Yesterday I didn't thoroughly block out my dragon piece that I posted. This time I am slowing down my process a bit and really-REALLY focusing on all the "prep work."
Before I even open Maya, I need to have a solid idea or plan for my character.
This time I am going to keep it simple and have a dog playing fetch (I had fun looking up references).
Browsing and collecting videos was 15% of the work because relying on footage alone isn't enough to capture "life."
To better understand the mechanics of an energetic dog, I studied the videos and sketched out gestures. Sketching these allowed me to warm up and focus on the dog's line of action -- which is key when posing out characters.
These doodles are rudimentary, but it gets the point across! I continued viewing the footage and made more notes on the main or "key" poses. I used multiple videos to help guide me as well as a plate of a dog run cycle by the great photographer Eadweard Muybridge!
Having a better understanding of my character's personality (a very energetic dog) and its goal (retrieving a ball) will allow me to take what I need from multiple sources and "mash them up" into a sequence.
Even if it's just a slight shift in the weight or tilt in a pose, it will have an effect on the final animation and what I am trying to convey to my viewer (although its a simple one).
I still need to finish fleshing out my key poses. Then i'll start blocking it out in Maya!
Cheers!
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