head as you did with the body. Begin with the simple forms, then add the eyeline and centerline and then layer the details over top.
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The eyes are anchored on top of the eyeline the nose or snout is anchored below the eyeline. The third page of the Character Model Sheet is a page of 5 or 6 action poses of your character. This page is pure play! Its purpose to make sure the character works in action.Also, think about who your character is. The character is always defined by his or her or its needs and those needs are reflected in his or her or its actions. If you are not sure write a short bio of your character. The concept of character model sheets is to provide enough information about the character, structure, and proportion so others can draw it. In fact, a good test is to give your MODEL SHEET to someone else to draw and see if they can draw your character design.
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SELF-CHECK 5
1. Redraw the sample model sheet below.
2. The next page of the model sheet involves a close-up with the details, proportions and structure of the characters head.
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3. Create 5 or 6 action poses of this character.
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INFORMATION SHEET 6
POSE TO POSE ANIMATION
Introduction Animation techniques such as cut-outs, clay, paint-on-glass, charcoal on paper etc, make use of a method loosely described as ‘straight-ahead animation' in which the animator starts at the beginning of a sequence and works through to the end. This method is often dictated by the medium which animator is using to create images the paint or sand, or objects being manipulated. It is a technique which can produce great moments of inspired spontaneity. Ideas come as one plays around with the medium and these can be easily incorporated into the sequence mid-stream without the audience being any the wiser. The animated films of William Kentridge who draws with charcoal on larges sheets of paper are examples of this method. Drawing straight in to Flash with a graphics tablet using the 'light box' or 'onion skin' tool can also employ a ‘straight-ahead' animation method. But what happens if our cut-outs or clay character misses its cue? Once the parts have been moved, the painted image smudged and destroyed or the plasticine deformed, it is extremely difficult to go back and correct mistakes. A completely different way of working to help solve this problem is the ‘key drawing’ animation method, also called 'pose to pose' animation. 6.1 WHAT IS A POSE-TO-POSE ANIMATION METHOD “Key Poses”, “Key drawings” or just “keys” are terms used to describe those critical positions of an animated character or an object which depict the extreme points in its path of motion, or accents in its expression or mood. For this reason they are also called 'extremes'. This method of animating from one pose to the next, hence the term 'pose to pose' animation, allows the animator to map out the action in advance with ‘sign posts’ by charting up these key poses onto ‘exposure sheets’ or ‘dope sheets’, or indeed into the timeline of computer software. It is a particularly useful animation method when a character
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must perform certain tasks within a predetermined time or where a series of actions must synchronise accurately with a recorded sound track. The technique helps ensure that characters arrive at a particular place on screen at a precise point in time. The ‘key pose’ technique is still the most widely used method of animating. It is also the method of choice within most 2D and 3D digital animation packages these days. Sequences can be tested and individual poses can be re-worked and the animation progressively improved. The exposure sheet or timeline is continually revised to provide an accurate record of how the animation is to be photographed or rendered. This production method also provides a logical way of breaking down work so that it can be handed on to other people in the production chain. EXAMPLES OF KEY POSES
KEY POSE 1
KEY POSE 2
Note:
Consider the way the shapes and forms provide some interesting contrasts in movement. Note the plasticity of its face and that the character appears to remain in balance throughout this action with its feet firmly planted on the floor.
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KEY POSE 1
KEY POSE 2
Note: Poses depicting extremes of exaggeration or distortion, in this case of squash and stretch, need to be considered as key poses too, as these drawings define the limits of these kinds of qualities. There is also an emotional change within this character from one of tiredness and fatigue to bright, sparky and alert.
KEY POSE 1
KEY POSE 2
KEY POSE 3
Note:The nature of the action described in these poses, a jump, necessitates the use of a pose which anticipates the following major action. Anticipation poses are always 'key' poses as they describe the extreme of the movement.
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KEY POSE 1
KEY POSE 2
KEY POSE 3
Note: This example shows the effectiveness of an exaggerated pose within a sequence. In this case, a wide open mouth position using lots of stretch provides contrast to the following drawing of the mouth closed. This results in a 'punchy' snap since the difference between the two drawings is so great.
6.2 DEVELOPING KEY POSES THROUGH WORKING ROUGH When developing key poses, its a good idea to experiment with thumb-nail sketches first to refine the poses and ideas. Initially, the animator’s key poses may be nothing more than rough scribbles to block out the action. This is often done with a blue pencil. There is no point doing lots and lots of highly finished drawings at this stage if the action does not work. Besides, working roughly and quickly sketching out the main shapes, forms and lines of action knowing that these drawings are just a first step in a bigger process, always leads to fresher animation.
An illustration showing how an animator might work in rough scribbles to find the key masses and shapes and then to refine various lines of action to give the drawing purpose and intent before finally fleshing in the character's final form.
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6.3 PLANNING KEY POSES Obviously when planning a set of key poses for a shot or scene, the animator needs to be acutely aware of the requirements of the script and the particular actions and events that are necessary to progress the storyline. Background layouts will define an 'acting space' while storyboard frames will indicate the 'business' of each shot. What is entirely under the animator's control is the way the character 'acts' out these events as informed by an understanding of the character's personality traits, visual design and current emotional state. The key pose planning process goes hand-in-hand with the idea of staging each action in such a way that it 'reads' well and communicates clearly. Several key drawings might be required to describe the sub-movements involved in even the most simple of actions - taking a pair of socks out of a drawer, for example. If we were to go straight from the first drawing of our character standing by the cupboard to the final position with socks in hand, the result would appear as if a pair of socks had just magically appeared in our hero’s hand. Obviously there is information missing which has to be seen by the audience to explain just how the socks got into the character’s hand.
