Corey Crawford: Character Design for Animation / New workflow & Technique

Character Design for Animation / New workflow & Technique

I've been trying out new ways to improve my character design for animation. Past designs have limited the characters animated potential and so I've decided to pay more attention on the construction and silhouette of the characters I'm designing. Above is a design in its early stages, I tested out the silhouette by taking out the lines, and then the red circles are to make clearer how the character is constructed. Very rough right now, but I think by the end this new work flow will pay off. I'll see what I get and what I can do with the character!

My thoughts on animation..

"The beauty of hand-drawn animation is it’s physicality, with every image, every frame being rendered through emotions of the animator. I have a deep interest in all mediums, but nothing is more aesthetically pleasing than that pencil on paper feel. This year marks 100 years since the first key-frame animation, “Gertie the Dinosaur” (1914), and still this expressive art has unseen potential.

The motto of being an animator, cartoonist, or whichever title you prefer, is that you never actually grow up while having this much fun creating. I believe the unseen potential I had mentioned is just the opposite. Of course having fun is a must, but it is our duty as creators, as people who hold onto no limit with their craft through unforgettable stories and endless emotions, to bring about messages that provoke world conciliation and neutrality, just as music does.”