ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSELESSON 25
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE
LESSON 25 – HOW TO MASTER APPEAL IN CHARACTER DESIGN (OR, WHY SOME CHARACTERS LOOK ICONIC AND OTHERS LOOK LIKE A FORGOTTEN FLASH GAME SPRITE)
(Or: How to Stop Designing Characters That Look Like They Were Made in MS Paint at 3 AM.)
🔥 WELCOME BACK TO ANIMATION ANARCHY – WHERE WE MAKE SURE YOUR CHARACTERS DON’T LOOK LIKE BACKGROUND NPCS.
🚨 FACT: If your character doesn’t have appeal, it doesn’t matter how well you animate them—nobody will care.
✅ Great character design = Instantly recognizable, fun to watch, and timeless.
❌ Bad character design = Bland, forgettable, and looks like a rejected cereal mascot.
But don’t worry—most people suck at character design when they start.
🎭 Today, we’re cracking the code to making characters LOOK as good as they MOVE.
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🔥 WHAT EVEN IS “APPEAL” IN CHARACTER DESIGN?
🚨 APPEAL = CHARACTERS PEOPLE WANT TO LOOK AT.
It doesn’t mean “pretty” or “cute”—it means interesting.
• Shrek? Appealing.
• Bugs Bunny? Appealing.
• That one weird humanoid cat mascot from an indie mobile game? Not appealing.
🔥 GOOD APPEAL = Characters that look expressive, unique, and fun to watch.
💀 BAD APPEAL = Characters that look stiff, generic, or like bootleg Disney rejects.
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🔥 WHY YOUR CHARACTER DESIGN SUCKS (AND HOW TO FIX IT)
🚨 1. YOUR CHARACTER HAS NO STRONG SHAPE DESIGN.
• Great characters are built from strong, clear shapes.
• If your character has no clear shape language, they feel generic and forgettable.
• Every iconic cartoon character can be instantly recognized by their silhouette.
🛠️ THE FIX:
✅ Use big, simple shapes to define your character’s form.
✅ Test the silhouette. If you black out your character, are they still recognizable?
✅ Avoid boring, symmetrical designs—they lack personality.
🔥 EXAMPLE:
• SpongeBob = A literal square. Simple and instantly recognizable.
• Batman = Strong, pointed silhouette. Cape adds personality.
• That character you designed last night that looks like a shapeless blob? Not memorable.
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🚨 2. YOUR CHARACTER HAS NO VISUAL HIERARCHY.
• All good character designs have a focal point.
• If everything on your character is fighting for attention, they look cluttered.
• Big, medium, and small details create visual interest.
🛠️ THE FIX:
✅ Make one part of the character stand out the most. (Eyes, silhouette, clothing, etc.)
✅ Use varied sizes in design elements to create contrast.
✅ Reduce unnecessary details—simplicity is stronger than over-designing.
🔥 EXAMPLE:
• Mickey Mouse = Big round head, big ears, simple body. Instantly readable.
• Iron Man = Complex, but still has strong shape language with a clear focal point (arc reactor).
• That character you added 50 belts to because it looked “cool”? Yeah, that’s gotta go.
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🚨 3. YOUR CHARACTER HAS NO CLEAR PERSONALITY.
• Great character design = You know what they’re about just by looking at them.
• If your character looks like they could be in ANY show/game, they lack identity.
• Facial expressions, body language, and costume choices all contribute to personality.
🛠️ THE FIX:
✅ Ask yourself: Who is this character? What’s their vibe?
✅ Design around personality, not just aesthetics.
✅ Use expressive features and posture to sell the character’s energy.
🔥 EXAMPLE:
• Goofy = Tall, wobbly, silly posture. Instantly looks like a clumsy goofball.
• Gaston = Broad-shouldered, perfect hair, arrogant stance. You KNOW he’s a jerk.
• That character you made with a blank expression, stiff pose, and random hoodie? Rework it.
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🚨 4. YOUR CHARACTER’S COLORS ARE A HOT MESS.
• Color affects how people FEEL about your character.
• If your character’s color palette is chaotic, it’s distracting.
• Great designs use limited, intentional colors.
🛠️ THE FIX:
✅ Use a limited color palette (3–5 main colors).
✅ Make sure colors contrast enough to be readable.
