Character Animation Fundamentals Developing Skills for 2D and 3D Character Animation

Expand your animation toolkit and remain competitive in the industry with this leading resource for 2D and 3D character animation techniques. Apply the industry's best practices to your own workflows and develop 2D, 3D and hybrid characters with ease. With side by side comparisons of 2D and 3D character design, improve your character animation and master traditional principles and processes including weight and balance, timing and walks. Develop characters inspired by humans, birds, fish, snakes and four legged animals. Breathe life into your character and develop a characters personality with chapters on acting, voice-synching and facial expressions. Expertly integrate core animation techniques with your software of choice featuring step-by-step tutorials, highlighting 3ds Max, Maya and Blender workflows. Adapt the tips, tricks and techniques for unique projects like character design for rotoscoping and motion capture. Advance beyond the fundamentals of 2D and 3D character animation with the companion website which includes short demonstration movies, 2D and 3D exercises and fully rigged character models.

Chapter 1 Introduction to Animation Working Practice; Chapter 2 Matter and the Animation of Inanimate Objects; Chapter 3 The Construction of a Simple Character, its Articulation and Balance; Chapter 4 Timing, Anticipation, Overshoot, Follow-Through and Overlapping Action with an Animated Character; Chapter 5 Animation of Human Walks and Runs; Chapter 6 Animation of Animal Walks and Runs; Chapter 7 Animation of Acting – Body Language; Chapter 8 Animation of Acting – Facial Expressions; Chapter 9 Animation of Acting – Two or More Characters; Chapter 10 Lip-Sync;

has animated and directed movies for over 50 clients in his 25+ year career. Clients include the BBC, Channel 4, Tesco, Marks and Spencer, BT and Electrolux. His movie Electrolux Home products - Why? has won two IVCA awards and a New York Film and Television award. Steve has taught animation for 12 years among some of the UK's leading Universities. He is currently Senior lecturer in Character Animation at Central St Martins College of Art and Design.