AuthorTopic: GR#076 - Bird Design & Animation  (Read 20001 times)

Offline Mike

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Re: I'm practicing animation. WIPs and C&C!

Reply #10 on: October 22, 2011, 11:04:19 pm
It looks pretty good I was merely making a suggestion of what you could possibly think about while animating.  Keep up the good work.

Offline ErekT

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Re: I'm practicing animation. WIPs and C&C!

Reply #11 on: October 28, 2011, 11:37:12 am
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I don't know. I think the head-movement looks pretty natural right now (though I think I sped it up a little bit since the last one). Any second opinions?
It's a good animation but I'll second Mike's suggestion to speed it up more. As far as I can tell birds move their heads in rapid jerks all the time, even when they're relaxed.

Offline Charlieton

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Re: I'm practicing animation. WIPs and C&C!

Reply #12 on: October 30, 2011, 08:22:14 pm
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I don't know. I think the head-movement looks pretty natural right now (though I think I sped it up a little bit since the last one). Any second opinions?
It's a good animation but I'll second Mike's suggestion to speed it up more. As far as I can tell birds move their heads in rapid jerks all the time, even when they're relaxed.

Yes, that's completely true. I sped it up and have cut away a couple of frames, and I think it looks good still.

I've tried adding color and giving it more depth. I'm sure there's some banding. Need I add AA-colours, or what is it you usually do in the case of banding? Also, is the palette okay, and do the lighting/shading appear consistent? I get blind when working with one piece for an extended time, it seems...



edit: As stated, I was unsure if the shading was consistent. I made a simplified version where I try and define the shape of the bird with just gray tones. Already my previous, colored-in bird, doesn't seem to react to the light the way it should.



Yeah, it's a little silly to shade the tuft of hair on the head, as though it were a solid object. But that'll have to do, for now. Other than that, is the shading done right in this one, you think? Can I build off of it?

edit, edit: I went on and used the gray toned shape, did some additional tweaks, and got this:



I think it's much improved! I'll be adding some extra colours (for the beak, and maybe the wings), and then start applying this look to the other frames as well.

I like the last maggot/catepillar larva thing a lot. The shading is very well done, imo. He looks nice and 3D. Good work!

Thanks! It's some sort of beetle larva, according to the source.

If anyone wants good quality references for all kinds of insects, check this page out!
« Last Edit: October 31, 2011, 09:14:34 pm by Charlieton »
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Offline Charlieton

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Re: I'm practicing animation. WIPs and C&C!

Reply #13 on: November 02, 2011, 01:43:34 pm
Realized that I didn't need to add more colours to seperate the beak from the rest of the body. I think the wing is easier to make out in this, as well. Tweaked and simplified:



The head appears quite flat in this one, though.

edit: added AA-colour, and did som fixes.

« Last Edit: November 02, 2011, 05:11:40 pm by Charlieton »
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Offline PypeBros

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Re: I'm practicing animation. WIPs and C&C!

Reply #14 on: November 03, 2011, 02:11:29 pm
global bird shape has been greatly improved from to , imho, but there's still something quite odd with the wing's shading. I don't have a reference picture to point you at (unfortunately), but your wing convey to me a bigger volume than it should.

HTH.

Offline Charlieton

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Re: I'm practicing animation. WIPs and C&C!

Reply #15 on: November 03, 2011, 02:28:19 pm
I think I know what you're getting at. Though I'd like it if you could do an edit, and show how you think it'd convey the correct amount of volume.

Thanks!
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Offline Elk

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Re: I'm practicing animation. WIPs and C&C!

Reply #16 on: November 03, 2011, 03:57:07 pm
Heya Charlieton, Elk here again!

I think you need to know a bit more about your little bird-friend! He's hiding alot of information beneath its feathers so check them out, I did some stalking! Maybe it helps you a little :D



Also shaded it... even though your lightsource was top-left!

EDIT: Might aswell balance mine out a little! He would fall on his beak!
« Last Edit: November 03, 2011, 04:10:22 pm by Elk »
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Offline Charlieton

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Re: I'm practicing animation. WIPs and C&C!

Reply #17 on: November 03, 2011, 04:16:56 pm
Haha Elk, that's awesome! Also, it looks like a little Conan 'O Brien-bird with that crest in the last picture.  ;D

I'll be thinking about making the wings longer and more pronounced.
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Offline jams0988

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Re: I'm practicing animation. WIPs and C&C!

Reply #18 on: November 03, 2011, 04:44:04 pm
Ehhh, I actually like your bird much more than Elk's, Charlieton. Yours is much cuter and bird-like looking, where, like you said, his has this unusual "it's a person that was morphed into a bird" vibe going on. I also like your shading more. The style's simpler and easier to read. I can't tell if Elk's is supposed to have a second light source coming in from the left, of that's just the color of the bird's feathers, even when zoomed in. At the normal size, it's even harder to read for me.

And is your bird straight pixel art, Elk, or did you draw it in Photoshop or something? The anti-aliasing is a tiny bit overdone, imo, making the bird look a little muddy. Charlieton's has that awesome SNES vibrancy and pop, in comparison.

So, sorry for downing on basically everything about your bird, Elk; it's good too. Just thought I needed to give Charlieton an opposing opinion, because I do prefer his.
Also, Elk, I checked out your DeviantArt...that dragon you did is freaking amazing, hahah. I thought it was a digital painting, until I looked closer and noticed the ridiculous amount of detail you'd put into it. =D

Edit: And your bird *painting* is pretty cute, Elk. I think the main problem I have with your sprite is that you tried to cram that painting's worth of detail into that tiny sprite, and a bit was lost in translation...
« Last Edit: November 03, 2011, 04:47:59 pm by jams0988 »

Offline Helm

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Re: I'm practicing animation. WIPs and C&C!

Reply #19 on: November 03, 2011, 05:22:19 pm
Of all the posts that contradict critique I've read on Pixelation that was by far the strangest. By virtue that you like Charlieton's version more I can understand feeling the compulsion to post, but other than that my mind boggles.