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There’s something very pretty about the way the arc looks – on a subliminal level, it just feels right and natural. Feeling right and natural is pretty important in animation since you have to ensure the moving characters and objects are believable. Arc movement helps greatly with allowing animators to make things realistic and smooth, along with other crucial principles of animation.
We are going to learn more about arc animation, see the examples and observe how it can make your game feel more appealing to audiences.
Arcs animation definition is simple. It's one of 12 principles of animation, which are crucial for making your work realistic. Arc animation makes movements feel natural and smooth. Instead of going through a narrow line, objects follow a certain curve. It happens because of physics, gravity, momentum and even human anatomy. Let's discuss it in detail.
When you produce animation, you have objects that move in the space of your scene. These objects have a certain trajectory, which can be direct or curved. Objects rarely move directly, meaning it’s going to be very unnatural if you just move an object from the starting point to the finish. Implementing a more playful direction for the movement is important if you’re making animation that should feel lively and real.
Drawing an arcs trajectory in animation allows objects to imitate the way physics works in the real world, making it pleasant to look at. Think of throwing a ball and the way it skips parts exactly in arc movements. It’s kind of nice on a tactical level, but visually, it’s so satisfying!
Do you know who else moves in arcs? Dancers. The way they cross the ballroom and spin around – all their eye-catching movements are in arcs.
But the most interesting thing is that a lot of things in our lives are also moved in arcs. People move body parts in arcs, and even the mouth corners move in arcs. This is why it is so useful in animation: arc allows us to create something that feels very natural to us, even if it’s a stylized cartoon.
Why is this principle important? Let’s take a look at the results of arcs animation implementation.
It enhances the realism. Animation arcs allows things to look more organic and real. Objects and characters start to feel more authentic and less like robots drawn. The animation magic starts and the moving pictures come to life. That being said, in some cases, when you’re aiming for a creative, stylized approach in your animation, realism can be omitted, yet the importance of arcs still remains: exaggerating movement can be achieved with arcs as well, leading to a unique type of movement in animation.
It looks better. Arcs in animation looks smooth and elegant, making the movement on the screen more striking and hard to take your eyes off. In addition, it adds personality to the moving object, which leads to things looking even nicer in the end.
It immerses the viewer. Arc animation leads to realistic enhancement, which leads to believability, which matters if you’re creating a story that is supposed to engage the viewer. It allows you to create a story that resonates with them, full of characters they care and worry about.
Another crucial aspect is that arcs in animation also add the physicality to your work. Let’s talk a bit more about that in detail.
It’s very important to point out the physics when we talk about arcs: they affect the way the arc will initially turn out to be. Objects’ mass and weight should also be considered while creating arcs animation.
If you throw a basketball, it will jump high, in great big arcs. If you do the same with the balloon, the arc will be different: it’s much lighter and serves different purposes rather than a basketball that ought to bounce high.
If you try to lift a heavy object, your hands will move in a certain arc that is going to be very close to your body, indicating the effort you’re putting in. If you try to lift an empty cardboard box, you will do it effortlessly at arm’s length, almost in a narrow upfront direction.
Throwing an object will feel much better if it has an arc trajectory, just like in real life, thanks to gravity. A narrow direction will feel not only less powerful and realistic but also will be visually a bit boring.
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So, organic movements that take real world’s physics into account are very important if you’re aiming to create a great experience that just feels right.
Let’s see some tips on how you can put the arcs animation principle to work in the game or an animated movie you’re developing.
Arguably the best way to learn the way arcs work is to observe it with your own eyes. In some cases, educational videos and books can be pretty handy, but in others all you need is a mirror, eyes and some objects – even your body will do! Throw a ball and see the trajectory it goes through. Raise your arms and put them down. Notice the weight, the momentum and small nuances and try to implement them on practice when you’re animating.
Before starting the animation process, during the conception phase, consider what types of movements will appear and what exact arcs objects and characters will follow. Establish motion’s consistency, plan ahead the visual storytelling aspect and make sure to pay attention to detail. It will allow you to not only avoid revisions later on, but also make sure the longevity and consistency of animation remains on the proper level.
If animation process seems difficult – it is! – you can always rely on a collaboration with a game art outsourcing company.
RocketBrush Studio provides great scope of services, including animation, both 2D and 3D. We have been working since 2016, along with leading industry names such as Paradox Interactive, Supercell, Applovin, John Romero’s Romero Games and many more. You can read our testimonials here and check out our portfolio here to see a variety of genres, styles and aesthetics: from cozy puzzles for all family to hardcore pixelated rogue-lite and zombie post-apocalypse survival experiences.
Arcs animation is one of the basic animation principles that will allow you to create animation that will feel organic and natural and resonate with your audience.
Even though it may seem deceptively simple, it’s actually a pretty valuable and important aspect of your animation: from simple round objects like balls bouncing playfully to your charismatic protagonists jumping and moving quickly, arcs will allow to make these actions better on a deeper level. By incorporating arcs animation, artists create motions that elevate the overall quality of their work.
We hope your arcs and curves will bring life to your creation!
