Welcome back after a long absence. To be honest, the past few months have been full of work and commitments, so I haven't been able to provide lessons or any videos on my channel. But with the beginning of the new year, I've finished my work and I'm almost able to get some time to work on what I love.
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Today I have come to you with a practical and useful explanation on how to animate an anime girl as she spins around herself using a professional and smooth style, without complication, so that beginners and experienced users alike can benefit from it.
First step
We begin by determining the direction of the girl's rotation, whether she is rotating from right to left or vice versa, and we draw the initial shape of the movement in a quick manner to determine the general idea of the movement.
In this first frame, the character is facing the camera with their arms at the sides, and we add the details we want, such as hair and clothes, initially.
Remember: Don't rush here, but try to find the right move before going into details.
Step two
You may be surprised that we draw the last movement before the movement in the middle, but this step is essential in all animation works around the world, because determining the first and last movement of the character makes it easier to draw the in-between frames later when moving an anime girl who is rotating.
In this animation of an anime girl, we'll draw her in a still motion, slightly turned towards the camera. The details here are more pronounced because it will be the final cut, so pay attention to the hair, the folds of her clothing, and her facial expression.
Step three
Now we go to the frame located in the middle between the first and last while moving an anime girl who is spinning, and we draw the intermediate movement.
In the Toon Boom program, open the option Onion Skin To see the previous and subsequent frames, where the previous frame appears in red and the subsequent frame in green to help you accurately locate the movement.
In this context, the character is in a twisting position with arms closed, back bent, and face down, while hair begins to fly in preparation for the turn.
Step four
Here we come to drawing In-Between Frames Between the first, middle, and last frames. The frames don't need to be extremely precise; what's important is that the first and last frames are the clearest.
If you wish, you can continue drawing the diagram until the end of the animation, but personally I start the animation immediately after these steps.
Stage 1
During this stage, you will notice that the character remains in a state of continuous rotation, with only the back and hair appearing in some frames, while the arms are folded as if the girl is about to jump.
Stage 2
Draw the hair on a separate layer if you want to move it independently, but the eyes, eyebrows, nose and mouth must each be drawn on a separate layer for easier coloring and movement.
Stage 3
One of the important rules when moving an anime girl or any character is to start the movement slowly and then make it fast, using more frames in slow motion and fewer in fast motion.
For example: the girl is sitting in one shot, and suddenly in the next frame she has stood up quickly, which is a technique frequently used in anime for scenes of shock or fast movement.
Caution: Do not use this technique too often so that the animation does not become broken, but only use it at appropriate moments.
Step five
After the animation is fully completed, we begin the coloring stage:
- We first color the skin with a base color.
- We move on to the hair layer and color it with the appropriate shades.
- We color the eyes, while the nose and mouth remain black or a gray gradient depending on the anime style you choose.
- Don't forget to add shine to the eyes and hair strands to add vibrancy.
This is the first move
This is the final move
How to move hair smoothly using pneumatic bones
directions
- Make sure to move the hair and clothing details with the movement to add realism.
- Review the entire scene when animating an anime girl, and after the animation to ensure the smoothness of the movement.
- You can add simple effects such as shadows or lighting to make the animation more professional.
Full video: https://youtu.be/tSTOqxD1y7o
Today we have learned how to animate an anime girl spinning around herself in simple and clear steps, using Toon Boom or any animation program you prefer.
Continue practicing this technique, as all Japanese and professional animators started with these simple steps. Wait for me in future lessons on animating anime characters in advanced ways and adding professional effects, God willing.