✅ Test your character in grayscale. If they disappear, they need more contrast.
🔥 EXAMPLE:
• Mario = Simple red, blue, and yellow accents. Timeless.
• Homer Simpson = Yellow skin, white shirt, blue pants. Easy to read.
• That character you made with rainbow-colored everything? Yeah, no. Tone it down.
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🚨 5. YOUR CHARACTER IS TOO GENERIC.
• If your character looks like every other OC out there, nobody will remember them.
• Good character design leans into exaggeration and unique traits.
🛠️ THE FIX:
✅ Push the unique elements. (Big head? Tiny hands? Weird hat? Make it stronger.)
✅ Study real people and exaggerate.
✅ Avoid making “safe” designs that blend in.
🔥 EXAMPLE:
• Homer Simpson = Simple but exaggerated. Iconic.
• Sonic = Cartoon hedgehog with wild proportions. Memorable.
• That edgy OC you made with a leather jacket and red eyes? Seen it before.
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🔥 COMMON MISTAKES (AND HOW TO FIX THEM)
🚨 FAIL #1: “MY CHARACTER LOOKS TOO BASIC.”
🛠️ FIX: Push the shape language and exaggeration.
🚨 FAIL #2: “MY CHARACTER HAS TOO MANY RANDOM DETAILS.”
🛠️ FIX: Simplify. Less is more.
🚨 FAIL #3: “MY CHARACTER’S COLORS CLASH.”
🛠️ FIX: Use a limited color palette and test contrast.
🚨 FAIL #4: “MY CHARACTER DOESN’T FEEL UNIQUE.”
🛠️ FIX: Study real personalities and push exaggeration.
🚨 FAIL #5: “CAN I BREAK THESE RULES?”
🛠️ FIX: YES—BUT ONLY IF YOU KNOW WHY. Iconic designs bend the rules with purpose.
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🔥 FINAL THOUGHTS: BAD CHARACTER DESIGN KILLS GOOD ANIMATION.
🎬 If your character looks forgettable, nobody will care how well you animate them.
🚀 APPEAL is what makes characters memorable, timeless, and iconic.
💀 Fix your designs BEFORE you waste hours animating them.
🔥 NEXT LESSON: HOW TO MAKE BACKGROUNDS THAT DON’T SUCK (OR, WHY YOUR SCENES LOOK LIKE LAZY CLIP ART).
💬 COMMENT BELOW: What’s the worst character design choice you’ve ever made? (Yes, we’re all guilty.)
🚨 SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs
🔥 Animation Anarchy starts NOW. 🔥
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE LESSON 24
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE
LESSON 24 – HOW TO MAKE ANIMATION LOOK WEIGHTY (OR, WHY SOME CHARACTERS MOVE LIKE THEY’RE MADE OF AIR)
(Or: Why Your Character’s Walk Cycle Looks Like They’re Moonwalking in a Zero-Gravity Ballet.)
🔥 WELCOME BACK TO ANIMATION ANARCHY – THE ONLY ART SCHOOL THAT DOESN’T REQUIRE A STUDENT LOAN.
🚨 REALITY CHECK: If your character moves like they weigh nothing, your animation is DOOMED.
Weight is one of the biggest things that separates amateur animation from professional work.
Ever wonder why some animation feels grounded and impactful, while others look floaty and unnatural?
🎭 Congratulations! You’ve just discovered the secret art of ANIMATING WEIGHT.
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🔥 WHAT EVEN IS “WEIGHT” IN ANIMATION?
🚨 FACT: In real life, everything has weight.
The heavier something is, the harder it is to start and stop moving.
✅ A feather falls slowly and flutters.
✅ A bowling ball drops FAST and SMASHES into the ground.
✅ A cartoon cat should NOT land like a helium balloon unless it’s part of the joke.
🔥 GOOD WEIGHT = MOVEMENT WITH FORCE, GRAVITY, AND IMPACT.
💀 BAD WEIGHT = CHARACTERS MOVING LIKE THEY’RE MADE OF COTTON CANDY.
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🔥 WHY YOUR CHARACTER FEELS FLOATY (AND HOW TO FIX IT)
🚨 1. NO PROPER ACCELERATION OR DECELERATION
• In real life, heavy objects don’t just stop on a dime.
