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Description
#4: Simple character head turn. I spectacularly failed to keep it simple (as I quite often do) and as a result this took way longer than it should have. It was really just supposed to be the most basic head you can imagine going turning their head in one motion. Instead, I added anticipation, visible changes in thought and emotion, and probably what blew up the time spent on this more than anything else... that damn hat. I'm going to skip the next exercise (#5: Character head turn with anticipation) as I think I've already well and truly covered that with this head turn

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After realizing just how inept I am at animating anything other than an ambiguous, amorphous blobs, I decided to go on a bit of an animation pilgrimage. I'm going to be plowing through a list of 51 animation exercises (found at the very excellent animatorisland.com) to try and get myself going. I've found it's easier to just follow a list than it is to try and think up little tasks for myself. I'll also be timing how long it takes for me to complete the exercise. I theorize that this will encourage me to stop being a lazy twit and letting myself get distracted by stuff. The list is as follows...
Level 1 Exercises
Ball Bouncing in place, no decay (loop)
Ball Bouncing across the screen
Brick falling from a shelf onto the ground
Simple character head turn
Character head turn with anticipation
Character blinking
Character thinking [tougher than it sounds!]
Flour Sack waving (loop)
Flour Sack jumping
Flour Sack falling (loop or hitting the ground)
Flour Sack kicking a ball
Level 2 Exercises
Change in Character emotion (happy to sad, sad to angry, etc.)
Character jumping over a gap
Standing up (from a chair)
Walk cycle [oldie but goodie!]
Character on a pogo stick (loop)
Laughing
Sneezing
Reaching for an object on a shelf overhead
Quick motion smear/blur
Taking a deep breath [also tougher than it sounds!]
A tree falling
Character being hit by something simple (ball, brick, book)
Run Cycle

Level 3 Exercises
Close up of open hand closing into fist
Close up of hand picking up a small object
Character lifting a heavy object (with purpose!)
Overlapping action (puffy hair, floppy ears, tail)
Character painting
Hammering a nail
Stirring a soup pot and tasting from a spoon
Character blowing up a balloon
Character juggling (loop)
Scared character peering around a corner
Starting to say something but unsure of how
Zipping up a jacket
Licking and sealing an envelope
Standing up (from the ground)
Pressing an elevator button and waiting for it
Level 4 Exercises
Character eating a cupcake
Object falling into a body of water
Two characters playing tug-of-war
Character dealing a deck of cards out
The full process of brushing one’s teeth
A single piece of paper dropping through the air
Run across screen with change in direction
Sleeping character startled by alarm then returning to sleepy state
Opening a cupboard and removing something inside
Putting on a pair of pants
Opening the “world’s best gift” and reacting
Any of the above exercises using a very heavy character/object next to a very light character/object. Enhance the differences the weight change makes

Made in Blender using the grease pencil tool.

Description
#4: Simple character head turn. I spectacularly failed to keep it simple (as I quite often do) and as a result this took way longer than it should have. It was really just supposed to be the most basic head you can imagine going turning their head in one motion. Instead, I added anticipation, visible changes in thought and emotion, and probably what blew up the time spent on this more than anything else... that damn hat. I'm going to skip the next exercise (#5: Character head turn with anticipation) as I think I've already well and truly covered that with this head turn

<- Previous Animation || Next Animation ->

After realizing just how inept I am at animating anything other than an ambiguous, amorphous blobs, I decided to go on a bit of an animation pilgrimage. I'm going to be plowing through a list of 51 animation exercises (found at the very excellent animatorisland.com) to try and get myself going. I've found it's easier to just follow a list than it is to try and think up little tasks for myself. I'll also be timing how long it takes for me to complete the exercise. I theorize that this will encourage me to stop being a lazy twit and letting myself get distracted by stuff. The list is as follows...
Level 1 Exercises
Ball Bouncing in place, no decay (loop)
Ball Bouncing across the screen
Brick falling from a shelf onto the ground
Simple character head turn
Character head turn with anticipation
Character blinking
Character thinking [tougher than it sounds!]
Flour Sack waving (loop)
Flour Sack jumping
Flour Sack falling (loop or hitting the ground)
Flour Sack kicking a ball
Level 2 Exercises
Change in Character emotion (happy to sad, sad to angry, etc.)
Character jumping over a gap
Standing up (from a chair)
Walk cycle [oldie but goodie!]
Character on a pogo stick (loop)
Laughing
Sneezing
Reaching for an object on a shelf overhead
Quick motion smear/blur
Taking a deep breath [also tougher than it sounds!]
A tree falling
Character being hit by something simple (ball, brick, book)
Run Cycle

Level 3 Exercises
Close up of open hand closing into fist
Close up of hand picking up a small object
Character lifting a heavy object (with purpose!)
Overlapping action (puffy hair, floppy ears, tail)
Character painting
Hammering a nail
Stirring a soup pot and tasting from a spoon
Character blowing up a balloon
Character juggling (loop)
Scared character peering around a corner
Starting to say something but unsure of how
Zipping up a jacket
Licking and sealing an envelope
Standing up (from the ground)
Pressing an elevator button and waiting for it
Level 4 Exercises
Character eating a cupcake
Object falling into a body of water
Two characters playing tug-of-war
Character dealing a deck of cards out
The full process of brushing one’s teeth
A single piece of paper dropping through the air
Run across screen with change in direction
Sleeping character startled by alarm then returning to sleepy state
Opening a cupboard and removing something inside
Putting on a pair of pants
Opening the “world’s best gift” and reacting
Any of the above exercises using a very heavy character/object next to a very light character/object. Enhance the differences the weight change makes

Made in Blender using the grease pencil tool.