I animated a very long time ago when I first joined, 2006 I believe. Anyways since than I've had my name taken, left came back, left again. That doesn't matter though, I've never been a great animator when it came to sticks and I want to become better.

I don't expect to be as good as well known animators like Stone, Terkoiz, Jcamelo (I'm going a while back when I joined), and my good ol' pal Fitzy who is never on msn these days...

I watched some of Hyun's and Steelcold's tutorials however I still... well suck.

Here are 2 of my recent stick animations,
http://www.swfcabin.com/open/1269023619
http://www.swfcabin.com/open/1269023683
http://www.swfcabin.com/open/1269044702

I'd like some feed back on where I am making my mistakes, and if possible may'be some tutorial links that I could learn from. And if anybody in the world would be generous enough, I would love to have a mentor whou would show me my faults in animating.


Thanks SPP.

Ok, I have looked at your animations.

Good Points

*Well animated
*The stickmen are very well made, (no bumpy body parts)
*Great animating on the first one

Bad Points

*On the first, when stickman 1 knocks out the other stickman, stickman 1 dissapears
*On the second, one of them has no head
*On the second, the heads of the stickmen aren't bobbing as they walk

But apart from those bad points, you animations are very good. If you practiced a bit more, then you will become an expert, and make some of the best animators around. If you just work on the bobbing heads if you get what I mean, and the animations would be perfect. Your a great animator, keep it up!

Quote from TurboT

Ok, I have looked at your animations.

Good Points

*Well animated
*The stickmen are very well made, (no bumpy body parts)
*Great animating on the first one

Bad Points

*On the first, when stickman 1 knocks out the other stickman, stickman 1 dissapears
*On the second, one of them has no head
*On the second, the heads of the stickmen aren't bobbing as they walk

But apart from those bad points, you animations are very good. If you practiced a bit more, then you will become an expert, and make some of the best animators around. If you just work on the bobbing heads if you get what I mean, and the animations would be perfect. Your a great animator, keep it up!

Holy smokes you've just raised my confidence a very high amount sir. The reason why he dissapears by the way is because I thought it was a bad animation and gave up. I will keep practicing and hopefully I will become a lot better. Thanks a ton man.

No problem. It's my pleasure to help a SPP member.

Quote from TurboT

No problem. It's my pleasure to help a SPP member.

So do you think you could recommened some flashes I should watch? Or a style that I could animate well (like line, brush, etc.)?

Well, when you are constructing a stickman always use the line tool. I find it terribly hard to draw stickmen with the brush tool, (since im on a Laptop). If I were you, I'd stick to Macromedia Flash 8, (since it's probably the easiest to use and it's got lots of different tools to create the perfect stickmen).

Alright, I always seemed to like line tool stick animations than brush tool anyways.

I will hopefully get a lot better of the next few months because I plan on practicing a lot.

Do you animate a lot TurboT?

Well, I used to animate until somebody commented saying they were rubbish... but I might just start animating again soon. I have experience, so I may aswell make use of it.

Quote from TurboT

Well, I used to animate until somebody commented saying they were rubbish... but I might just start animating again soon. I have experience, so I may aswell make use of it.

Darn dude that stinks, you should start again too, and may'be we can help each other out or something.

Gah, I really would like a mentor, somebody who could walk me through how to make a solid stick fight.

I think you should draw more, I know its hard to use mouse instead of pencil but forget about computer for a while, go outside take a pen or a pencil and some papers, draw people, draw animals, watch a movie, stop it just when the guys walking and draw him, draw a woman, draw an old man, draw a dog, draw a small cattie, all these things have different character and thats what your animations are lacking, a character, an attitude, those are just generic things, you should put a little bit of energy in it, do some sort of exaggerating, these animations arent STRONG enought, you should draw more so your poses look better, one famous man said, animation are poses and timing and I think he was wrong because timing is nothing without easing, another important thing that you should focus on

look at your run, the hands move so smoothly but they lack easing, check this out,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsRfrTJX4mY

damn awesome right ?

- poses
- attitude
- easing
- fluidness

and check this out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys9mlKOB-Ww&NR=1

the same things, this guy definitely knows more about animation than this forum compressed together multiplied by 100 !!!