• If your character jumps and lands instantly, they feel weightless.
• If they slow down too much, they feel like they’re swimming through jelly.
🛠️ THE FIX:
✅ Use easing. Fast in, slow out. Let momentum carry movement.
✅ Animate how the body absorbs impact. When you jump, your knees bend. Your arms shift. If your character lands stiffly, it’s wrong.
🔥 EXAMPLE: Look at how Pixar animates Sulley’s weight in Monsters, Inc. He’s massive, so his motions have real weight behind them.
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🚨 2. BAD JUMPS & FALLS (AKA: FLOATY NIGHTMARE FUEL)
• Characters do NOT hover mid-air unless they are literally a ghost.
• If something falls without acceleration, it feels fake.
• Bad weight in falling = characters feeling like they exist in a different gravity zone.
🛠️ THE FIX:
✅ Study how gravity actually works. (No, watching anime fights doesn’t count.)
✅ When a character jumps, they should launch, slow at the top, then DROP FAST.
✅ The landing should NOT be soft unless the character is a ninja.
🔥 EXAMPLE: Look at Spider-Man’s swings. His jumps follow the rules of physics even when exaggerated.
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🚨 3. NO FOLLOW-THROUGH OR IMPACT REACTION
• When a heavy object stops moving, it doesn’t just freeze—it settles.
• If your character lands from a fall and doesn’t react, they feel fake.
🛠️ THE FIX:
✅ Add settling motions. A big guy lands? His stomach, fur, or cape should jiggle.
✅ Hands, feet, and body should adjust after impact.
🔥 EXAMPLE: Look at how Looney Tunes animates impact. If Wile E. Coyote falls off a cliff, he doesn’t just stop—he squashes, bounces, and THEN settles.
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🚨 4. NOT ENOUGH SQUASH & STRETCH
• Everything squashes and stretches when it moves.
• If you ignore it, your animation feels stiff.
🛠️ THE FIX:
✅ When something hits the ground, let it squash slightly before bouncing back.
✅ When a character jumps, they should stretch UP before launching.
🔥 EXAMPLE: Even in “realistic” animation, subtle squash and stretch makes movement feel alive.
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🚨 5. BAD WALK CYCLES (AKA: WHY YOUR CHARACTER LOOKS LIKE THEY’RE ICE SKATING.)
• If a character walks without weight, it’s like they’re gliding.
• A real walk has up and down motion, shifting weight, and impact.
🛠️ THE FIX:
✅ When the foot lands, it should hit with force, not float down.
✅ The hips and shoulders should shift with every step.
✅ If they’re heavy, their steps should take longer to lift off.
🔥 EXAMPLE: Watch how a gorilla walks vs. a bird. Different weight = different movement.
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🔥 COMMON MISTAKES (AND HOW TO FIX THEM)
🚨 FAIL #1: “MY CHARACTER FLOATS INSTEAD OF FALLING.”
🛠️ FIX: Make sure they accelerate as they fall.
🚨 FAIL #2: “MY CHARACTER’S LANDING FEELS WRONG.”
🛠️ FIX: Add reaction movement! No one lands perfectly still.
🚨 FAIL #3: “MY WALK CYCLE LOOKS TOO LIGHT.”
🛠️ FIX: Make sure the feet make contact properly—push off, land, and shift weight.
🚨 FAIL #4: “I CAN’T TELL HOW HEAVY MY CHARACTER IS.”
🛠️ FIX: Use contrast. Heavier characters move slower, take longer to stop.
🚨 FAIL #5: “CAN I IGNORE ALL THIS IF I’M MAKING A FLOATY CHARACTER?”
🛠️ FIX: YES—but it has to be intentional! Even ghosts follow their own weight rules.
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🔥 FINAL THOUGHTS: IF YOUR ANIMATION LACKS WEIGHT, IT FEELS FAKE.
🎬 MOVEMENT WITHOUT WEIGHT = BAD ANIMATION.
🚀 Weight is what makes animation feel believable—even in cartoons.
💀 If you ignore it, your animation will look like a cursed PS2 cutscene.
🔥 NEXT LESSON: HOW TO MASTER APPEAL IN CHARACTER DESIGN (OR, WHY SOME CHARACTERS LOOK ICONIC AND OTHERS LOOK LIKE A FORGOTTEN FLASH GAME SPRITE).
