[WIP] Gnome Walking animation

[Biggs]

Hello folks. This is a gnome for a game I'm working on. I like the colour palette and the general design but there is something wrong about the animation (aside from it being four frames). What can I do to make it pop?

[AtticusBW]

I took a crack at the little guy and would say he pops now.

-Atticus

Up and down bob as he walks:


Clean the feet up a little better to show walking and make him look less like he's sliding.


Arms?


Reference:

[PixelPiledriver]

There are many different things you can consider when making animation.
This is commonly how animation is taught:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_basic_principles_of_animation

However it is not necessary that you use all of the principles in every animation that you make.
It is better to focus on a few at a time and practice them.

I know that you said you are happy with your design.
However I felt compelled to add the hat and arms to illustrate follow through and secondary animation.
Just adding a few simple props will give you more to play with and helps bring the character to life when he moves.

Comparison is one of the most powerful art tools.
Save multiple files as you work and always check against your previous version.
Keep what is good, and continue to rework what is not.

Typically you won't bake particle effects into an animation.
It is much more flexible to do particles code side, but its fun to pencil some in to get an idea of what you want them to look like.

Have fun, try different stuff, and just go for it!