Visual Language - Study Task 2 - Character Animation Crash Course by Eric Goldberg - Body Shape

In this book, Eric Goldberg goes through the key characteristics and techniques that go into designing characters that are to be animated.

In his chapter about Character construction and Design, he mentions how a cartoon character construction is typically based on circle and par-shapes. These tend to be more fluid to animate and easier to turn around due to their round and simple shapes.

Goldberg points out how important posture can be to express a characters emotion. A simple line of action is what tends to be used to establish attitude, which you can build on in order to shape the character. However, that being said, a simple skeletal structure should be taken into account when animating. These skeletal underlying structures are key to creating fluidity through an animation due to the "successive breaking of joints".

Even though characters are usually drawn from simple, rounded shapes, the feeling of key anatomy will benefit your character into making them defined. The image of a "pudgy" character is beneficial to me because my character is very round and soft. I feel as though I have taken into account how my characters fat sort of shapes off into soft points around the edges in order to give my character shape and dimension instead of him just being a circle.

This is the first sketch I have done using the idea of my character having a skelotel structure to build upon. I found this difficult because of how round and large my character is. It was confusing to see what I had attempted to do, so I drew a key in the corner so it's easier to understand. I feel as though the "skeletol rule" applies well to my character, because of how the ribcage fits well with the top half of his body.

This was the first sketch I did that involved a skeletol structure and gesture line underneath to work on. I feel as though this technique would be most helpful when creating thin characters, as well as characters that are made to portray dramatic emotions. I feel as though my character is restricted with his movements because I would want to maintain his hefty, round structure as well as keeping with the theme that he is lazy and out of shape.

I attempted to draw some more dynamic poses of my character. The first one of the left of him running, and the one on the right being proud. I found it easier to draw him with the gestural spine line rather than just his outer shape first. I feel as though this line definitely helps to create emotion.

I attempted to create further emotions using the guide lines and tips from the book by Eric Goldberg. I found it a lot more helpful when drawing my character in dynamic poses to convey his emotions, because of the simple line of action to work on top of. 

Overall, this book has helped me gain an understanding of how designing a character requires ground work to layer on top of in order to convey and emotion or action using the body as well as just the face. Using a gestural line to build upon helps portray and exaggerate a characters movement.