Walk Cycle Options - or Managing FPS Madness!

Thought I would give a brief tutorial on walk cycle animations.  Currently working on my Tarzan film and am trying to choose what frame rate to work in.

12 fps - Shooting in 2s

This is cartoony and a bit janky but is very time efficient and can look nice with a few 24fps (working on 1's) frames thrown in.

24fps - Shooting on 1s

This is the creme-dela-creme of animation and everything is lovely and smooth.  However maybe a bit to realistic in movement for very cartoony puppets that perhaps would look more natural on 2s.

See here the differences in this rough animation to see the same motion they display dispite having the same timing.  

15fps - Shooting on 2s

This has the nice effect of giving the animation a more sleek motion for a few extra frames of work per second.  Obviously you can throw in a few 30fps (working on 1's) frames for speeding elements if required.  Thinking I may work with this one for the film to be honest as I like the speed.  On 12fps it is too slow and 24fps is too much work so this feels like a nice goldielocks zone.

I see 15fps alot from Kevin Ulrich as he enjoys working at this frame rate as seen on his lego youtube shorts.

Krita Animation - Without Cintiq?

 Something I whipped up using just the mouse pad since my cintiq has gone died on me.

Trying to use vectors and splines here... maybe more to come...

2025 Update

 Hello everyone.

You may or may not be glad to hear I am still alive... for now.

Still living in London.  Still a little reclusive.

Working on some Animated Projects:

This Little Tarzan film I am working on is inspired by the works of Brad Bird as well as Sam Reimi's stuff on Spiderman.  

Many sets have been constructed.  All in Cardboard, keeping it simple.

Just painting now... lots and lots of painting.  Boy is it getting tedius.

Also...

Have been recovered from chest infection so that is a plus.

Also...

Making a little Cockroach animation, you know, for fun!  

Stay Tooned.

Blast from the Past

I remember when this came out.  The age of great Happy Meal toys.

Diner Woman Test

 

Just another test here - trying to do more dimensional designs.  Do you like my easy walk cycle?

Pub Puppet Test

 

This one was nice and quick.  I am trying to make very simple puppets and animations and this is I think as pared down as I can go.  The painted foam board with rods to puppeteer allow me to create detailed character designs and easy to perform.  This style would be great if I wanted to do longer form content and needed to smash out vast amounts of puppets and performances in a day.

Ideas...

Just playing around with head ideas for stop-motion.  

I enjoy being inspired by 2d animation as a starting point.  I draw reeeeaaaall slow so never a valid career path compared to animation.  I still think I might enjoy the look of the medium more than stop mo tho.  

I also like the amazing speed of promarkers but just wish I didn't get such banging headaches from the alcoholic fumes in them.  

Sigh.  Maybe just stick to gauche or acrylics.