Chapter Six. Walking and Locomotion

Six Walking and Locomotion

Animating a pose at a time is good for some types of animation, but many times your character will need to move from place to place. This means animating the character walking, running, or using some other form of locomotion. Locomotion requires an intimate knowledge of balance and weight distribution, and learning to animate a walk is a skill every animator must master.

On top of the simple mechanics of walking, a character's walk conveys a great deal about its personality and mood. Every individual has a unique walk, and understanding how to personalize a walk will go a long way toward making a character come alive.