Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
the habit of observing all types of action, not just the very dynamic ones such
as dance or the ones you see at sports events. Everyday mundane actions are
worthy of analysis and will probably be of more direct benefit to you than
very unusual, if highly energetic, actions on the sports field. As an animator,
it is critical that you develop an eye for the way things move and behave in
regard to everything from how people walk, the action of wind on water, and
the flight of birds to running horses. To get started in this level of research,
you don't need any special equipment, you don't need to go anywhere
special, you don't even need to
do
anything very special: just stop looking
and begin to
see
.
Start to observe the way people move around and interact. See how body
language reflects the mood of a person and observe how different people
move in different situations. See how young children and old people walk
and compare the two. Notice how they pick up things with confidence
or uncertainty. See how people use simple tools such as pens or keys.
Analyze how different people open doors or run for a bus or lift a cup of
tea to their mouths to take a drink. Begin to see the differences of people
making a simple action like taking a drink, depending on who is drinking,
what they are drinking, and where and in what company they are doing
the drinking. Start to notice how fast things and people move. Even a
simple activity such as taking the dog for a walk can provide a lesson in
dynamics.
Once you have started this level of first-hand observation you will soon find it
becomes second nature and you'll be surprised how much you start to notice
the things that once went unnoticed and how much you begin understand
about movement. This kind of first-hand observational research will provide
you with a very useful point on which you can start building throughout your
animation career.
Becoming the Reference
The access to and use of really good reference material is important in
making believable animation. We have very many sources to draw on in
this effort. One very rich and useful source of information that is readily
available to us all but that animators often overlook is their own bodies.
Faced with the problem of animating the performance of a particular figure,
you will find that one of the quickest and easiest solutions is to observe a
real figure going through the same action that's required for the animation.
Having a model on hand to undertake a series of actions that animators might
want to study is highly impractical. However, animators might choose to work
together, each providing the movements for the other to study. In this way
they can direct the figure to undertake the
exact
action they require. Working
as partners they can quickly explore alternative actions and make changes to
any planned action
before
they begin animation, thereby saving a lot of time
and effort.
