Artistically, it's not much, but...
Moderators: Víctor Paredes, Belgarath, slowtiger
Artistically, it's not much, but...
Here is a render of the first frame of a little animation I'm working on. It's not much in the way of art, but I'm slowly progressing through it...
I suppose I'm breaking all the rules, because I don't have a physical storyboard. I do have a mental one, but this is mostly an experiment to see if I can do this. I'm not an artist at all, and while I've dabbled with animation before (2D & 3D), I've usually given up in frustration. This one I'm gonna finish even if it ends up killing somebody... 
I'm building it little pieces at a time, which of course is not the suggested approach, and is hindering me. I need to create another patron at the bar, and I have to build & rig him within the same layer as the other character (so the arms overlaps the rectangle appropriately). Or re-do the layers entirely, trying to keep each character seperate, except for their arms which have to be in a layer together with the bartop (rectangle).
I also have to lipsynch a two part dialog which I'm not looking forward to at all...
I'm hoping that by doing this, I'll learn a few things, get a feel for the tools above and beyond the included tutorials, so that the next animation I attempt will be more structured and efficient...
I'm building it little pieces at a time, which of course is not the suggested approach, and is hindering me. I need to create another patron at the bar, and I have to build & rig him within the same layer as the other character (so the arms overlaps the rectangle appropriately). Or re-do the layers entirely, trying to keep each character seperate, except for their arms which have to be in a layer together with the bartop (rectangle).
I also have to lipsynch a two part dialog which I'm not looking forward to at all...
I'm hoping that by doing this, I'll learn a few things, get a feel for the tools above and beyond the included tutorials, so that the next animation I attempt will be more structured and efficient...
Because of the slipshod way I've approached this, I believe I've drawn myself into a corner.
Here's a pic of what I'm hoping to accomplish
Again, I'm not artistic, and the technical aspects elude me most times, specifically when it comes to layering.
Here are the elements I know I need to compensate for:
1) Both bar patrons should have 1 arm above the bar. This mean that at a minimum, both arms have to be within the same bone layer, and the bar itself has to be included in that layer.
2) If I reposition any of the bones in each character specifically the torso), the arm that is above the bar, should also move with the body. Which means both characters themselves have to be within the same bone layer, with the bartop elements (glasses, and document (not shown)) have to also fall within that same bone layer.
3) Each character should be able to move the front arms independantly of the glass, and also be able to pick up the glasses to take a swig. Need to duplicate the glasses and also have them assigned to the bones for visibility switching (on & off).
Because of this layering complexity, I'm not really sure how to proceed. I could use any suggestions others might have...
Here's a pic of what I'm hoping to accomplish
Again, I'm not artistic, and the technical aspects elude me most times, specifically when it comes to layering.
Here are the elements I know I need to compensate for:
1) Both bar patrons should have 1 arm above the bar. This mean that at a minimum, both arms have to be within the same bone layer, and the bar itself has to be included in that layer.
2) If I reposition any of the bones in each character specifically the torso), the arm that is above the bar, should also move with the body. Which means both characters themselves have to be within the same bone layer, with the bartop elements (glasses, and document (not shown)) have to also fall within that same bone layer.
3) Each character should be able to move the front arms independantly of the glass, and also be able to pick up the glasses to take a swig. Need to duplicate the glasses and also have them assigned to the bones for visibility switching (on & off).
Because of this layering complexity, I'm not really sure how to proceed. I could use any suggestions others might have...
Hi WIZAERD...Your characters are EXCELLENT!...simple and effective!...in our humble opinion,"LESS is MORE"... in all aspects of art!...and as long as your art conveys the message, then you're going in the right direction.....and YOU are doing that!....keep up the GREAT WORK....because these two HOYBOYS give you........... TWO THUMBS WAY UP!!! 
HAVE A LAUGH ON US! at www.hoyboys.net
Although I agree that drawing skills are essential, you can still make a rather nice short animation with limited drawing skills, as long as your story is good. And people nowadays love personal stories, be it in video or animation. They are bored a bit by that polished box office stuff targetted at a particular audience that is coming out of Hollywood at the moment. Real life situations and things that could actually happen to people seem to be very hip at this moment.
Thanx for the kind words everyone. It's a simple project I'm doing for my own amusement, so I don't have the hassle of deadlines and project managers breathing down my neck...
When I get to the animation part, I'll post more examples... Right now am re-reigging them in the appropriate layers I'll need to do the actions I want...
When I get to the animation part, I'll post more examples... Right now am re-reigging them in the appropriate layers I'll need to do the actions I want...