Chapter Eight. Animal Motion

Eight Animal Motion

Animals are quite common in animation. Animators often need to bring non-human creatures to life. The anatomy of most four-legged mammals, as well as that of reptiles, dinosaurs, snakes, and insects, is quite different from our primate podiatry. This chapter gives you the essentials you need to animate most of the major types of animals.

Each animal has different ways of moving, depending on the creature's size, shape, and purpose. Small animals tend to move faster than large ones; predators move differently than prey. When animating animals, it is always a good idea to go to the source, so to speak, and get lots of reference for your animation. A trip to the zoo or a good nature documentary can help you understand how a particular animal moves.