💬 COMMENT BELOW: What’s the worst example of floaty, weightless animation you’ve ever seen?
🚨 SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs
🔥 Animation Anarchy starts NOW. 🔥
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSELESSON 23
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE
LESSON 23 – THE SECRET TO ANIMATION TIMING (OR, WHY EVERY GOOD JOKE HAS A PERFECT PAUSE)
(Or: How to Stop Making Your Animation Feel Like It Was Edited by a Goldfish.)
🔥 WELCOME BACK TO ANIMATION ANARCHY – THE ART SCHOOL THAT WON’T BANKRUPT YOU.
You ever watch an animation and think, “Wow, that was funny,” but you don’t know why? Or worse—you animated something that was supposed to be funny, but it landed with all the grace of a brick in a washing machine?
🎭 CONGRATULATIONS! YOU’VE DISCOVERED THE HIDDEN ART OF TIMING.
Good animation timing = your audience laughs, cries, or gasps at exactly the right moment.
Bad animation timing = awkward, unfunny, or just plain confusing.
🚨 ANIMATION WITHOUT GOOD TIMING IS LIKE A JOKE WITH NO PUNCHLINE. 🚨
1. WHAT EVEN IS “ANIMATION TIMING”?
Animation timing is the invisible force that makes movement:
✅ Feel natural or exaggerated.
✅ Build anticipation or surprise.
✅ Land a joke or ruin it.
It’s not just about how fast something moves—it’s about how long it takes and when it happens.
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🔥 THE TWO KINDS OF TIMING THAT MATTER
1️⃣ PHYSICAL TIMING (MAKING MOVEMENT LOOK RIGHT)
• The difference between “realistic” movement and “cartoon” movement is all about timing.
• Think about how long it takes for things to fall, stretch, squash, or settle.
• Exaggeration = Playing with timing for effect.
🔥 EXAMPLES:
• Slow, floaty animation = Dreamlike, underwater, or weightless.
• Fast, snappy animation = Impact, urgency, and exaggerated comedy.
• Bad animation timing = A character moving like they’re stuck in a PowerPoint transition.
🚨 ANIMATION TIP: Time your movement to feel right, not just look smooth.
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2️⃣ COMEDIC TIMING (THE SECRET SAUCE OF EVERY GOOD JOKE)
🔥 FACT: Comedy is 100% about timing.
If you mess up the pause, speed, or reaction time of a joke—it dies.
🚨 EXAMPLES:
✅ A character pauses for JUST the right amount of time before reacting? Hilarious.
❌ A character reacts too fast or too slow? Cringe.
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🔥 HOW TO USE TIMING TO MAKE YOUR ANIMATION FUNNY (INSTEAD OF PAINFULLY AWKWARD)
1. THE RULE OF THREES (THE SECRET FORMULA FOR FUNNY ANIMATION)
Every classic animated joke follows a rhythm. The Rule of Threes is:
1️⃣ SETUP – Establish what’s normal.
2️⃣ EXPECTATION – Make the audience anticipate what’s coming.
3️⃣ PAYOFF – Break the expectation.
🔥 EXAMPLE: Looney Tunes Logic
• 🏃♂️ Wile E. Coyote runs off a cliff. (SETUP)
• ⏳ He stays in the air for a second. (EXPECTATION – maybe he’ll make it?)
• 🕳️ He looks down… THEN FALLS. (PAYOFF – reality hits late, making it funny.)
🚨 THE SECRET: The pause before the fall is what makes it funny. If he falls too fast, there’s no comedy.
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2. ANTICIPATION – MAKING ACTIONS FEEL “RIGHT”
🚨 NO ONE JUST MOVES. 🚨
People (and cartoons) anticipate before doing anything:
✅ Before jumping, they crouch down.
✅ Before running, they lean forward.
✅ Before reacting to bad news, they freeze for a second.
🔥 EXAMPLE: HOW PIXAR MAKES YOU CRY
• A character is about to get heartbreaking news.
• Instead of them immediately crying, there’s a pause.
• That moment of silence is what wrecks your emotions.
🚨 THE SECRET: Anticipation makes everything FEEL real—even in the most exaggerated cartoon world.
