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Hash, Inc. - Animation:Master

Exercise 3: Move it


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  • 1 month later...

Name: Charlie Dyer

Exercise completed: #3 Move It

Date Completed: August 15,05

Instructor: Rodney

 

I've finally figured out that Den isn't the instructor here :rolleyes: The book is, The tutes is... but Rodney is acting as "proctor" kinda... Well I thunk I had it figured out... allat matters is I'm getting digital graphite on my fingers again, so here's # three.

 

For rightnow, I'm sticking to the basics, trying to get a general grasp of what I'm doin'. I want to complete the excercises for a "grounding" and then putter on my own for a bit.. It is amazing the differences since ver 4 or 5... Just working the basics, I can "Feel The Power" under the surface...wow!

move_it.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...

Name: Melissa "Elissa" Heldenbergh

 

Exercises Completed: 3

 

Date Completed: Sept 8th, 2005

 

Instructor: A few years of A:M use under my belt and web tutorials, plus also doing the mentor program with Paul Daley.

 

Remarks/Suggestions for Improvement: Adjusting the eyelids of week made model often reminds me hope easy it is to make them look drunk.

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Josh, Dan, Cheryl, Linda, Jim, Charlie, Chris, Melissa and Mark (whew... am I falling behind or what)

 

The ability to identify and create expressive poses for your own characters will be a great tool in your toolbox for later on. Take the time to study what character building poses others have built into their models as that will serve you well. My hat is off to the creators of the 2001 characters. They really moved the art of animation forward and gave us great tools to exercise with.

 

Great job to you all (love the tardis Melissa!).

 

Rodney

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On page 40 of the v12.0 TAO:AM which is exercise 3 right in the middle of hip movement, we come across the following:

 

"An imaginary line extending through the main action of the rabbit is called the "Line of Action." Pose the rabbit and his limbs to emphasize this line. By doing this you will strengthen the dramatic effect of the pose."

 

There is an 'S' shaped line next to the paragraph.

 

Huh? A line extending through the main action of the rabbit? The line is rather different if the ears are laid back.

 

While I think that I can knock out this exercise in pose creation, I think that I am missing something important here. Could someone help me understand this LoA concept?

 

Bill

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Bill,

There are a couple approaches to the ears.

Some (I'd even say 'most') poses (with ears mind you) will definitely benefit from flowing the line through the entirety of the character, to include the ears.

 

The ears however are often a target for secondary action.

Think Bugs Bunny and his use of ears to anticipate, point and otherwise manipulate the viewers attention to sell the shot.

 

The line is all important! But sometimes breaking the line can dramatize the pose more than a smooth line can.

 

Hoping that makes sense...

Rodney

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I understand that certain shapes and forms evoke certain feelings in people. What I don't seem to understand is the application of this in this example. The line is determined by the pose and the pose by the line - they are the same thing. The major shape of the line is rather set by "reality". If the pose is to be "Stand at Attention", the Line of Action would be a straight line - it evokes tension. Is the term "Line of Action" correct? How can a static pose have a line of action.

 

In the exercise it asks us to move the hips to match this line like its an absolute thing (The Golden Ration for Rabbits?). I believe that the shape of the pose and thus the major lines in that pose are determines in majority by the reality of the scene and in detail by the desired emotional impact.

 

Am I way-out lost?

 

Bill

 

[EDIT]

Dan Gheno said the following - "As I mentioned in one of my first articles on drawing for American Artist (January 2000), I feel that the “line of action” is the most important aspect of a figure drawing and certainly at the core of a well-observed gesture. First, you want to establish the general action of the figure with a sweeping line—or line of action—that runs through the big shape of the figure, capturing the overall tilt of the pose."

 

If I have not found improper reference, my question is answered as - "The line of action is created by the animator during the implementation of a pose or in the specification, perhaps through (gesture) drawings, of the pose by the director" and that a line of action is specific to an implementation of a pose and not intrinsic to a model or a character.

 

[/EDIT]

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I've found the problem that had me confused. Nowhere does it tell you what the actual goal of exercise #3 is. I had no idea that the little drawings of Rabbi on the front of the exercise was the AD pose drawings.

 

Can I suggest that the exercise goals be more clearly identified in future versions of the book?

 

Bill

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Bill said (in part):

If the pose is to be "Stand at Attention", the Line of Action would be a straight line - it evokes tension. Is the term "Line of Action" correct? How can a static pose have a line of action.

 

There are some good sites out there that probably illustrate this a lot better than I can even begin but here's my 2 cents.

 

Is the term "Line of Action" correct?
Yes.

I think you've already got it down really but you seem to doubt your knowledge.

