Inspired by Igor's IGNAC trailer, I've started working a bit more in Flash, which is a pretty easy program to get along with.
I have a question for the experts of the wide world.
What do you reckon is the best way to go from the concept art you've drawn on paper to the screen? (digitizer tablet? scanner? both?)
Also,
For consecutive frames within the same animation, do you usually draw them all by hand or do you just introduce changes to the one you have on screen (these are the two approaches I've tried so far).
Ideas? anyone?
Concept art is the most fun thing I've ever, ever done. But, it's not as easy as putting concept art onto the screen, or making sprites using concept art as the reference piece. Here is how I do mine:
Firstly, I don't draw to start with. That makes ugly, souless charactors. I start by creating their personality. I talk to them (okay, it may seem a little insane, but its the way I'm used to.). After several long and rather insulting conversations with them, and after carrying them around me in my head, them commenting on everything I do, I have a clear mental picture of them. THATS when I start drawing them. And I draw them and draw them and DRAW them! And finally, when it seems like the reflexes to draw the charactor has been imprinted onto my hand, I pixel. First the front view, then the sides and lastly the back.
...
I animate by changing the original pixel art a little bit, and it's easier and smoother than drawing new art for each frame.
Please don't tell anyone how I live! ~Lenny
Hehe :P ~MDragon: The one with a hyena in his head.
Dragon - That's hilarious! I do the same thing ... I wouldn't say I actually talk to them, but I bounce the character around in my head until I feel like I know him/her well enough to do a 'portrait' of them. I do this mostly for writing the character, but that's just a step away from drawing so I use the technique for both.
Aussie - If you're using flash to create stuff here's how I (sometimes) do it. I sketch the character/vehical/location/whatever out on paper, scan it into the computer, import it into flash, and using vector lines I trace over the image. I start with just the line tool and a black line (usually hairline thickness) and work my way around. Using the great (and flexible) bend feature you can do in flash you can 'trace' any image! It works great for me and is really helpful with animations.
If you want to see something I created using this method check out this link: Darth Mandarb's Running Mailman (http://www.sitesandsounds.com/jeremy/running.cfm)
Just the character art in this animation were created using this method, but as you can see, it can be highly effective ;D The backgrounds were just free-hand created in Flash.
Hope that helps!!
dm
That is awesome Darth!
Hehe, that sounds like a great technique Dragon! And fun too ;).
Great stuff, both of you. Thanks.
That mailman animation is awesome Darth, that's the sort of stuff I'm trying to come up with. ;D
But my second question still remains. Do you draw all frames on paper or do you just modify the first one on screen?
By the way, one more little question up for grabs. I'm sure Darth can answer it.
Sometimes I find there's a kind of "jump" between consecutive frames of the same animation. That's because they're not perfectly aligned, I'm pretty sure. Can anyone explain to me how to align symbols of different frames in Flash?
Cheers big ears.
Well, I have no experience in animation but I think it's more logical to just modify the sprite, cause redrawing takes a long time and also might not turn out precisely the same. :)
edit:
Quote from: Malevolent Dragon on Thu 17/07/2003 15:16:35
...
I animate by changing the original pixel art a little bit, and it's easier and smoother than drawing new art for each frame.
Dragon posted but maybe it was a bit hard to notice since it was at the bottom lol.
I know that when it comes to music, I usually sing a tune randomly, develop it and grow to like it enough to want to compose it. The Fatman riff just started off as something I'd whistle to myself for weeks before I realised it'd work for the game.
^_^
You forget people. we are not using sprites. Vectors have no pixels!
*Twilight zone theme tune*
I think it would be best to draw all the frames and then bend the vector lines around the scanned sketches.
That sorta makes a bit more sense to me Eg.
I draw every frame out (on paper) and individually trace them into Flash.
Inside Flash I convert each seperate frame (after tracing them with vectors) into a symbol. Then I create a 'parent' symbol that sequentially plays each of the individual frame symbols.
This way you can click on the frame (in the parent symbol) where the character 'bounces' out of alignment and line it up in the proper place by using the arrow keys. (when you create a symbol it groups all elements of the drawing together into one bounding box)
EDIT - This technique can take some trial and error to get it just right but it's the best way I've found to make it all line up properly. Also, I use a different method when doing pixel art.
I hope this helps!
dm
Thanks Darth, that's what I was really after.
Mind you, it'd be good to hear what Igor thinks himself.
Sorry for a bit late reply... i guess i should read chat forum more often.
I'd say it's all about preferences and what kind of animation you are after.
Personaly i prefer classic approach: to draw everything on paper- from sketch pencils to inked animation. I use Flash just for coloring, since i found out, that any unnecessary editing on computer just double the developing time.
On the other hand, Flash is ideal for creating paper-like animation, where you use symbols and tweening option. The results may not be quite as smooth and organic as with classic animation, but it's *much* faster (you just need to draw separated body-parts and move (or rotate) them around.
Thanks Ig, that was helpful.
Yow use tweening and that yourself, though... I suppose it's all about being able to mix classic animation and Flash capabilities well, isn't it?