I’m reaching back into the archives once again to share two very simple animations that I created back in 2019. I made these right after finishing my first head turn animation, and they follow a similar structure. First we have the head shake:

And then we have the head nod:

These are basically head turns with a second expressive reaction added onto the end. If a character is going to turn their head, it’s probably going to be for a reason. There’s something motivating that action. Maybe they heard something and they’re looking to see where it came from. Maybe they’re turning to address someone. By adding another motion to the end of the head turn, it gives the viewer a better idea of what the character might be thinking or feeling. This reaction provides some much needed context.

The first two animations I shared in my blog post about head turns were created after I animated these. Instead of just animating your typical head turn, where there are two poses and a transition between them, I made sure to add a little more motion at the end. Again, this helps the viewer understand not just how the character is turning their head, but some insight as to why.

Here are those two head turns:

Thanks for reading!

Koala Bob Rig by fRigging Awesome Studios
Amanda Rig by Artem Dubina

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