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3. SNAPPY VS. SMOOTH TIMING – WHY SOME ANIMATION MOVES FASTER
🔥 FACT: Different animation styles use different timing rules.
• Disney & Pixar = Smooth, natural, physics-based timing.
• Anime = Snappy, limited movement, but strong key poses.
• Looney Tunes = Timing = CHAOS. Fast, slow, then FAST AGAIN.
🚨 DON’T MIX STYLES UNINTENTIONALLY.
If you animate like Looney Tunes but expect Pixar results, you’re gonna have a bad time.
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🔥 COMMON TIMING MISTAKES (AND HOW TO FIX THEM)
🚨 FAIL #1: “WHY DOES MY ANIMATION FEEL FLOATY?”
🛠️ FIX: You’re not using snappy timing. Add fast transitions between poses.
🚨 FAIL #2: “WHY DOES MY COMEDY FALL FLAT?”
🛠️ FIX: Add pauses. Comedy needs anticipation before the punchline.
🚨 FAIL #3: “WHY DOES MY CHARACTER’S REACTION LOOK WEIRD?”
🛠️ FIX: Let them THINK before reacting. Don’t make them move instantly.
🚨 FAIL #4: “WHY DOES MY CHARACTER LOOK TOO FAST?”
🛠️ FIX: Slow down parts of the movement to show weight and intention.
🚨 FAIL #5: “CAN YOU COMBINE FAST AND SLOW TIMING?”
🛠️ FIX: YES—but only if you understand the contrast. Fast movements feel faster when they’re next to slow movements.
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🔥 FINAL THOUGHTS: TIMING MAKES OR BREAKS YOUR ANIMATION
🎬 MOVEMENT IS EASY. TIMING IS HARD.
🚀 Master it, and your animation will feel alive.
💀 Ignore it, and your animation will feel like a bad PowerPoint transition.
🔥 NEXT LESSON: HOW TO MAKE ANIMATION LOOK WEIGHTY (OR, WHY SOME CHARACTERS MOVE LIKE THEY’RE MADE OF AIR).
💬 COMMENT BELOW: What’s the worst timing fail you’ve seen in an animated movie? (Yes, we’re calling out bad movies today.)
🚨 SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs
🔥 Animation Anarchy starts NOW. 🔥
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE -LESSON 22 – HOW TO ANIMATE EMOTION: WHY CHARACTERS NEED TO ACT, NOT JUST MOVE
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE
LESSON 22 – HOW TO ANIMATE EMOTION: WHY CHARACTERS NEED TO ACT, NOT JUST MOVE
(Or: Why Your Animation Feels Dead Inside and How to Fix It)
🔥 WELCOME BACK TO ANIMATION ANARCHY – THE ONLY ART SCHOOL THAT ENCOURAGES CHAOS.
I wasted six figures learning this, so you don’t have to. Today, we’re tackling the reason why so many beginner animations feel stiff, lifeless, and emotionally flat.
If you’ve ever watched an animation and thought, “Wow, that character is moving… but they don’t feel alive,” congrats—you’ve discovered the difference between motion and acting.
🚨 MOVEMENT ≠ EMOTION.
Just because something moves doesn’t mean it feels real.
• Bad animation: Moves correctly but lacks soul. (Think of every cheap cash-grab sequel you’ve ever seen.)
• Good animation: Moves with intent, purpose, and feeling. (Think of why Pixar makes you cry like a child with a scraped knee.)
🚨 YOUR JOB AS AN ANIMATOR IS NOT TO “MOVE” CHARACTERS. IT’S TO MAKE THEM ACT. 🚨
If your characters move without thinking, feeling, or reacting, you’ve created a glorified puppet show—and not the cool Muppet kind.
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🔥 WHY MOST BEGINNER ANIMATORS FAIL AT EMOTION (AND HOW TO FIX IT)
Here’s why your character feels about as expressive as a tax return:
1. They’re Moving Too Much (Or Not Enough).
• Some beginners think MORE movement = MORE life. (It doesn’t. It just makes your character look like they’re on a sugar rush.)
• Others think stiff poses = subtle acting. (Wrong. Your character looks like they’re in a coma.)
THE FIX: Animate like an actor, not a machine.
• Every movement should be intentional.
