Tony White's Animator's Notebook

chapter 3

Stylized Walks

In the previous chapter about generic walks we discussed how animators are able to create a standard, failsafe walk that will work for any biped character that needs to be animated. Now we must begin to dig deeper into our animator’s chest of goodies to find ways of expressing personality and emotion through the walks our characters do. Think about it: We all walk in the same way—one leg in front of the other, arms opposing the leg action—but it is the body language of our walk that defines our personality, our mood, and even our intention. Even a scant look at the people walking in a local shopping mall or main street will confirm just how differently people express themselves through the manner in which they walk. Note ...