KEY POSE 1
KEY POSE 2
Note: Consider the above information. The story may call for the character to get a pair of socks out of the drawer, but if these are the only poses we use, the effect is of the socks appearing out of thin air. We often need a number of key poses to adequately explain even the simplest of actions.
To tell the full story we need to break down this simple action into several steps. We need to see the character standing by the cupboard, reaching for the drawer, pulling open the drawer, dipping a hand in, and finally extracting the socks. Each
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of these poses, including squash and stretch, anticipations and any poses which use exaggeration, are treated as a separate ‘key pose.’
6.4 EXPRESSIVE POSES Animation usually operates in the realm of caricature in which exaggeration becomes an important factor in order to capture the spirit of the action being depicted. Good strong key poses emphasise and communicate the intent of an action more efficiently than ill-considered ones. Put simply, strong keys lead to strong animation. It is therefore vital to spend time and thought working out the key poses until they do their job as expressively as possible as it will pay dividends as if these work well. "Limited" styles of animation are based on keys only, and this labor saving technique does not necessarily affect the audience's enjoyment of a piece.
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Although these drawings are perfectly static, they are nevertheless highly expressive, possessing a dynamic quality that suggests action. Such poses are the beginning of strong animated sequences. As animators work out the key poses of a particular sequence, they also find it helpful to consider whether or not the action works well if reduced to a silhouette. Staging the action of hands gesturing immediately in front of the body may not be as effective as staging this action in profile where the various shapes and forms can be seen in a way that does not rely on the challenge of drawing complex foreshortening. Poses should have both function - depicting the physical extreme of an action or setting up the character for an action to follow by loading its 'muscles', and impact - an expressive pose with a dynamic quality that implies what has gone before, what is about to come, and which registers and emphasises the inner emotional state of the character. Animation is an illusion requiring the audience to suspend its disbelief. The audience can be absolutely engaged within the stories we tell and the world of characters that we create. However the illusion is a very delicate one, and alas, it is all too easy to remind the audience that they are merely looking at a series of drawings, a puppet, or a moving computer model. To sustain this illusion, in a sense, we also have to infer the physical laws of our animated world in such a way that they are not in conflict with our day-to-day experience of natural laws we observe in the real world. These laws can be represented in an incidental way by how your character moves about its setting. Your key poses, therefore, should also show how the character carries its own weight - is one leg relaxed while the other supports the entire weight of its body? Is the body of the character under some physical strain from carrying, pushing or pulling a heavy object? Perhaps you need shift the character's weight off-centre to counter-balance the object it is carrying. What is its state of balance or indeed unbalance? Consider the 'line of action', the main mass of the character and and what happens to these masses when your character propels itself from a resting position - there must be at least one firmly locked down a contact point with the ground (usually a foot) so that the forces involved in getting your character moving can be seen to pass through its body to this contact point making the action
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believable. The slippage of feet upon the ground at inappropriate times, is one sure way of shattering this illusion. When learning how to animate for the first time, get up out of your chair and act out the action you are trying to represent. Feel where your limbs are space, what you muscles are using, the contact points you have with the stable environment, and how the weight of your body is being supported. If your all your key poses are correctly thought out and timed, you will have no trouble in getting all your ideas across to an audience. Flick your key drawings from one to the next to ensure that the poses you have chosen work well together. It is usually only after all the key poses of a scene have been timed out on the exposure sheet and tested, that the animator or their assistant returns to add the ‘inbetween’ drawings. In larger traditional animation studios, these numbered drawings are handed on to an assistant to further clean up and refine according to character model sheets. Once tested, an ‘inbetweener’ adds the required number of drawings between each key pose as prescribed by the animator’s dope sheets. A clean-up artist will tidy up all the drawings ready for tracing. In digital production, a computer software package can inbetween for you, but it does not follow that computer software understands how things move in the real world.
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SELF-CHECK 6
A. Identification. 1. It is used to describe those critical positions of an animated character or an object which depict the extreme points in its path of motion, or accents in its expression or mood. 2. This method allows the animator to map out the action in advance with ‘sign posts’ by charting up these key poses onto ‘exposure sheets’ or ‘dope sheets’, or indeed into the timeline of computer software. 3. Obviously when planning a set of key poses for a shot or scene, the animator needs to be acutely aware of the requirements of the ________ and the particular actions and events that are necessary to progress the storyline. 4. Key poses describe WHAT happens, but not necessarily HOW it happens. True or False 5. Poses should have both ___________ - depicting the physical extreme of an action or setting up the character for an action to follow by loading its 'muscles', and __________- an expressive pose with a dynamic quality that implies what has gone before, what is about to come, and which registers and emphasizes the inner emotional state of the character.
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B. From the given example, Create key poses which shows character standing by the cupboard, reaching for the drawer, pulling open the drawer, dipping a hand in, and finally extracting the socks. Use the next page for your drawings.
KEY POSE 1
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Module 1. Produce Key Drawings N
Recording Sheet For Oral Questioning / Interview Student name: N
Module Title/ o: Qualification: Oral/interview questions
Satisfactory response Yes
o
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The student's underpinning knowledge was: Satisfactory
Not satisfactory
Student's Signature:
Date
Trainor's signature:
Date:
Acceptable answers are:
Trainor's signature:
Date:
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Rating Sheet Module 1. Produce Key Drawings Performance Feedback
Remarks
S
C
NS
NYC
1. Self-Check 1 2. Self-Check 2 3. Self-Check 3 4. Self-Check 4 M
5. Self-Check 5 6
Self-Check 6
S - Satisfactory NS – Not Satisfactory C - Completed NYC – Not Yet Completed Module is Completed Remarks:
Not Yet Completed
Student's Signature
Date
Trainor's signature:
Date:
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