Original Post date: Jun.09.2005
We’ve finally been allowed to rotate the camera into the 3rd dimension! I thought it looked pretty good in the last pass (from side view) until I moved the camera! Here’s the final refinement of the walk test:
Angled view:
(right-click image to download quicktime movie)
Front view:
Original Post date: Jun.09.2005
For our final sketchbook assignment we’re asked to find a pose for Stu that shows he is “in balance” - meaning line of action and centre of gravity are clear and make sense and weight is distributed across the legs using the hips while shoulders counter-balance etc.
He looks ‘balanced’, right? 
Original Post date: Jun.04.2005
This week we’ve been asked to choose a personality/mood of our choice and apply it to a character walk. I chose a happy “keep on truckin’”-type double-bounce walk. This file has 3 passes:
1. Double-bounce basic
2. Double-bounce with exaggerated hips
3. Double-bounce alternative rhythm
Original Post date: Jun.04.2005
Here’s the final refinement of the one-legged jump. I’ve tried to show a build-up of force as he swings back in anticipation, adjusted the spacing to show force carried through the launch and into a smooth arc and path of action. Squash and stretch is used on the ball but also shown by compressing and stretching his leg out in anticipation of the landing, then compressing again into the final follow-through and settle.
(right-click image to download quicktime movie)
It’s been through 4 rounds of critiques from mentors and students but it’s been a lot of fun applying all the principles we’ve learned over the past 9 weeks! 
Original Post date: May.28.2005
The first pass had some major issues with spacing (again) the ball section (or hips) of Ballie. Here’s a refined version of the Basic Walk test:
(right-click image to download quicktime movie)
And here’s a shot progression, showing the final blocking pass, refinement pass and refinement with “ghosting” turned on:
(right-click image to download quicktime movie)
This test was conducted to understand the mechanics of a walk – specifically the rotation of the hips, and the key “contact” and “passing” positions that make up a walk cycle.
Original Post date: May.28.2005
This week’s sketchbook assignment has two parts:
1. Thumbnails exploring Ballie turning around
2. “Concerned” pose for Stu
These sketches are great for understanding how our hips mantain balance as weight is shifted around.
Original Post date: May.23.2005
Moving swiftly through the cast of characters at Animation Mentor, here’s Ballie in my first walk test. We’ve been asked to create a “vanilla” walk using a pose to pose method to help us understand the mechanics of a walk and not get distracted by trying to add attitude or personality to it:
Initial blocking:
(right-click image to download quicktime movie)
First pass at inbetweens:
Original Post date: May.23.2005
Here’s a revision of the one-legged jump. The main changes are in the spacing, the first pass was too evenly spaced. This one still doesn’t feel quite right, I’ll continue working on it:
Original Post date: May.21.2005
A quick exercise in depicting physical strength in Stu:
Working with the rig is getting easier now and I’m finally getting quicker at finding my way around Maya. I think this pose could be pushed a lot further to really sell the weight and give it a more dynamic feel overall, but I’ll wait for feedback before making changes.
Original Post date: May.15.2005
I love how we’re being taken through the principles of animation. Now that we’ve practiced anticipation, spacing and timing and the concept of compression frames with squash and stretch, we’ve been given a one-legged character to animate a single jump showing all of the above as well as this week’s topic: Arcs and Paths of action.
Here’s my first pass at the one-legged jump:
(right-click image to download quicktime movie)
Here’s the same thing with “ghosting” turned on in Maya to help me track the path of action:
