Hitting An Animation Wall

This week I hit a wall.

Not an actual wall but a proverbial animation barrier. 

For weeks I've been over the moon that my work has been coming so naturally. I thought back to uni Tania and chuckled to myself. Then suddenly past Tania got her revenge. It was if all animation skills fell out ofmy head. I could blame the crazy weekend I've had, the stress of a new project or a million other things. Whatever it was I didn't like it.

So I wrote into google 'how to be an animator' and even though I've been doing it for 9 years and could probably predict every step that each website would advice for a beginner, it inspired me.

Most of the advice was basic skills, so I forced myself to sit down and come up with my own advice.

What would I tell another animator if they wanted to get out of their head?

So just for all of you out there who are having a bad day? Here's my tips for getting back on track.

1. Step away from it.

Go make a coffee, get up and walk around. Literally do anything that means you don't look at the screen for ten mins.

2. Do another creative task.

Draw on a post it, make a model out of blue tac or try your hand at origami.

 It feels like you are taking time from the scene, but it activates the right side of your brain.  You've probably chastised the creative part of your brain so much that it's turned off. The right brain is a delicate creature.

3. Delete keys.

Ok this one comes with a warning- Save first!

Create a file just for your little experiment. Go through the parts that are bugging you and delete the thousands of built up in-betweens that are bogging you down. What I normally find is that I have keys and secondary poses that are working, but I get lost in all those little flickers. The fact I know it's a

experiment means I normally try something a little different without fear and 9 times out of 10 I end up keeping the experiment.

4. Get a second pair of eyes

Yes, it’s not looking like you want it to so you aren't proud of it ,but that's why you need help. It's not weakness and people don't judge. When someone shows me there shot I have fun talking with them about it. So I imagine they feel the same way when I show them my work.

5. Listen to something inspiring.

It might be music that reflects the feeling of the scene or a quick podcast from an animator you admire, but it helps to rev those engines.

 I'm animating snappy work right now so sometimes I just play happy classical music since it's so ingrained with Looney Tunes that I can't help but get excited. ..that or I watch a few seconds of Presto or Pocoyo. Those wto never fail to inspire.

Everyone has bad days, but don't let it drag you down. Let it be the spring board to learning something extra.

Happy animating guys.

    

Smear Frame Script

Sometimes a script comes along that makes it feel like Christmas.
I NEED this smear frame script in my life


CJCG Tips Tip 001 --- Creating multiples of an arm to fake motion-blur effect in Maya for cartoony animation from C. J. Cow on Vimeo.

51 Great Animation Exercises

I found this great list of animation exercises today. I have always wanted to try my hand at 2d since I enjoyed it at Uni so I might have to give these a go:

51 Animation Exercises

Understanding Slow in's and Slow Outs

When I was a student I really struggled with the graph editor. I'd spent lots of time researching animation principles but applying them to dots and curvy lines blew my mind a little bit. Now 8 years later I don't know what I'd do without the graph editor and it's lovely curves.
I found this fantastic visualisation of slow in's and slow outs as applied in the curve editor and I fell in love with it.
I hope you like it too.



Head over to Spungella , a fantastic place to find lots of beautiful and new animation tid bits and where I found this simple yet mind blowingly easy explanation for slow in's and outs.

The Endless Search for the Perfect Sketchbook

There are few words in the English language that set fear into the heart of my Mr more than 'I need a new sketchbook'. He knows that this means he'll have to scour the streets with me searching for the perfect blank pages for me to doodle on.
I absolutely love my sketchbooks. I am rubbish at keep journals or diary's so my sketchbook is the perfect reminder of where I was at any given time...plus doodling is the best. The perfect sketch book inspires me to be better and to draw more. All of my reasons for loving my book means that if I sacrifice the things I want from a new book, I end up hating it and using it as a notepad to write my Chinese take away order on. If I'm going to dedicate a year (or half a year when I'm being productive) then I want it to be the perfect book.

