Video test of my new character

[strider2000]

Close to finishing a new character and doing a little video test.

[ColonelPhil]

Nice. I like the movement. Especially the head movement.
I have been re-watching some of your symmetrical Points videos and they have inspired me to simplify my characters to less of a semi-realistic style and more of a "Disney of the 50's" Style, at least in design, my animation style will develop as I delve deeper into the animation process.

[strider2000]

Thanks. It's all a slow process for me, since I only have a couple of hours a week to do stuff. But it's fun.

[funksmaname]

they eyes seem to be really dragging behind the face - it's quite disconcerting! check everything is in sync

[strider2000]

Wow, funksmaname. Please tell me you used your youtube frame by frame tool to see that Once I did I see exactly what you mean, but I totally missed it when looking at it at full speed Thanks for pointing it out. Clearly my eye has a long way to go to be discerning.

[funksmaname]

heh, no I didn't - I noticed it straight away... it's in the middle of the blink, the eyes are way to the left of the face, then they travel over... at least you noticed it now you can fix it

[strider2000]

Ok ... take 2. My head turn accidentally had smooth interpolation set for the eye bones, but not the face


Interestingly, I think the problem is more noticeable (at least to me) when the image is smaller.
Let's see if that's any better. (The rest is probably my poor artwork )

[funksmaname]

Way better!

[strider2000]

I'm sure there's lots for me to improve on, but I really appreciate your input. Once you pointed it out it was so obvious, but I was blind to it. The exciting part is I'm clearly learning! Thanks again!

[dueyftw]

Nice background one the second shot. Try splitting it into three layers. If you shot is only going to be 2 seconds almost no one will notice. But if it any longer the bush should be in the foreground.

A way to separate it is to duplicate the background and mask it off. Then in Photoshop or gimp make all other colors except the green of the bush go to alpha. I can never seem to get the range of colors that is needed, other wise it make the bush look like a ghost where you can see through it. Currently my way of doing the is with After Effects rotoscope tool.

Dale

[strider2000]

Thanks Dale. I don't have After Effects, but I do have Manga Studio (ie Clip Paint Studio) so I'm sure I can separate the layers with a little work. You're right I just grabbed an image for this little test, but separating the layers for depth is a great idea and something I need to do. Thanks.

PS
As an aside I'm taking some days off for the Easter weekend and so hopefully I'll get a little time to do some animation related stuff I'm starting to read through Richard Williams "The Animator's Survival Kit", based on Victor's recommendation in one of his webinars. Yesterday I read this in the book

I've never understood why some people in animation are so desperate to save work. If you want to save work, what on earth are you doing in animation? It's nothing but work! - Richard Williams

LOL Anime Studio Pro surely makes it so much easier to do things than drawing each frame by hand ... for every frame, but I think that just means we try to do that much more in our animations!