Walk Cycle Help

[ninjascience]

The individual frames need some palette cleanup, but before I do that I want to get the animation cycle right.

The feedback I've gotten on this so far is that it's not quite right.  Lazycow suggested I add some bend to the elbows, which I just can't seem to get to look
right at this scale.  Any tips?

[Shrike]

First of all, I'm no walk animation expert, but the readability is terrible. i would start with simple colors till you get it right, like this: (Really fast drawing)


then, i think it needs some more frames. a little jumpy right now. you might want to redo the whole thing, no offense.
heres a great tutorial: http://www.idleworm.com/how/anm/02w/walk1.shtml

heres a insanely quick walk render:
my animator is broken, sorry i cant get you a .gif
 

Otherwise, very good job. i like him, he has personality.

[sharprm]

I like the pendulum movement of arms and legs of yours. The bounce is good. Could you make clear the perspective (eg. two pixels across, one up) so we can say if the
arms are swinging wrong.

Screw that overused tute!  It isn't the only way to do it and don't necessarily look good in isometric.

[ninjascience]

Actually, it's supposed to side view 

[sharprm]

Really? Well then can I un-inject my opinion and recommend you follow Coran's advice. Have the feet contact the ground as in the tute. Also, bring up the left shoulder so it is symmetrical to right.

edit: Those massive ears can line up and help it look 'side on'. I think the head being so big and the eyes being low gives it isometric look which you have to combat.

[robotacon]

Your character could work in side-view. There are lots of games that pull of a side-view perspective with the character turned out of the screen like that.
What I'm worried about is that you don't seem fully conscious of the technique that you're using. Are there any references you can show us?

Some suggestions:

1. The palette cleanup that you're talking of is indeed needed. Finish that first so you don't waste our time helping you out with edits.
2. In the first frame the feet does not line up with the rest of the frames. Always draw guidelines for the ground.
3. The second and the fourth frames are identical. A 4 frame walk-cycle is restricting you enough so you have to make each frame count.
4. The arms really only move in the first frame. In the other frames they are barely nudged. Go for a smooth pendulum movement.
5. Again with the side-view thing. Consider turning the character into the screen abit. You can still have the character turned towards the screen when he/she is idle.

[ninjascience]

thanks for the advice all 

made his legs a bit longer and did an idle pose and the first pose of a walk cycle.



EDIT: I always see something as soon as I post a new image 
I think he needs to be a bit taller in the idle pose