| 1. |
Don't illustrate words or mechanical movements. Illustrate Ideas or
thoughts, with attitudes and actions. |
| 2. |
Squash and stretch entire body for attitudes. |
| 3. |
If possible, make definite changes fromone attitude to another in timing
and expression. |
| 4. |
What is the character thinking? |
| 5. |
It is the thought and circumstances behind the action that will make the
action interesting. Example: A man walks up to a mailbox, drops in his letter and walks
away or A man desperately in love with a woman far away carefully mails a letter in
which he has poured his heart out in. |
| 6. |
When drawing dialogue, go for phrasing. (Simplify the dialogue into
pictures of the dominating vowel and consonant sounds, especially in fast dialogue). |
| 7. |
Lift the body attitude 4 frames before dialogue modulation (but use
identical timing on mouth as on X sheet). |
| 8. |
Change of expression and major dialogue sounds are a point of interest.
Do them,if at all possible within a pose. If the head moves too much you won't see the
changes. |
| 9. |
Don't move anything unless it is for a purpose. |
| 10. |
Concentrate on drawing clear, not clean. |
| 11. |
Don't be careless. |
| 12. |
Everything has a function. Don't draw without knowing why. |
| 13. |
Let the body attitude echo the facial. |
| 14. |
Get the best picture in your drawing by thumbnails and exploring all
avenues. |
| 15. |
Analyze a character in specific pose for the best areas to show stretch
and squash. Keep these areas simple. |
| 16. |
Picture in your head what it is you're drawing. |
| 17. |
Think in terms of drawing the whole character, not just the head or eyes,
etc. Keep a balanced relation of one part of the drawing to the other. |
| 18. |
Stage for the most effective drawing. |
| 19. |
Draw a profile of the drawing you're working on every once in a while. A
profile is easier on which to show the proper proportions of the face. |
| 20 |
Usually the break in the eyebrow relates to the highpoint of the eye. |
| 21. |
The eye is pulled by the eyebrow muscles. |
| 22. |
Get a plastic quality in face - cheeks, mouth and eyes. |
| 23. |
Attain a flow through the body rhythm in your drawing. |
| 24. |
Simple animated shapes. |
| 25. |
The audience has a difficult time reading the first 6-8 frames in a
scene. |
| 26. |
Does the added action in a scene contribute to the main idea in that
scene? will it help sell it or confuse it? |
| 27. |
Don't animate for the sake of animation but think what the character is
thinking and what the scene needs to fit into the sequence. |
| 28. |
Actions can be eliminated and staging "cheated" if it
simplifies the picture you are trying to show and is not disturbing to the audience. |
| 29. |
Spend half your time planning your scene and the other half animating. |
| 30. |
How to animate a scene of a four-legged character acting and walking:
Work out the acting patterns first with the stretch and squash in the body, neck and head;
then go back in and animate the legs. Finally, adjust the up and down on the body
according to the legs. |
