The main job of the animator is to create clarity and communicate the actions effectively
the next is to display a clear point of view, and ensure to use anticipation to allow the viewer to be in the moment in keep up with the story.
start off with setting up the key points/ the main poses and communicate through the form and emotions of the character
when it comes to emotions with animals as animals don't tend to have eyebrows which can disadvantage their ability to display emotion, this can often be displayed by fur patterns that may resemble eyebrows.
Always start with a character pose/ idea sheet, especially for 2d animations, but can be very valuable for 3D animators too! acting in your head when it comes to timing and posing before you implement it into your animation. 2D/ grease pencil; When creating the rough animation sketches with multiple character make sure to use different colors for each character. find the story in the pose, for the characters gestures, where is the strong shape?
when posing, start with the angle of the head using the eye line to determine the base of the character expression, then work on the eyes and facial expression then move onto the rest of the characters form.
to speed up, you need confidence of what your animating, this skill can be developed by trying not to press play during the animation process, it wont be easy at the start but when you get the hang of it and learn to plan ahead, you will have a clear understanding of the timing.
the feet, body and head, this relationship is the basis of what phases of walking/ moving need attention.
when working from pose to pose, be sure to consider the movement in between poses, e.g. will the character arms arc.
when walking, the feet don't move in a perfect parallel
when trying to make a focal point, your eye tends to look at what moves the most.
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