CTE Conceptual Design DL

Understanding Walk Cycles in Animation Animating a walk cycle is one of the most important skills for an animator to master. A well-animated walk cycle makes a character feel alive, natural, and believable. Whether for cartoons, video games, or movies, animators use walk cycles to show movement without having to redraw every step. One of the best resources for learning walk cycles is The Animator’s Survival Kit by Richard Williams. He breaks down how animators can create smooth and appealing movement. The key to a good walk cycle is understanding key poses—specific points in the movement that define how a character walks. Two of the most important key poses are the contact position and the passing position. The Contact Position The contact position happens when both feet are making contact with the ground. In this pose, one foot is in front, touching the ground, while the other foot is behind, about to lift off. This position gives the walk cycle its structure, showing the full step be...

SOURCE:  https://characterdesignreferences.com/winners4/winners-of-the-dino-olympics-challenge  When creating characters for comics, games, or animation, it is important to maintain a consistent look every time you draw them. Consistency allows viewers to recognize a character instantly, whether they are standing still, walking, or showing an emotion. One of the best ways to achieve this consistency is by starting with basic geometric shapes—like circles, ovals, rectangles, and triangles—to build a character’s form. This approach is often called “form construction.” Form construction starts with a simple foundation. If you are drawing a person, you might begin with a circle for the head and rectangles for the torso and limbs. By breaking the figure into shapes, you can more easily plan the character’s proportions—the size relationship of different body parts. For instance, if you decide the character’s torso is two times as long as the head, you can repeat this measurement ea...

SOURCE: Pascal Campion artwork -  https://www.theyellowsparrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/1012924_721511104543832_899687552_n.jpg  Conflict is the heart of every compelling story—it drives character motivation, heightens tension, and propels the narrative forward. When it comes to visual storytelling, how do you make that conflict leap off the page or screen? By focusing on the emotional core of your scene and using key elements—facial expressions, body language, lighting, and composition—you can capture the essence of struggle or tension in a single image or storyboard panel. This post will explore effective ways to depict conflict visually and provide a short creative activity you can try with Moho to bring your story ideas to life. 1. Identifying the Source of Conflict Internal vs. External Conflict Stories generally showcase either internal conflict (a character battling self-doubt, moral dilemmas, or fears) or external conflict (a character at odds with another charac...