WALK CYCLE

DEFINITION
IS A SERIES OF ANIMATION THAT
RECREATES THE ILLUSION OR SENSE OF
MOVEMENT

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING

IN MAKING A WALK CYCLE; IT IS IMPORTANT TO
TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE FOLLOWING:
KNOW THE BEAT OR TEMPO TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE
KEY POSES IN A WALK BODYWEIGHT / APPEARANCE
UNDERSTANDING HOW WEIGHT OF THE CHARACTER; THIS
AFFECTS THE CHARACTER AFFECTS DRASTICALLY THE
LET THE WALK CYCLE CREATE A WALK CYCLE FOR SAID
DYNAMIC IMPACT OR WEIGHT CHARACTER
TO COMPLIMENT THE
CHARACTER
WALK CYCLE
ROTOSCOPING
IS THE ACT OR PROCESS OF TRACING OVER LIFE FILM
FOOTAGE; THIS IS TO EMULATE THEIR ANIMATION
AND DONE VIA FRAME BY FRAME.

KEY POSES IN A WALK

CONSISTS OF 4 INDIVIDUAL POSES WITH EACH OF THEM BEING
VISUALLY DISTINCT FROM ONE ANOTHER

CONTACT PASSING
LOW POSITION / HIGH POSITION /
DOWN PASS HIGH PASS
[CONTACT]
REFERS TO THE FRONT HILT MAKING CONTACT
WITH THE GROUND

[LOW POSITION / DOWN PASS]

REFERS TO THE LEADING FOOT BEING
COMPLETELY FLAT ON THE GROUND

[PASSING]
REFERS TO THE MID POINT BETWEEN 2
CONTACTS

[HIGH POSITION / HIGH PASS]

REFERS TO THE PEAK OF THE WALK
WALK CYCLE
ANIMATING ONE
ANIMATING A WALK CYCLE IS QUITE EASY ALTHOUGH
MAY REQUIRE SOME PRACTICE TO GET THE PROPER
AND CLEAN CYCLE

REFERENCE
IN STARTING OFF ANIMATING, IT IS BEST FOR US TO TAKE A
REFERENCE OR DO IT OURSELVES TO KNOW HOW THE FLOW
OF OUR ANIMATION WOULD END UP

ISOLATING THE POSES

ONCE THE REFERENCE IS READY, IT IS TIME TO DISSECT SAID
REFERENCE AND ISOLATE EACH OF THE KEY POSES ON A
WALK CYCLE; THIS IS TO ENSURE THE FLOW OF IT IS SMOOTH

DRAWING THE POSES

ONCE EVERYTHING IS ALL ISOLATED AND READY, IT IS TIME TO
DRAW THOSE POSES; TRIAL AND ERROR IS PREDOMINANT IN
THIS SECTION AS ACHIEVING A SMOOTH WALK CYCLE
REQUIRES A BIT OF GOING BACK AND FOURTH BETWEEN EACH
POSES AND ENSURING THAT THEIR TRANSITION BETWEEN ONE
ANOTHER IS SMOOTH.
WALK CYCLE
ANIMATING ONE
ANIMATING A WALK CYCLE IS QUITE EASY ALTHOUGH
MAY REQUIRE SOME PRACTICE TO GET THE PROPER
AND CLEAN CYCLE

REFINING THE MOVES

THIS IS TO GIVE DEPTH OR ADD MORE FLAIR TO THE
CHARACTER, ESSENTIALLY ADDING WEIGHT OR IMPACT TO
THE CHARACTER TO ACCOMPANY ITS PERSONALITY

POLISHING TOUCHES
ONCE EVERYTHING IS DONE, LOOK BACK AT YOUR WORK AND
CHECK FOR ANY ADJUSTMENTS THAT CAN BE ADDED OR
CORRECTIONS LEFT UNTOUCHED.

IMPORTANT NOTES
WHEN DOING WALK CYCLES;
IMPLEMENT THE 12 PRINCIPLES
OF ANIMATION, NAMELY THE
ARCS, SLOW IN & SLOW OUT
AND SUCH TO GIVE THE
CHARACTER MORE APPEAL AND
DEPTH
PRACTICE IS THE KEY TO
SUCCESS
LOOK AT EXISTING WALK
CYCLES TO SEE HOW THEY
WORK OUT
USE REFERENCES