 

Generally the Line of Action just provides the path of least resistance for both the movement of the character and they eye of the viewer. If done right you get your composition, pose, arc of movement and tell your story all at the same time. No action in animation is really wasted you see. It all plays together to sell the action.

 

I think I'd have to disagree that a "Stand at Attention" pose would have a straight line. Maybe from the front it would... but view it from the side and you should see the arc; Feet firmly planted... leaning impossibly forward... stretching the head to the sky with the body arcing foward. (Just one example)

 

Just as it has been said that there are no straight line in nature if there are straight lines in animation... it had better be for good reason. Straight lines don't really exist for our intents and purposes... exagerate... move.... pose!

 

I'll have to run home and check the manual to see exactly what it says but keep in mind that the manual (and the video tutorial too) doesn't have a lot of time to delve into the deepness or Line of Action/Arcs of Movement. It does a pretty good job to get us started though.

 

I won't pretend I know more than Dan Gheno here. I don't know much at all.

Saying it isn't 'intrisic' to the character isn't really saying much to me though. If it isn't 'instrinc' then why not just toss it out? Answer: You can't. Why? It's a vital part of the process. Read... 'intrisic'. Mr. Gheno and I might appear to disagree here then right? Nah. Words are just inadequate to describe how animation can be improved with a Line of Action. He's saying the same thing, The pose needs an arc of movement... a line of action... something the character by itself can exist without. But a character with a Line of Action... now that's a character that will have character! :)

 

Now thinking about it I realize I'm using 'Line of Action' and 'Arc of Movement' interchangeably. I don't think that feels quite right.

 

To my way of thinking *if* a Line of Action is done right it will almost always be an arc. I'll let the experts correct and elaborate on that...

 

Rodney

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Hey Rodney;

 

My whole confusion came from one small problem. The goal of the exercise is not stated until after the demonstration steps have been gone through. The entire Line of Action concept makes perfect sense if you know that the goal is to implement the pose pictured on the title page of the exercise. Without that pose goal I was taking that somehow a character somehow had a single line of action and could not understand that. Actually, I'm glad that I didn't understand as it turns out that a *pose* has a line of action and a character has lines of action determined by the poses it goes through.

 

Thanks for helping me to understand and being patient while I ranted and raved.

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Bill,

Sometimes the fog of learning works to our advantage.

It sounds like this lesson really sunk in for you in ways it might not have even worked if the exercise had a clearer goal. At any rate, I'm glad its working for you now and we'll have to see about future editions and emphasizing those goals more.

 

Erik,

You said this one was fun and I wholeheartly agree.

This exercise (just 3 into the manual even) really lets people get into character animation.

 

Mark,

Your second attempt is awesome. Great job! They look like they are having a great time. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Name: Splinesmith(Kurt Lange)

 

Exercises Completed:6

 

Instructor:the manual and maybe the online tutorials

 

 

Remarks/Suggestions for improvement:

I actually did some of these earlier this month and I just now got around to posting which is why I say six, the other exercise renders I will post in their respective forum sections.

Also I have been unable at this time to post the completed render for exercise 2

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Hello everyone,

Once again, while doing the exercises, i'm fascinated by how powerful and versatile AM is. (i'm not a newbie in 3d)

My friends think that because it's cheap... it's bad. But i'm a man with a cause now :D

 

So here's my version of Exercise 3: Move it

I tried to focus on the acting a lot.

Hope it Worked.

Mich.

 

 

[attachmentid=9858][attachmentid=9859][attachmentid=9860][attachmentid=9861]

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I tried to focus on the acting a lot.

Hope it Worked.

 

It certainly did. I should note that the forum's new ability to upload multiple images (side by side) really makes this type of imagery possible. Take advantage of it eveyone!

 

Very nice!

 

Rodney

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Name: Charles Wardlaw

Exercises Completed: 1, 3

Date Completed: 12 October 2005

 

The poor bugger got into my secret stash of japanese sake. That bottle he's got in his hand was a hundred dollar one. Joke's on him; it also contained a colony of militant bacteria.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Name: Eric T Goesch

 

Model by: Jim Talbot

 

Excercise completed: #3 Move it

 

Date completed: 10/26/05

 

Comments: Hope it's ok to use another model and do a different pose. If not, I'll repost later.

 

Searched through the AM Extras CD and came across Jim Talbot's wonderful Leopard Queen. Jim, what can I say, AWESOME work.

Life.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

-------------------------------------

The Art of Animation:Master

Exercise 3: Move It

-------------------------------------

 

Name : Robert D. Wilkens

Date: 11/7/2005

Attachment: See below

Comments: May not be as creative as some of the other minds here, but at this stage i'm sorta just trying to learn technically how to use the program. Hey, and if this counts towards certification -- great!

 

[attachmentid=10844]

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  • 4 weeks later...

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