INSANELY Smooth pixel ATTACK Animation Tutorial
TLDRIn this tutorial, pixel artist and animator Pen USB Mike shares a detailed process of redesigning and animating a character for a smoother attack animation. Starting with a silhouette, he refines the character's stance, weapon, and features, emphasizing a single eye and a larger sword. Keyframes are set for a two-swing attack, with a focus on making the sword movements heavy and smooth. The tutorial also covers adding in-between frames for fluidity and creating visual effects to enhance the animation's impact.
Takeaways
- 🎨 The tutorial is about redesigning and reanimating a character sprite for a game.
- 🖌️ The artist, Mike, starts with a dark base color to establish a cool silhouette for the character.
- 🔄 The use of symmetry and wireframe is essential for maintaining consistency in the character design.
- ⚔️ Changes to the character include a bigger sword and a redesigned stance, with a focus on a single eye for impact.
- 🗺️ The tutorial covers setting up key animation frames for an attack sequence, emphasizing the sword's weight and smoothness.
- 🔑 Keyframes are identified for different stages of the attack, including preparation, the swing, and aftermath.
- 📏 The use of the 'V' tool and onion skinning helps in creating fluid motion between frames.
- 💻 Adjustments to the character's cloak, sword, and wire are made to enhance the visual appeal and animation flow.
- 🌌 The artist discusses adding VFX to signify the impact of the sword swing, suggesting an electric samurai concept.
- ✨ The final animation includes detailed in-between frames to add subtle movement and realism to the character's actions.
- 🔧 The tutorial concludes with the addition of special effects like sparks and electricity to enhance the visual impact of the attack animation.
Q & A
What is the main purpose of the tutorial?
-The main purpose of the tutorial is to redesign and reanimate a character, focusing on creating smooth pixel attack animations.
Who is the instructor of the tutorial?
-The instructor of the tutorial is Pen USB Mike, a pixel artist and animator known for working on games like 'Doe Keeper', 'Show Gun Showdown', and his solo project 'Bullet Bunny'.
Where can viewers find the full, unedited versions of the tutorial?
-Viewers can find the full, unedited versions of the tutorial on Pen USB Mike's Patreon and itch.io, with links provided below the video.
What is the initial goal when redesigning the character's sprite?
-The initial goal when redesigning the character's sprite is to create a cool silhouette and improve the stance, possibly with a bigger sword.
Why is the symmetry button toggled on and off during the design process?
-The symmetry button is toggled on and off to ensure that the character's stance remains consistent and balanced while making adjustments.
What tool does the instructor use to move the character's parts during animation?
-The instructor uses the 'V' tool, which is the move tool, to adjust the character's parts during the animation process.
What feature is enabled to help see the frame below while animating?
-Onion skin is enabled to help see the frame below while animating, providing a reference for smooth transitions.
How does the instructor plan the key frames for the attack animation?
-The instructor plans the key frames by setting up a sequence of actions: a preparation pose, the attack swing, and a follow-through pose, ensuring the sword feels heavy and the animation is smooth.
What is the significance of the wire in the character's design?
-The wire is a distinctive feature of the character's design, possibly coming out of the head, and is kept consistent throughout the animation to maintain the character's identity.
How does the instructor approach adding details to the animation?
-The instructor adds details by working on in-between frames, making slight tweaks to the character's pose, cloak, and sword to enhance the movement and realism of the animation.
What additional elements does the instructor consider to finalize the animation?
-The instructor considers adding visual effects (VFX) such as electric sparks and additional movement to the wire to give the animation more impact and a sense of power.
Outlines
🎨 Character Redesign and Animation Process
Pixel artist and animator Mike introduces his tutorial on character redesign and animation for his solo project 'Bullet Bunny.' He offers full, unedited versions on Patreon and itch.io, providing a comprehensive learning experience. The tutorial focuses on redesigning a character sprite and creating attack animations, starting with a dark base color to establish a silhouette. Mike discusses his approach to symmetry, stance, and weapon design, emphasizing the importance of a cool silhouette and making iterative adjustments for improvement.
🗡 Keyframe Animation for Attack Sequence
The paragraph delves into the technical aspects of creating keyframe animations for a character's attack sequence. Mike outlines the process of setting up key poses, including preparatory movements, the swing of the sword, and the aftermath of the attack. He describes using the V-tool and onion skin feature to refine the animation, adjusting the character's body, head, and cloak for a smooth and dynamic sequence. The goal is to make the sword feel heavy and the movements realistic, with attention to details like the character's eye line and the positioning of the sword and cloak.
💻 In-Betweening and Adding Visual Effects
Mike continues the animation tutorial by discussing the 'in-betweening' process, which involves creating frames that smoothly transition between key poses. He emphasizes the importance of subtle movements, such as the sway of the cloak and the tilt of the sword, to enhance the animation's realism. Additionally, he introduces the concept of adding visual effects (VFX) to the animation, like the electric sparks for the character's attack, to increase the visual impact and convey the power of the action.
🔄 Refining Animation and Final Touches
In the final paragraph, Mike focuses on refining the animation by adjusting the timing and momentum of the character's movements. He describes the process of working backward from the key poses to create a seamless transition and ensure that no two frames are identical. The paragraph also covers the addition of extra frames to sell the movement of the sword and the character's body. Mike concludes by adding the final touches, such as electric effects, to complete the animation and make it look smooth and powerful.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Pixel Art
💡Animator
💡Redesign
💡Symmetry
💡Keyframe
💡Onion Skin
💡Z Index
💡VFX
💡Inbetweening
💡Patreon
💡Itch.io
Highlights
Introduction to Pen USB Mike, a pixel artist and animator known for games like 'Doe Keeper' and 'Show Gun Showdown'.
Availability of full, unedited tutorials for Patreon supporters and on itch.io.
Objective to redesign and reanimate a character with a focus on silhouette and stance.
Use of a dark base color to establish the character's silhouette.
Incorporation of symmetry in character design for consistency.
Desire for a more impactful stance and a larger sword in the redesign.
Introduction of a single eye design element for character uniqueness.
Setting up key animation frames for the character's attack sequence.
Utilization of the 'V' tool and onion skin feature for smooth animation transitions.
Designing the character's battle stance and preparing for the attack animation.
Creating a sense of weight and momentum in the sword swing animation.
Adding subtle movements to the cloak for dynamic animation effects.
Adjusting the character's head and wire position for consistency in the animation.
Key frame setup for a heavy sword slam as part of the attack sequence.
Filling in the in-between frames to connect the key animation poses.
Adding VFX layers to enhance the visual impact of the sword slash.
Finalizing the animation with adjustments to timing and adding extra details.
Incorporating original concept elements like electric Samurai for unique visual effects.
Completion of the animation with a focus on smooth transitions and visual appeal.