INSANELY Smooth pixel ATTACK Animation Tutorial
TLDRIn this tutorial, pixel artist and animator Pen USB Mike, known for his work on games like 'Doe Keeper' and 'Showgun Showdown', shares his process of redesigning and animating a character for his solo project 'Bullet Bunny'. Starting with a silhouette, he refines the character's stance, enlarges the sword, and adds details like a single eye and a wire coming out of the head. The animation focuses on creating smooth, heavy attack movements, utilizing keyframes and inbetweening to bring the character's battle-ready stance and sword swings to life. The tutorial also covers adding VFX for a dynamic slash and enhancing the animation with details like cloak movement and wire dynamics.
Takeaways
- 🎨 The tutorial is focused on redesigning and reanimating a character sprite for a smoother attack animation.
- 🖌️ The process starts with choosing a dark base color to outline the silhouette, emphasizing the importance of a cool initial stance.
- 🔄 Utilizing symmetry and adjusting the character's features like a bigger sword and a single eye to enhance the design.
- ⚔️ The character's attack animation consists of two swipes and a lunging motion, aiming to convey the weight and smoothness of the sword.
- 🔑 Keyframes are set for different stages of the attack, including preparation, the slash, and post-swing positions.
- 📏 The use of 'onion skinning' helps in animating by allowing the animator to see the frame below the current one for better continuity.
- 🎭 Attention to detail such as the character's cloak, wire, and sword movements are crucial for a realistic and engaging animation.
- 🔄 Tweaking and adjusting the animation frames are part of the process to ensure fluidity and a dynamic visual effect.
- 🌟 Adding VFX like electric sparks can enhance the character's samurai theme and make the attack animation more dramatic.
- 🔍 The importance of not having any frames be exactly the same to avoid stiffness and to add a sense of natural movement.
- 🎞️ The tutorial suggests that the final animation can always be refined and improved upon in post-production.
Q & A
Who is the speaker in the video tutorial?
-The speaker is Pen USB Mike, a pixel artist and animator who has worked on games like 'Doe Keeper', 'Show Gun Showdown', and is currently working on a solo project called 'Bullet Bunny'.
What are the different versions of the tutorials offered by Pen USB Mike?
-Pen USB Mike offers condensed versions of tutorials and full, unedited versions available on his Patreon and itch.io, which include more information, start-to-finish without editing, and are not condensed.
What is the main focus of the tutorial in the script?
-The main focus of the tutorial is to redesign and reanimate a character, starting with the character's sprite and then moving on to the attack animations.
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 to improve the character's stance, possibly with a bigger sword.
What tool does Pen USB Mike suggest using for moving and adjusting the character's features during the animation process?
-Pen USB Mike suggests using the 'V' tool, which is the move tool, along with the onion skin feature to see the frame below for better accuracy in movement.
How does Pen USB Mike plan to make the sword feel heavier in the animation?
-To make the sword feel heavier, Pen USB Mike plans to animate the sword with smooth and deliberate movements, ensuring that the character's stance and the sword's position reflect its weight.
What is the purpose of setting up keyframes in the animation?
-Setting up keyframes in the animation helps define the main poses and actions that the character will perform, such as preparing for an attack, swinging the sword, and settling into a battle-ready stance.
How does Pen USB Mike approach adding in-between frames to the animation?
-Pen USB Mike approaches adding in-between frames by focusing on subtle movements, such as adjusting the cloak, moving the sword, and ensuring that no two frames are exactly the same to create a smooth animation.
What is the significance of the 'onion skin' feature in the animation process?
-The 'onion skin' feature allows the animator to see the frame below the current one, which is helpful for maintaining consistency and continuity in the animation, especially when adjusting movements.
How does Pen USB Mike incorporate visual effects (VFX) into the character's attack animation?
-Pen USB Mike incorporates VFX by adding a layer for the slash effect, creating a hard slash behind the character, and then filling in the frames to show the sword's movement and the aftermath of the attack.
What is the final touch Pen USB Mike adds to the animation to enhance the character's attack?
-The final touch is adding BX visuals, which could include electric effects if the character is an electric samurai, with squiggly lines and sparks to emphasize the power of the attack.
Outlines
🎨 Character Redesign and Animation Process
Pixel artist and animator Mike, known for his work on games like 'Doe Keeper' and 'Show Gun Showdown', introduces his tutorial on redesigning and animating a character for his solo project 'Bullet Bunny'. He discusses his process of starting with a dark base color to establish a silhouette and toggling symmetry for consistency. Mike details his intentions to enhance the character's stance, enlarge the sword, and introduce a single eye for a striking appearance. He also explains setting up the character for animation, including keyframes for two swipes and a lunging attack, aiming to convey the weight of the sword through smooth animation.
🤺 Crafting Dynamic Attack Animations
Mike delves into the specifics of creating attack animations, focusing on keyframes for a character's battle stance and movements. He describes the process of using the move tool and onion skin feature to prepare the character for an attack, adjusting the character's head, sword, and body to convey readiness. Mike then illustrates how to animate the character's sword swing, emphasizing the importance of frame-by-frame adjustments for a realistic and fluid motion. He also discusses the addition of VFX for the slash, including the creation of an electric samurai effect with squiggly lines and sparks to enhance the visual impact of the animation.
🖌️ Refining the Animation with In-Betweens
In this segment, Mike focuses on refining the animation by adding in-between frames to smooth out the character's movements. He explains the technique of deleting and adding pixels to create a natural sway in the character's cloak and the subtle adjustments needed to make the sword movements more dynamic. Mike also discusses the importance of maintaining consistency in the character's stance and the use of frame properties to adjust the timing of the animation for a more fluid and impactful result.
🌌 Adding Final Touches and Special Effects
Mike concludes the tutorial by adding the final touches to the animation, including the character's recovery from the heavy slam and the aftermath of the sword swing. He emphasizes the need to avoid having identical frames and to ensure that every frame contributes to the overall movement. Mike also discusses the addition of special effects, such as electricity and sparks, to enhance the visual appeal and power of the character's attack. He wraps up by adjusting the Z layer to ensure that the effects are properly layered above the character, resulting in a polished and compelling animation sequence.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Pixel Art
💡Animator
💡Redesign
💡Silhouette
💡Symmetry
💡Keyframe
💡Onion Skin
💡Z-index
💡Inbetweening
💡VFX
💡Electric Samurai
Highlights
Introduction to the tutorial by pixel artist and animator Mike, known for games like 'Doe Keeper' and 'Show Gun Showdown'.
Availability of full, unedited tutorial versions on Patreon and itch.io.
The goal of redesigning and reanimating a character with a focus on silhouette and stance.
Use of a dark base color to establish the character's silhouette.
Incorporating symmetry in character design for consistency.
Desire to enhance the character with a bigger sword and improved stance.
Experimentation with pixel art to refine the character's cloak and sword details.
Setting up key animation frames for a smooth attack sequence.
Technique of using the 'V' tool and onion skinning for animation preparation.
Creating dynamic poses for the character's attack animation.
Adjusting the character's sword and head position for a more impactful attack.
Adding subtle movements to the cloak for a more realistic animation.
The process of refining key frames for the character's attack animation.
Techniques for creating a smooth transition between animation frames.
Adding VFX to enhance the visual impact of the character's attack.
Finalizing the character's stance and movement for the attack animation.
Adding 'BX' visual effects to complete the animation, suggesting an electric samurai concept.