Uploaded August 2019 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Learn more at 2danimation101.com
Check this lesson at 2danimation101.com/cartoon-animator-tutorials/07-impossibly-easy-organic-character-movement-in-3-steps.html
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Hi Mark Diaz here for 2DAnimation101.com
In this lesson I am going to explain a very simple 3-step process that you can apply to get very ORGANIC animation.
Probably, the most frustrating part of doing character animation, is not getting your characters to look alive.
You try to put some keyframes here and there, and yet, your character looks weird, unnatural.
For example.
Let’s take this character Phillip that comes with the software.
(watch video to see example)
And let’s say we want to get him to from that pose to this other key pose.
(watch video to see example)
I can just add a keyframe for each movement and that’s it. Right?
Well that will get me an animation like this:
(watch video to see example)
It’s not the worst thing ever, but it looks fake.
Why?
Because it has NO PERSONALITY.
This was the BIG discovery in the 1930s, when the 12 principles of animation started.
Characters with no personality were dull, uninteresting, boring and lost people’s attention.
If you want people to stop watching your animations, then use this simple crappy formula:
Put a keyframe on point a, and another on point be, and you got a crappy animation.
--
Now… what if you wanted to create something interesting? What if you wanted to give Phillip more personality?
What if you wanted to create something like this?
(watch video to see example)
Well, that would require you to think differently in terms of animation.
For this result, you need to apply a simple 3-step process.
Instead of having your character go from point A to point B, straight away… which makes it look crappy:
(watch video to see example)
you need to have 3 steps to make him look like this:
(watch video to see example)
Those three simple steps are the TRIPLE A:
Anticipation
Action
Aftermath
You see. the reason why the bad animation looks bad, is because it only has ACTION.
(watch video to see example)
And if you notice, the better version, has Anticipation, Action and Aftermath
(watch video to see example)
Let’s see it step by step.
The bad animation has…
an initial pose…
the action
end pose
And that’s it.
that is why it sucks.
Now… the better version goes like this:
It has
an Initial pose
A little anticipation for the action, he is preparing to do his move
Then the action, pointing to himself
And aftermath, he bounces a little bit
And finally, the end pose.
That little anticipation and aftermath is what makes this character look alive.
THAT’S IT!
Simple, isn’t’ it?
Just remember, don’t do just the action.
Add an anticipation before it, and aftermath after.
That will make your character look organic and alive.
Now, the question is:
YES! All of this sounds good in theory right? But how the heck do you apply all of this? How do you create the perfect timing for it? The perfect animation, the perfect keyframes, etc? How?
Well, that will be answered in the next couple of lessons, so stay tuned.
I will provide you will project files so you can follow along.
Until next time, this is Mark Diaz for 2DAnimation101.com.
Take care.
Learn more at 2danimation101.com
Check this lesson at 2danimation101.com/cartoon-animator-tutorials/07-impossibly-easy-organic-character-movement-in-3-steps.html
---
Hi Mark Diaz here for 2DAnimation101.com
In this lesson I am going to explain a very simple 3-step process that you can apply to get very ORGANIC animation.
Probably, the most frustrating part of doing character animation, is not getting your characters to look alive.
You try to put some keyframes here and there, and yet, your character looks weird, unnatural.
For example.
Let’s take this character Phillip that comes with the software.
(watch video to see example)
And let’s say we want to get him to from that pose to this other key pose.
(watch video to see example)
I can just add a keyframe for each movement and that’s it. Right?
Well that will get me an animation like this:
(watch video to see example)
It’s not the worst thing ever, but it looks fake.
Why?
Because it has NO PERSONALITY.
This was the BIG discovery in the 1930s, when the 12 principles of animation started.
Characters with no personality were dull, uninteresting, boring and lost people’s attention.
If you want people to stop watching your animations, then use this simple crappy formula:
Put a keyframe on point a, and another on point be, and you got a crappy animation.
--
Now… what if you wanted to create something interesting? What if you wanted to give Phillip more personality?
What if you wanted to create something like this?
(watch video to see example)
Well, that would require you to think differently in terms of animation.
For this result, you need to apply a simple 3-step process.
Instead of having your character go from point A to point B, straight away… which makes it look crappy:
(watch video to see example)
you need to have 3 steps to make him look like this:
(watch video to see example)
Those three simple steps are the TRIPLE A:
Anticipation
Action
Aftermath
You see. the reason why the bad animation looks bad, is because it only has ACTION.
(watch video to see example)
And if you notice, the better version, has Anticipation, Action and Aftermath
(watch video to see example)
Let’s see it step by step.
The bad animation has…
an initial pose…
the action
end pose
And that’s it.
that is why it sucks.
Now… the better version goes like this:
It has
an Initial pose
A little anticipation for the action, he is preparing to do his move
Then the action, pointing to himself
And aftermath, he bounces a little bit
And finally, the end pose.
That little anticipation and aftermath is what makes this character look alive.
THAT’S IT!
Simple, isn’t’ it?
Just remember, don’t do just the action.
Add an anticipation before it, and aftermath after.
That will make your character look organic and alive.
Now, the question is:
YES! All of this sounds good in theory right? But how the heck do you apply all of this? How do you create the perfect timing for it? The perfect animation, the perfect keyframes, etc? How?
Well, that will be answered in the next couple of lessons, so stay tuned.
I will provide you will project files so you can follow along.
Until next time, this is Mark Diaz for 2DAnimation101.com.
Take care.
