I like to think of him as my own little fluffy editor ever since he sat on a drawing I did when he was a baby. I had to respond with “No, you’re right, it’s not that good anyway…” and proceeded to draw the same image again, but evidently better! So, thank you Norman! You’re a top cat!
I thought I would put together a post of different caterpillar videos, specifically for reference of movement. Through my video research and observation, I’ve noticed that there are three prominent ways in which a caterpillar moves…
Of course, all of these depend on the type of caterpillar too. Some of the more hairy varieties seem to walk along as a normal animal would, or like that of a centipede.
Finding some macro shots of caterpillars taken by either professionals or amateurs has been really helpful in giving me the option to decide on which form of movement I would like the Kittypillar to have. There will obviously be a “main” Kittypillar which the mockumentary will revolve around, so finding a particular form of movement for that is vital. Any other subsequent Kittypillars will obviously vary in movement and character design.
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This first clip is particularly helpful, as it shows me how a caterpillar would climb up a stem / tree / branch etc. Looking at the “stumps” of the legs, it is making me want to re-evaluate the design of the Kittypillar itself. Granted, I like how the legs are on the current design, but for an easier aspect to animate I may alter them slightly to look a bit more like stumps.
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The pulsing motion of this caterpillar seems a lot more feline than other breeds, so I am definitely contemplating this as a possible option for the main Kittypillar which will be featured in the full length animation. Tests will be made displaying each of the three main movements – each test with a walk across the screen and climbing up a branch to show two activities done in the same movement. I will be looking for the one which will be most visually appealing in the long run.
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The way that the caterpillars head moves, inquisitively looking around in each direction, has compounded the fact that I can’t just make it a simple, 2-dimensional movement from left to right. As was the case with a lot of the old “Silly Symphony” animated shorts created by Disney back in the day, a characters personality was really accentuated by little movements and quirks. I want to make sure that the Kittypillar is well received by the intended child audience, so I will continue to watch all of these old shorts in order to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of these vital methods of character animation.
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I quite like the animation of the font in the opening of this video. That is something I may have to put down as a possibility when it comes to editing in the credits and titles.
I’m just really fond of this caterpillar over all. The furriness of it, the subtle yet cat-like / dog-like movement, and the speed of its walk make it incredibly charming. That being said, as a general rule, caterpillars make me very squeamish. What a subject to pick for an F.M.P, right?
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I absolutely adore this caterpillar, just for how much it reminds me of a “Scottie” dog. It’s length, speed, and almost “hopping” like motion all go towards this in my opinion. I absolutely love it. Probably would never touch or hold one, but you get the general idea! It makes me want to draw up some concept art for the alternative critter to the Kittypillar, its canine-counterpart: The “Mutterpillar”.
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When a Kittypillar is flustered / scared / angry, I am going to animate it with an almost instant extreme puffing-out of the fur, which will settle down again slowly. It will be a fun little defense mechanism which I will add to the behaviors and genealogy once I write that up properly. This caterpillar is quite a good representation of how I would like that to look.
The way it interacts with its surroundings as it walks along in this video has made me want to do a few tests of animating the creature over a photographic background as opposed to a hand drawn one. Experiments will be made with both options.
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It’s good that I’ve managed to find not only a close-up video of a caterpillar moving, but one of it exhibiting different behaviours as well. I will ave to put together a post containing different videos of cat behaviours also, so that I can combine and create from those. It will be fun trying to mix and match the two different species to create a new one.
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It will also be an idea to look into more vicious, less cuddly designs for the Kittypillar, just to have a nice contrast to add to the design book I’m compiling. This has also made me think of doing an expressions sheet as well as a character sheet when the time comes to present those to tutors and external examiners.
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This clip in particular has given me a visual idea for the Kittypillar. The way the spines protruding near the head arch over backwards, reminded me of a lions mane. Including manes on male Kittypillars is a design option which I have had in mind for a while, but have not as of yet put down on paper.
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Still debating on potential names for the dog which may be featured in my F.M.P. Originally it was Bill, but I was thinking that one of the shorts could be called “Punch & Judy” – a little brave dog coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress. He would be “Punch” because he has one black spot over one eye, and he likes to stand on his back legs and make a boxing motion with his paws. Again, all in the idea-brewing stages at the moment.
I made this quick animation test just to get more of an idea of how I want him to look, and of course how I wanted him to move. This is key in trying to put his personality across. If I were to take this idea forward, I would try to pay homage to the style used by early Disney, especially in the Silly Symphony shorts featuring Pluto as the main character. Been watching a lot of those lately!
Showed this to a fellow student from the course and they helpfully pointed out that the space of the head between the ears makes a “squash” motion as the ears raise. This is something I will rectify in future tests. Always helpful to get a second – and even third – opinion when creating tests such as this. It helps to work out the faults early on so that the end product is much better,
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Music is from:
http://www.freeplaymusic.com/
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Seeing as it is a similar character in the same style which I am using for “The Kittypillar”, I thought I would put this video up here which I created last Christmas, as a reference point. Essentially, something for those who are interested in how I create cats / cat-based creatures in this style.
I created the drawing from start to finish, saving each stage as an individual image as I went. I then edited them together in a simple movie editing program, before adding the fade effects in between and then uploading it to Youtube. I originally intended to upload this months ago, but never seemed to get round to it!
Anyhways, enjoy!
Using one or two reference images immediately found on Google image search, I made some quick sketches of a Jack Russel for my F.M.P.
I’ll be using reference photos until I can organize a meet-up with my auntie over the summer – she has a Jack Russell called Bill who she has allowed me to use as a ‘life-drawing’ model, haha! My tutor Gareth remarked a while back, that drawing from a live subject gives you a much better perceptive on how it works and moves, in turn giving your drawings much more personality. Trying to get Bill to sit still for any prolonged amount of time – that will be the real skill-work!
AbbieSTABBY 