Quick Exercise

Here is an animation quickie. Take two related poses and animate the breakdowns in between. I animated between the two extremes of a punch pose with the Animation Mentor rigs..but I couldn't stand to see the action without the anticipation, so I added it on afterwards.

There will be a lot more of these coming soon, so I hope ya' diggs. Any actions you'd like to see?

Jumpin Janitor P3 final---leaps forward

First I have to acknowledge what a great program Animation Mentor is and give props to Mike Walling for investing a little extra time in me to help me make some breakthroughs on this shot. You rock hard core Mike!

I'm still far from being the animation artist that I oogle on Vimeo or the character design blog, but I can see a lot more of the path coming clear in front of me, and it's heading in the right direction.

Here is the latest shot completed. take a look at the earlier version and rejoice with me in my growth--(deadpan --yay) Cheers! and happy trails ya'll.

Jumpin Janitor part 3 revision

Jumpin Janitor P3- 2nd blocking pass

Aloha world,

Here is the last and final shot in the Jumpin Janitor sequence. Moving this shot towards the finishline has been smoother than the last ones. I can't wait to get back to the first two shots and redo them. I have learned a ton in the process of these shots-the constraints for the mop three different ways and I still haven't found a favorite.


Anyway, this term is shaping up as a great one with mentor Mike Walling.

Blocking for Jumpin' Janitor Part 2

I wanted to post up the earliest stages of part 2 of the Jumpin Janitor sequences. Looking at my last shoot I can see a lot of BLAH action, so here I've been trying to push up the antic. There are still some difficulties with the prop handling that are being worked out, but overall I'm pleased with the way the shot is exposing and addressing my weaknesses. Although it generally hurts, stretching my limits has always given me more significant growth than doing things I'm totally comfortable with.

I'd love to hear what you think and/or can suggest. Cheers!

Part 1 of Jumpin' Janitor

Aloha-

Here is the latest shot from Animation Mentor-it's the first shot of a 3 part series. In each wanted part I to focus on a current animation weakness of mine; in part 1 I chose constraint setups and spine transitions. I feel my arcs are a lot better here, but that I can still do more to push the timing/spacing. There may be anther draft posted soon with lighting passes since the face doesn't read well currently.

An update on the AM classes. I finished the term with Dave Vallone-thanks a ton Dave, the feedback just got better and better.

I'm now working with Mike Walling who is currently with Dreamworks- his credits cover Blue Sky, Sony, and independent studios as well. His ability to clearly pinpoint areas for improvement has been invaluable, and he's got a great attitude for people of all skill levels/backgrounds.

One right after the other

Alright, so neither life nor work will ever stop bothering me for more time. Shheesh. Here was the refined animation from the previous post. Lesson learned: Key & breakdown MORE. Maya will not see the great arcs in my head. I have to jam them down it's throat.

Here is also the first blocking pass from the shot I'm working on now. I call it Hula Heartache. Please let me know what you think and if there are any spots that stand out for fixing. I have a little list going already.