What should I animate my OC doing?
Try two reactions to the same interruption and sketch three poses that let a viewer read your original character’s choice.
Give your original character one small choice. Imagine someone just out of view has called their name. Do they move closer, or hope the person will keep walking? Draw both responses from the same starting pose and see which one says more about them.
This is an exercise for planning your own animation. You will make three small sketches for each response: the interruption, the choice and the visible consequence.
Start with something you can see in the design
Look for a useful detail in the design: a loose jacket tie, an object in a hand or the way the feet are planted. A long ribbon or a jacket tie can help show a turn, a sudden stop or a change of mind. For the exercise below, imagine a jacket with loose ties beside the knees, or use a comparable detail from your own drawing.
If you already have a finished image and want to see a new interpretation, you can try it directly. The movement will be chosen for the image; the sketching exercise below is for planning an action yourself.
Try the same interruption two ways
They've been hoping to hear that voice. First draw the head turning, with the feet still pointing forward. Next draw a step toward the caller. Let the hair and jacket ties trail behind the turn. In the last sketch, the character has planted the front foot and holds out a hand to the person they recognize. Even with the sound off, someone watching can see that the call was welcome.
They'd rather go unnoticed. Start with the same turn of the head. This time, one foot starts toward the caller, then slips back into place. In the last sketch the character has put both hands in their jacket pockets and is looking the other way. Leave just enough time to see the loose jacket tie swing back against the leg. It gives away the step they tried to hide.
Put the two last drawings side by side. If they look alike, go back to the weight on the feet and the position of the hands. A new facial expression can be surprisingly hard to read at phone size. A character stepping forward to greet someone and a character quietly backing away have different silhouettes.
Try a second idea with your own drawing
A simple design gives you plenty to work with. Start with a figure whose arms are spread wide. If another character came closer, would those arms fold into a hug, or would one hand turn outward to signal “wait”? Sketch the first pose and each possible ending. Pick the ending that fits the character you know. Draw the middle pose last, at the point where a viewer could first guess their choice.
See what someone else can read
Show the sketches to someone without the captions. Ask what changed and what the character seemed to choose. If they only describe a turn or a raised arm, adjust the final pose so the choice has a visible consequence.
If both versions read the same way, change one visible action rather than adding a paragraph of explanation. Move the weight forward or back, change where the hand ends up, or make the distance to the other person different. Compare the two endings again at phone size.
Try another interpretation of the starting image
If you would like to see another interpretation of your finished drawing, you can bring that image to Animated Drawings. The normal upload flow chooses its own five-second performance with sound; it does not follow the storyboard, timing or poses you planned here.
One image, another interpretation
These character images and their videos show new interpretations. They do not demonstrate the two storyboard choices above.
Keep the sketches as your plan if you want to animate the exact choice yourself. If you are curious about a new interpretation of the source, check the image and the credit cost in Creation before confirming.