From page to screen

This is a quick demonstration to show the need to understand what movement you want from your character before you begin.

I want to create a bird that can demonstrate a simple animated flight cycle. So, first things first, I sketch out my character. Details such as background, colour and style etc. can all wait for now.
This visual means that I can see how my character will break down into the relevant components ready to animate.

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The character is then 'built' in my preferred 2D animation application, Anime Studio Pro 
I've decided which components need to move and how and this forms the basis of my characters construction. I put together a 'library' of parts so that I can come back to the character time and time again. Planning and preparation at this stage means more time can be spent animating rather than having to go back and correct rushed mistakes.

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Look away if you're squeamish.

I've broken the character into it's basic component parts. The 'building' process for this simple bird took a full day in the planning and building but if this stage is carried out properly then you'll only need to do this once. This is the finished animation. It's short and basic but you get the idea.

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