[WIP] Sprite - Walk Animation
Printed From: Pixel Joint
Category: Pixel Art
Forum Name: WIP (Work In Progress)
Forum Discription: Get crits and comments on your pixel WIPs and other art too!
URL: https://pixeljoint.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=18033
Printed Date: 30 December 2025 at 11:37am
Topic: [WIP] Sprite - Walk Animation
Posted By: sevinkydink
Subject: [WIP] Sprite - Walk Animation
Date Posted: 17 January 2014 at 9:53pm
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Hello, I'm currently working on a sprite for a game idea I have kicking around.
Below I have the current iteration of the main sprite, as well as my WIP walking animation. I'm still blocking out the walk as I think it could use a lot of work. Any feedback will be most appreciated. Current Base Sprite: 
Current Walk: 
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Replies:
Posted By: Shadow64
Date Posted: 17 January 2014 at 11:28pm
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Hey!!! You're here! Welcome!
I love the walk, but the legs are just so SEXY. Hahaha. ;) Seriously though, great walk! Looks realistic and robotic at the same time! |
Posted By: H|F
Date Posted: 17 January 2014 at 11:48pm
| The animation is very early on so it's hard to say but at this point I feel like the upper body is very robotic and then the unfinished legs look very fluid and actually remind me of a cartoony catwalk to be honest.... Again it's very early on and it could be the undefined shape and such making it seem that way. |
Posted By: CELS
Date Posted: 18 January 2014 at 3:27am
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First of all, I think it's a shame you've gone back to standard humanoid legs, because it makes the robot less robot-y. But that's a taste thing, so if you're sticking with human legs, that's fine.
The reason Shadow64 says that the legs are so SEXY is perhaps, at least partially, because your character is basically prancing. He's lifting his knees way more than necessary, and taking very short steps at the same time. All this prancing gif needs now is a "Haters gonna hate" subtitle 
1) There's a bunch of recent threads in this forum about walking animations, where experienced members have given some very valuable feedback in regards to important concepts. I won't do them justice if I repeat them. 2) If you haven't already, check out this site for some great concept sketches worth imitating. http://conceptrobots.blogspot.no/ EDIT: This also came to mind 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VbpOzX_CFc |
Posted By: Shadow64
Date Posted: 18 January 2014 at 5:01am
| CELS is pretty accurate. The legs reminded me of can can girls a bit. Very tip toe kind of walk. Almost like the robot is in heels. That said, I think the curvy legs are just to get the motion down and odds are will be replaced since I've seen your other work. The motion itself will be really cool once that change happens, I think. |
Posted By: sevinkydink
Date Posted: 18 January 2014 at 6:27am
Did I fix it? :) But on a serious note, I couldn't get the walk down the exact way I had wanted but I wanted to get SOMETHING done. That being said, thank you for the criticisms, very good points - the hips sway way too much, and I think the legs are a bit too snappy. @CELS - thanks for caring about the legs, have no fear I'm not deviating from that vision, I just wanted to get the motion down. @H|F - Agreed, I definitely need to tone down the fluidity and make it more "snappy" @Shadow - The tiptoe part will be hard, I want the legs to operate like the hind legs of a dog/cat - so I will have to be careful there I'm sure. I'll get a more workable model, and slightly less sexy version up. All though, robot can can girls from space does sound catchy. EDIT: Here is a rough outline with the legs bending the "correct" way. 
Added more frames: 
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Posted By: BottleGnomes
Date Posted: 18 January 2014 at 7:37am
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I, for one, think that there is a serious deficiency of robots whose primary form of locomotion is the can-can. That's an interesting leg motion you've got going there - I know mostly for robots it adds to the effect if just the legs are moving and nothing else, but since it's such an organic walk, do you intend to move anything around in the upper body? |
Posted By: sevinkydink
Date Posted: 18 January 2014 at 7:55am
BG - I agree, I'm really more of a robotic visionary than an artist 
Which of the walks are you speaking to, the one with the forward leg bends or the updated one? Update: I tried toning down the height of the leg, and the hip swaying. 