So here is my personal and insane criteria for buying the perfect sketchbook:

.No spiral bound books:
I realise I must be alone in this one since every sketch book in every store is spiral bound,  but it's one of the most important factors for me. I HATE spiral bound sketch books. The pages rip out easily, the spiral has a tendency to get squashed or break, the pages fall off....it is my general nightmare. I have tried and tried to get on board with this element of sketchbook design since it seems to be near impossible for a company to not stick a swirly piece of metal on their books, but alas I can't. Just say no to the spiral guys.

See through pages...don't make me laugh

.Thick paper:
This is the second most important factor. Sometimes I'll see a really pretty book, I'll see that the pages are thin or worst - see through - and I think to myself 'I'm sure it will be fine'....WRONG. Those pages need to be thick enough that I can build a fort if need be...or you know, something more reasonable like be able to watercolor paint on them if I want to. They need to be flat , not dimpled and if they are 'off white' then it's a plus. The joy of the perfect paper in a sketch book is oddly satisfying.  The touch of it, the smell, the smoothness of it.  I just love a blank sketch book. I want a book that makes me want to draw. That perfect blank page will actually make you want to deface it.

When I fall in love with a new cover

.Nice cover:
This one isn't essential, but if I'm going to be carrying a sketch book around every day it would be nice if it was pretty to look at. I've tried customising them myself but I like to hide my work on the inside. I'm never happy when I create the outside design. I found the perfect mythical sketchbook once , about 10 years ago. It had the prettiest pattern on it. It was so good I bought three. Then two and a half years later I'd used them all up. Since then all others pale in comparison...you can't forget your first love after all. Now I'm content if it's just a nice colour.

.A5: This is the last essential item on the list. It needs to fit in my handbag, hand luggage and in front of me while still giving me enough space to place my coffee cup (and optional cake). I can do a 'page full' drawing with detail or lots of little sketches. Plus in an emergency I can paint or draw across two pages for an A4 experience. People say that size doesn't matter. They obviously have never owned a sketch book. A5 is the perfect size. 

They trick me into thinking their perfect...but nope!

.Elastic to keep it together:
Now we get into the 'wouldn't it be nice if...' list. These are those things you add onto a list that aren't essential but would be great. Kind of like wishing the man you end up with loves cooking you eggs Benedict, has a high speed internet connection and an addiction to Netflix. A girl can dream.
An elastic attached to the book to keep it together is easy, a nice touch and makes it seem more professional when you grab it in a coffee shop because you just have to draw that funny dog that just passed the window. Keep it together man!


.Hardback cover:
Another non-essential, but in my magical make believe land where every drawing would make Glen Keane audibly say 'wozah' and unicorns prance around me, my sketch book also has a hardback cover. Is it essential ? No . Does it make drawing easier? YES. Are most of the great sketchbooks donned by a hardback cover..of course. I like to go between a hard back and a semi hard one...no jokes please, we are all adult here.

Take my money..no wait I changed my mind

.Doesn't cost a cabillion pound : This unfortunately has to be the last factor because I have been known to spend a disgusting amount on sketchbooks  in the past. I've spent the kind of amount where you lie if someone asks you how much it costs, or change the subject very quickly. The sad truth is that normally when you spend money the sketch book will be lots and lots better , but I  begrudge paying such crazy amount for blank paper...especially since if the kind of sketch book  I love happens to be in fashion then it will be everywhere for a fraction of the price. On these occasions it is perfectly reasonable to buy up a whole shops stock. When my baby sister was little she had a doll that she wouldn't let go of. My mum needed a way to pry the doll out of my sister hands because it was starting to smell so she went and bought 3 decoy dolls to distract my sister. What does this have to do with sketchbooks? Not much but it does prove that you can never have too much of a good thing. And that my mum was an evil genius.

I know that everyone reading this list will just be shouting ...'JUST BUY A MOLESKIN'..which is a valued point but they are so stupidly expensive for what they are and (as crazy as it sounds) the fact everyone has them kind of makes them feel a little soulless. Then again this may just be my bitter poor inner voice.

So the search for the perfect sketchbook continues. I may have made a break through on the case with my recent search. The shop had the perfect book but only in poo-shade so I ordered a prettier colour online. Will it be the one ? Who knows but a girl just has to keep searching.

Now I just need to find the perfect pencil........