One thing you may notice in a walk cycle is that the arms and legs are always in opposing positions; if the left leg is forward, the left arm is back. If the right leg is back, the right arm is forward. This, too, relates to balance and distribution of weight; your body naturally counter-swings your limbs so that your weight is constantly flowing evenly to keep you on balance. You can try walking with your arms and legs moving in even synchronicity, but you'd be a bit uncomfortable and find yourself moving rigidly--and possibly keeling to one side.
Flash Frame-By-Frame Animation: 8-Frame Basic Walk Cycle
By Adrien-Luc Sanders, About.com
Now you should use the same principles to go back to your Arms layer and start filling in those limbs. They work the same way, but the motion isn't quite so complex; they don't bend as much, because they're not meeting resistance in the form of the ground to cause sinew to shift and pull. Mostly the arms swing from the shoulders, and the position of them is up to you; I chose what I call "busy arms" or "walkers' arms", because the constantly-bent arms look like someone in a hurry or else a speedwalker building momentum.
Prev
- About Walk Cycles
- Starting Point
- Arranging Sequential Frames in a Path of Motion
- Animating the Legs
- Animating the Legs II
- Animating the Legs III
- Adjusting Motion to Reflect Stride Length
- Animating the Arms
- Finished Result
- Conclusion: Complete the Cycle
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