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Posted By: BottleGnomes
Date Posted: 18 January 2014 at 10:09am
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That one, updated. It's basically how an ostrich walks -which isn't a bad thing, I quite like it. It is, however, an organic walk cycle and might not seem as mechanical as you want it to. Also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRbvNL1PHKg - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRbvNL1PHKg |
Posted By: H|F
Date Posted: 18 January 2014 at 10:29am
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Ok I just died laughing..... Now I'm wanting a can-can dancing robot <3
Try making the feet seem heavy and the movement be more gear-like. Maybe have more broad feet and thin legs (like you have now) try not to make it seem fleshy and bendy. |
Posted By: sevinkydink
Date Posted: 18 January 2014 at 10:33am
So - I was really intended for it to be more of a cat/dog run, and I really misjudged where the knee and ankle. I think I've done a better job on this pass getting that closer. I've also went ahead and applied some highlights to show some depth here. Thanks for all the responses so far!
I think the next step is to have the torso shift left and right as well. @H|F - Does this fit more of what you were thinking? |
Posted By: Velrio
Date Posted: 18 January 2014 at 10:43am
| I think you should have him take larger steps maybe? I'm also having a hard time discerning which leg is moving since frames are repeated near the start and finish. So, the right leg should be lighter or more visible at least. It's definitely coming along. |
Posted By: H|F
Date Posted: 18 January 2014 at 4:18pm
| Yeah closer to what I think is less organic. Only thing for me is how top heavy it is without any compensation like broad feet or extra legs. Idk. |
Posted By: sevinkydink
Date Posted: 18 January 2014 at 8:15pm
@H|F - Yea, I see what you're saying. I sort of like the hulking top/smaller leg style, but hopefully I'm not pushing that too much.
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Posted By: HarveyDentMustDie
Date Posted: 19 January 2014 at 5:46am
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Main trouble here is that, his legs change length during animation, which is weird. I like that legs have opposite joins, like a goat, you can definitely find some videos how that kind of joint's work, to use them as reference. And maybe upper part of his torso should go down for a pixel,over his lower part, when he steps down, right after his whole body goes down (like in some idle animations), this will give more movement, and top part wouldn't be so stiff. I hope that this was helpful. EDIT:  I didn't have the time to finish shadows, and clean the sprite a little bit more, but you can see the point.  |
Posted By: SuperTurnip
Date Posted: 19 January 2014 at 3:43pm
| Try leaning the torso forwards. Mechanical or organic, walking roughly involves two things: 1: falling forwards, and 2: catching that fall by moving the legs. This sprite seems to be entirely straight, which communicates that it is balanced and, therefore, stationary. Mess around with how far the torso leans until you find something that feels the right weight and momentum. |
Posted By: sevinkydink
Date Posted: 20 January 2014 at 12:38am
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@Harvey & SuperTurnip - Thanks for the suggestions. I tried to incorporate some of your thoughts into the edit I've made below.
Also - Harvey, I tried to incorporate what you had done with the shadows. Looks better to be more 'dynamic' 
Edit: I think the arms need to actually swing more "naturally" and that will help toward the stiffness. |
Posted By: HarveyDentMustDie
Date Posted: 20 January 2014 at 7:44am
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His step looks bigger which is good, but now you have another problem. Because his torso is in constant 3/4 view, it looks like he's walking diagonally (something like iso sprite). And for me it's very awkward, that only his shoulders move while he walks. Maybe you could try to create some subpixel animation on his torso that will improve his movement. |
Posted By: sevinkydink
Date Posted: 20 January 2014 at 8:13am
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@Harvey - Fix one problem, create two more! Great idea on trying the subpixeling. I'll see how that goes to provide some rotation :D.
EDIT: Worked on subpixeling the chest and torso to show rotation, also made the arms move. I'm sure there is more to be fixed, I just can't see it at this point 
UPDATE: Fixed the arms swinging the wrong direction 
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Posted By: SuperTurnip
Date Posted: 21 January 2014 at 7:58pm
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Looking so good now! I really like it with everything you've added to it.
Sadly, I must nitpick on one thing: I think the right arm freezes in place in its forward extended position for an imbalanced amount of time. This freeze wasn't in the walking cycle when the arms were moving in the wrong direction. Looks like you accidentally copied/edited a frame during the switch. I'd say after that that it's really only finishing touches! Keep up the great work. |