If you are a beginner in animation, let’s start from the basics and learn how to animate a simple human walking cycle.
The walk cycle in this article is made for 30 frames per second and includes two steps. 30 frames is often used for animation character models in video games.
The walking includes five basic positions. The first position starts from the left leg, and the full one-step takes 30 frames.
- Frame 1 – half step, the left leg is raised, the right one is on the ground, the body follows the baseline;
- Frame 15 – step, the left leg is forward, both of the legs contact the ground, the body slightly below the baseline;
- Frame 30 – half step, the right leg is raised, the left one is on the ground, the body returns to its previous position;
- Frame 45 – step, the right leg is forward, both of the legs contact the ground, the body below the baseline;
- Frame 60 – half step, the position is the same as in the “Frame 1” and the animation cycle returns to the first position;
In case the animation has some delay, in the end, try to cut the last frame. It can help to avoid duplicate the first and the last frames that make a freeze effect.
If you want to know more about character animation, we advise you to take a look at the helpful and friendly book for each animator, “Animator’s Survival Kit” written by Richard Williams.
