The famous (or infamous!?) walk cycle is a classic animation exercise that can really put your body mechanics knowledge to the test. The idle animation, which I had practiced before this, has head turns, expression changes, weight shifts, and blinks. But with a walk cycle, I had to take all of those concepts and combine them into a more active and energetic motion.

I stuck with a pretty simple & traditional walk cycle this time around. But even something this simple can be tricky to get right! I definitely hit a road block or two with this one. Making sure you have clean and appealing arcs is crucial with any animation, but it’s especially true here. Different parts of the body will create different arcs. The torso rocks back and forth, the hands swing forward and back, the feet arc upward but then flatten against the ground. Keeping track of these extremities can be a bit overwhelming at first. But by focusing in on one body part at a time, I was able to make it a lot more manageable. This is where the layered workflow really comes in handy. I created several key poses first, then went on to focus on the torso, then legs, and then arms. And layer by layer, things started to come together.

Whether it’s for tv, movies or games, walk cycles are everywhere. And with that in mind, I really wanted to make sure that I learned the walking basics before moving onto more action-based shots. Plus a walk cycle a great way to communicate a character’s personality within a single contained motion. You can really push that individuality or mood by exaggerating or toning down the typical walk cycle poses. I’ve been lucky enough to work on a few games as a character animator, and I’ve created several cycles for characters of different shapes, sizes, and personalities. And after revisiting this exercise, I want to keep doing just that. So expect some more walk cycle practice from me! And next time I’ll be focusing in on personality and character.

David Rig by Gabriel Salas

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