Anyways, Shall we start?
Part 1: Quadruped Locomotion.
During the first week, things started okay. We were first to sketch up some live drawing of a dog and a monkey skeleton. We were to make a quadruped walk and run cycle. I had already made up my mind on making a cat, so I skip the monkey and went on to study the dogs. Of course, I did made a few sketches of the ape, but I was more in tune with the dog.
After the fast study, things went terrible for me.
For you see, whilst a good sketch is a tremendously a good start. But to put life in it is one of the most struggling thing I could have overcome with. Jonathan, our tutor had asked us to observe the quadruped of our choice without tracing or rotoscoping. I was fine with that, wasn't much a fan with copying. But relentlessly the first thing to do was to find research. Easy enough.
Well, that was some funny and yet easily good research. But having to studies these, pour a lot amount of time to understand it's movements clearly. The first thing to do is a Cat Walk Cycle. During the following weeks of having being rejected some of the most outrageous animated sketch that I've done, I needed to really get a hold of my self. Below is the overall animated sketched I tried to produce, some look like it work, some doesn't.
Animated Sketch Cat Walk Cycle
As you can see, I was really struggling in making it work. Trying to figure out what went wrong. Eventually, I had to make a diagram of the cat walk cycle. Since I was in tire need of help, I hit the books. The most useful book, it would seems naturally to keep eyes on is Richard Williams's "The Animator's Survival Kit Expanded Edition (2009) it is where he list out the perfect run cycle for me to understand.Unfortunate there was no walk cycle for cats. I had to make own.
Williams Richard (2009). The Animator's Survival Kit Expanded Edition. London: Faber and Faber Limited. page 352.
In turn for the cat walk, I had made this.
Cat Walk Cycle
Note that before I pursue on following Richard Williams's diagram, I made my own run cycle to see how my running turn out to be. It look good for a start.
Animated Sketch Cat Run Cycle
And this is after I've studied he methods.
Cat Run Cycle
That was it for the Quadrupeds.
Part 2: Weight, Forced and Flow
The next part of the workshop was to reflect or represent weight. A good example that Jonathan showed us students which has really inspired me was from an animation called Sisyphus Marcell Jankovics (Hungaria 1974). This was mindblown for its simplicity,
emerging with a powerful impact.
I didn't think of anything. I got inspired and made my animated sketch. We also had a live observation where each of us made to act and to feel weight while getting film. We were free to be creative in how we would make it. I didn't want to follow what the others were doing because it'll looked common and boring. Instead, with the simplistic example from Hungaria, I choose another route to express my desire vision.
Animated Sketch Forced; Pull, Push and Lift
After I showed it to Jonathan, he asked me to learned about forced in animation. Where it could show the struggle and realism in the film. He gave me a head start with a book he recommend from the author Michael Mattesi's "Force: Dynamic Life Drawing for Animators(2006)". Here's his website: Drawing Force.com
Mattesi, Michael (2006). Force: Dynamic Life Drawing for Animators. Oxford: Elsevier inc.
His skills are an absolute amazing technique to bring the movement alive and fresh. I tried to express it in my film. It wasn't what I was hoping for, but it did the job.
Forced; Pull, push and Lift
The weight is done.
Part 3: Obstacle Course
Continuing from the weight, we have arrived which now would be our final project. The Obstacle Course. During the holidays I've been animating the obstacle course that it seems to have taken 3 weeks to finish. Of course I had other assignments, but to realize the duration of me making this was frustrating. It was basically make an animated sketch and after that clean it up. The main idea was to show the twelve principles of animation. Which you can get more info HERE . I'm pretty sure I've covered most of the principles, but it's up to the audience to feel that. Anyways, about research, I've used my own body to act by logic. For example there's a scene where the character is climbing, he needs to look down to know where he have put's he's foot on the wall. Then look up back to grab the next grip. I act this out. Logic enough. Also, some of it I made up in my mind, where hopefully from what I've learned from the 12 principles, I should be able to disguised it naturally. Here's a link to my LIVESTREAM with a few example of me babbling about stuff while animating an hour and a half of progression of the assignment. There are more videos of the progress at the link. But enough me babbling here as well, this is what I've got in planning out my route and angle.
At this point, I tried to make a route the course. Though some ideas was scrapped.
Angles I tried to make do of.
Animated Sketch; Obstacle Course
The final is pretty much the same as the Obstacle Course. Just cleaner and clearer.
Obstacle Course
The course is done.
Reflection Report
After having to be indulge within this workshop, it
definitely help me improve myself by observation and understanding the
complexity in producing movements that require 100% focus in order to achieved
the best results. Before I go to the good side of things, let me explained the
down in the exercise that I have been struggling at. First thing is on the cat
cycles. I have notice I have a problem in referring and observing live things
and it had made me realize that without it, I can’t produce a more satisfying
movement or realism. Yes, tracing and rotoscoping is an alternative, but I have
a big amount of ego to show that I could do otherwise. Because I believe to
improve one self, one must understand everything by his or her own strength. As
oppose to this, the upside of things are looking much better for the exercise
on the weight and the obstacle course. I have not used any reference in those
exercises, just tips and hints, that would help me achieve in making a great
animation. I've also realize that during the past of my experience, I would
always draw bipedal creatures. Not many for the quadrupeds. Maybe this is why I
lack the understanding in animating them. I wasn't a fan of making animals in
the first place. I’m not saying I dislike making or animating them, it’s just
that they are another kind of creatures that yet I need to get exposed of. Due
to my childhood days of which cartoons were aim mostly in characters who are anthropomorphic,
it clenched to me that I've always seen animals walking on two legs. But as a
conclusion, I have indeed enjoy and somewhat pleased of the progress and
results that I have delivered.
-Zulfaisal Bin Zulkipli 2014
