[C+C] Cloak Blowing (WIP)

[Elocrypt]

Hello, I am working on something for myself as practice. So what I am trying to accomplish here is animation flow, also I am trying to learn how cloth works (Folds, movement, etc.) and I feel that I have an alright start with it just I seem to not be getting it.


I have been working on this for most of the day, using GraphicsGale for the first time as well. I didn't know how to export it from GG animated, so I saved each frame [3 frames (which I feel that I should have done 5 frames)] as a .png and imported it into Photoshop and animated it that way, saved it as a .gif file.


Individual Frames:
1 -


2 -


3 -
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Animation:



I would appreciate C+C and even an example or edit of my work would be really great. I know I need to improve a lot, so I am hoping to learn something here.


Thank you!

[32]

If you only have the free version of graphics gale you can't export as gif.

I have to say you've chosen one of the hardest possible animations and started there which I wouldn't recommend. While I can tell you have a grasp on what the movement should ultimately be you're lacking some fundamental animation concepts without which you're never going to get this to look right. I would highly suggest taking a step back and starting with something simpler. The basic motion you're looking for is a wave cycle. I suggest you do some practice animations of just a line waving then graduate from that to a flag, and then try a flag in perspective. Once you've got a handle on that you might have a chance of pulling this off. Also you're going to need more than 3 frames to do this, the absolute minimum I would go is 4 but for nice motion I would be going for something more like 8 or 10. When you do get to the cloak limit it to a single fold that billows through, imagine it like a field of grass blowing in the wind. Having as many folds as you do is very difficult to animate and would probably only come up in very quick gusting wind, the surface of the cloak is very much like waves on the surface of the ocean and the folds only move as fast and as frequently as the wind blows them.

I recommend getting your hands on "The Animators Survival Kit" and having a go at the basic animations outlined therein. Animation is an advanced subject however, you may even want to take another step back and have a go at just drawing some still cloth, hang up a towel or blanket and see if you can sketch it.

Good luck