From Sketches to Animation

Zshapiro · Post by **Zshapiro** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 8:18 pm

Hey everyone! I just got myself a copy of anime studio. I am working on creating a possible animation series (everything is still in the works). Essentially, its about a duo of superheroes who resemble a different type of drug. So far I got Merry-Juana man and Shroomie. Anyway, I cant draw, so my freind has been making concept sketches of the characters that would appear in the animation.

I have taken a few sketches and scanned them in Photoshop.. Next I traced over the lines using the line tool and eventually colored the character.

My dilemma is what to do next. Since I am new to anime studio and 2D animation altogether (I do have experience with Cinema 4D) I’m not quite sure how to take this character and begin to animate him. Do I need to draw poses? Or front and side views? I have posted a picture of Merry-Juana man below.

Any help or tips would be appreciated and I’m looking forward to being a member of this community.

Click with caution, its blatenly clear my character is a drug. Watch out kids! drugs are bad
http://i36.tinypic.com/5agtjr.jpg

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:52 pm

Doing the tutorials included in the help menu will go a long way toward answering your questions. Take your time, and learn the program before getting too far ahead of yourself trying to animate.

Also, this is an all ages forum. I'm not sure your characters are appropriate for all possible viewers here. To be on the safe side, I'd be more apt to post a link with a content warning.

slowtiger · Post by **slowtiger** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:04 pm

I'm not sure your characters are appropriate for all possible viewers here.

What??

Ah, the american way of thinking. "If you don't say the word, the reality will go away."

A drawn character with the name of a drug can hardly be dangerous to anyone. Not that I find the idea very interesting, but banning this kind of artwork would be ridiculous. As far as I know there's already a quite successful TV show with characters resembling different drugs.

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:57 pm

"If you don't say the word, the reality will go away."

I'm not talking about denying the realities. I'm just not so sure we need to be introducing impressionable minds to the subject of drugs using appealing cartoon characters. Granted, parents should be educating their own children.

I wouldn't go so far as to suggest banning material, but I think we should be aware of the potential ages of viewers here. I just wouldn't want to risk blurring the content line.

Zshapiro · Post by **Zshapiro** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 4:27 am

You say there's a successful show like this? Do you know what it is? I would like to check it out.

and I attempted to make the drug reference in a way under the table, hence his name is merry Juana and not marijuana. Thats the comedic approach I want to take, for instance the toys r us giraffe is actually a homosexual sex toy retailer.

I do recall the age to sign up for this forum was 13. now When I was 13, we took health classes and were informed about all sorts of drugs, kids these age watch movies like Harold and Kumar, there exposed to these references left and right. If its an issue, I could link it and have a warning but I don't think the image I have up advocates drugs, its simply supposed to be funny.

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 4:56 am

I didn't realize it was a drug right away. He looks like a holly leaf and I did think it odd to do holiday themes in the summer time though.

-vern

jahnocli · Post by **jahnocli** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 11:33 am

"...its simply supposed to be funny."

Ha ha! I agree. But maybe as a compromise, you could just put the link up, along with an "advisory" notice. I live in a nanny state, and, funnily enough, it's no problem to skate round all the political correctness!

Zshapiro · Post by **Zshapiro** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:24 pm

Alrighty, just for sakes, ill do the link. but for the purpose of a cartoon, would the color and shading I given him now, that air brush look be better suited for a cartoon series then the traditional anime look? Im not quite sure which direction I want to take.

slowtiger · Post by **slowtiger** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:35 pm

You should think of how to move your character first before you bother about style. Can he walk? Sit down? Use his arms and hands? Have facial expressions?

Zshapiro · Post by **Zshapiro** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:37 pm

slowtiger wrote:You should think of how to move your character first before you bother about style. Can he walk? Sit down? Use his arms and hands? Have facial expressions?

That’s actually what I'm trying to attempt now, but I’m wondering if I need my sketch artist to draw different poses or if anime studio has a puppet tool. Perhaps I could even Photoshop different poses with the arms and legs bend by rotating parts of his body.

Zshapiro · Post by **Zshapiro** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:47 pm

Zshapiro wrote:
slowtiger wrote:You should think of how to move your character first before you bother about style. Can he walk? Sit down? Use his arms and hands? Have facial expressions?

That’s actually what I'm trying to attempt now, but I’m wondering if I need my sketch artist to draw different poses ( like this model sheet: http://inklingstudio.typepad.com/chroni ... an_ref.jpg)

or if anime studio has a puppet tool. Perhaps I could even Photoshop different poses with the arms and legs bend by rotating parts of his body

JCook · Post by **JCook** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:57 pm

I would say a model sheet like the one you posted the link to would be a good thing to do for any character. Doing that is a way to work out how your character would move, stand, sit, etc. These things might be entirely different for each character. The model sheet then helps you when you actually are animating the character by serving as a reference for poses.

As far as a "puppet tool" in AS, I'm not entirely sure what you mean, but there are bones, which will help you immensely when you pose the character. AS has tutorials about them built into the help file, so do them and also do searches on these forums. There is LOTS of help here already for bone animation, and some really great experts on the forum to ask questions of.

Jack

synthsin75 · Post by **synthsin75** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:00 pm

Sorry, didn't mean to derail your topic there.

Especially if you are not an artist yourself, I'd have your artist do plenty of different angle and pose sketches. Your best bet is always to trace your sketches into AS as vector art. This gives you many more options. It all depends on the style of animation. Simpler movements can be done with image layers made in Photoshop.

There are at least 5-10 different ways to do anything in AS, so you'll probably need to do (and understand) the tutorials. Then you'll be in better shape to ask more specific questions.