Study the movement, thats how people get better, everyone can learn animation, EVERYONE can do good animations, you just have to be patient and work hard, study others animations and study peoples motion, thats the best thing you can do and of course, compare it to your animations, if you know what animation principles are and if you look at those two animations that Ive sent, you have to know whats wrong with yours, if you dont know, or if you arent sure about your knowledge of animation principles just search through the internet, theres also a nice book "Animators survival kit by Richard Williams"

And I dont want you to recreate the animations that Ive sent, this is just an example, this is the only way how to do run or walk cycle, there are as many options as people can come up with, just look

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZlBUglE6Hc

EVERYONE can be good, remember.


Oh I forgot to tell you, plan your things first, then animate, get a tablet if you like animating and if you dont mind spending a few money, get a big LCD monitor if you want to feel comfortable, get a girl if you want inspiration.Dont take drugs though, they're rubbish (bear doesnt count as drug)

Quote from Tawnik

I think you should draw more, I know its hard to use mouse instead of pencil but forget about computer for a while, go outside take a pen or a pencil and some papers, draw people, draw animals, watch a movie, stop it just when the guys walking and draw him, draw a woman, draw an old man, draw a dog, draw a small cattie, all these things have different character and thats what your animations are lacking, a character, an attitude, those are just generic things, you should put a little bit of energy in it, do some sort of exaggerating, these animations arent STRONG enought, you should draw more so your poses look better, one famous man said, animation are poses and timing and I think he was wrong because timing is nothing without easing, another important thing that you should focus on

look at your run, the hands move so smoothly but they lack easing, check this out,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsRfrTJX4mY

damn awesome right ?

- poses
- attitude
- easing
- fluidness

and check this out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys9mlKOB-Ww&NR=1

the same things, this guy definitely knows more about animation than this forum compressed together multiplied by 100 !!!

Study the movement, thats how people get better, everyone can learn animation, EVERYONE can do good animations, you just have to be patient and work hard, study others animations and study peoples motion, thats the best thing you can do and of course, compare it to your animations, if you know what animation principles are and if you look at those two animations that Ive sent, you have to know whats wrong with yours, if you dont know, or if you arent sure about your knowledge of animation principles just search through the internet, theres also a nice book "Animators survival kit by Richard Williams"

And I dont want you to recreate the animations that Ive sent, this is just an example, this is the only way how to do run or walk cycle, there are as many options as people can come up with, just look

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZlBUglE6Hc

EVERYONE can be good, remember.


Oh I forgot to tell you, plan your things first, then animate, get a tablet if you like animating and if you dont mind spending a few money, get a big LCD monitor if you want to feel comfortable, get a girl if you want inspiration.Dont take drugs though, they're rubbish (bear doesnt count as drug)

I've always had issues when it came to easing, I would have a smooth walk but it would lack any character because the person had no personality.

Thanks a ton for those links, I don't think realistically I will ever be that good, seeing as how I just animate as a hobby.

I have a tablet, but it broke so I don't bother using it, can you suggest a place where I can buy a new one?

Also, by poses, how do you suggest I go about that? Just randomly doodle, or what? I'm not new to animating, but this is the first time I'm taking a serious approach to wanting to get better.

Quote from Socks

Darn dude that stinks, you should start again too, and may'be we can help each other out or something.

Gah, I really would like a mentor, somebody who could walk me through how to make a solid stick fight.

Yeah, im starting animating again now. So I will post it when I've finished it.

I made this little tutorial back in spring 2009, but I think it will still be pretty helpful

http://www.stickpageportal.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100831

By poses I mean something like this

http://portfolio.sticktacular.com/Uploads_min/Lost_art__Action_poses_by_Dokuro_7533335.jpg

check out line of action, the thing that people often forget about

http://www.animationarchive.org/pics/pbanimation07-big.jpg

google it, or use wikipedia ;)

just animate, animate, draw, draw, watch, watch, study, study and you'll get better

Im not english so I cant really tell where to get tablets, but I use wacom graphire A5 (the active space is a6)

Quote from TurboT

Yeah, im starting animating again now. So I will post it when I've finished it.

Sweet, I can't wait to see it.

And thanks again Tawnik, you are very helpful, do you still animate?

http://www.youtube.com/user/T4wnik

I will animate at least FOREVER.