• Subtle gestures sell emotion better than flailing around.
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2. Their Expressions Look Copy-Pasted.
Does your character cycle between happy, sad, and confused like a stock emoji pack? That’s not acting. That’s a PowerPoint slideshow.
THE FIX: Study real human emotion.
• People rarely make perfect, symmetrical expressions.
• Tension, asymmetry, and microexpressions are key.
• Think of the “between” moments. A character going from shocked to relieved shouldn’t just snap into a smile—there’s hesitation, realization, and subtle movements in between.
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3. They’re Reacting Like a Robot.
Bad animations often have characters react too fast, too slow, or not at all.
🚨 FACT: People don’t process emotions instantly.
• If someone hears bad news, they don’t just IMMEDIATELY frown. They pause, process, and THEN react.
• Good actors show thought before action. Great animators do the same.
THE FIX: Use anticipation and delay.
• Show a character thinking before reacting.
• Pause before a major movement to make it feel deliberate.
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🔥 THE THREE LEVELS OF ACTING IN ANIMATION
If you want your animation to feel alive, your character needs to act on three levels at once:
🚨 1. Physical Acting (Body Language & Posture)
• Your character’s posture tells a story.
• Slouched shoulders? Defeated.
• Tight stance? Tense, on edge.
• Relaxed lean? Confident or careless.
🚨 2. Facial Acting (Microexpressions & Detail Work)
• Real emotions aren’t just BIG SMILES and BIG FROWNS.
• Eyebrow tension, lip movement, and eye shifts are where the real magic happens.
🚨 3. Psychological Acting (Thought Process & Timing)
• If you don’t animate the thought before the reaction, your character is just a soulless puppet.
• Every good animation scene lets the audience SEE what a character is thinking before they act on it.
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🔥 COMMON ACTING FAILS (AND HOW TO FIX THEM)
🚨 FAIL #1: “MY CHARACTER MOVES TOO MUCH.”
🛠️ FIX: Cut unnecessary movement. If a character moves every second, nothing feels important.
🚨 FAIL #2: “MY CHARACTER’S FACE LOOKS TOO GENERIC.”
🛠️ FIX: Avoid symmetrical, flat expressions. Real people aren’t cartoons (even when they ARE cartoons).
🚨 FAIL #3: “MY CHARACTER’S REACTION LOOKS FAKE.”
🛠️ FIX: Slow it down. Add hesitation. Make them process before reacting.
🚨 FAIL #4: “WHY DOES MY CHARACTER FEEL LIKE THEY’RE JUST RECITING LINES?”
🛠️ FIX: Real people show emotion differently than they speak. A sad person doesn’t just say, “I’m sad.”—they shift, hesitate, or try to suppress their feelings.
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🔥 FINAL THOUGHTS: GREAT ANIMATION IS GREAT ACTING
If you don’t animate emotion, your characters are just dead-eyed puppets flopping around the screen.
🎭 Great animators are great actors.
🚨 Bad animators are just human After Effects presets.
🔥 DON’T JUST MOVE CHARACTERS—MAKE THEM FEEL ALIVE. 🔥
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💀 COMING NEXT: LESSON 23 – THE SECRET TO ANIMATION TIMING (OR, WHY EVERY GOOD JOKE HAS A PERFECT PAUSE).
💬 Drop a comment: What’s the worst example of bad acting in animation you’ve ever seen? (No mercy. Name names.)
🚨 SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL 👉https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs
🔥 Animation Anarchy starts NOW. 🔥
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 21
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 21
(Or: Why Disney, Anime, and Looney Tunes All Move Differently)
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🔥 WELCOME BACK TO ANIMATION ANARCHY – WHERE WE TEAR APART THE ANIMATION INDUSTRY 🔥
This is Animation Anarchy. The blog where we:
✅ Expose the biggest industry secrets.
✅ Teach you what actually matters.
✅ Help you understand why different animation styles exist—so you don’t animate Looney Tunes characters like Disney princesses.
I wasted six figures on an art education, and now I’m giving it all away for free—because if I had to sit through hours of lectures about the “Disney look” while anime and Looney Tunes were out there breaking every rule, you should at least get the truth.
🚨 SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs
(Unless you enjoy making animation choices without understanding why different styles exist.)
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LESSON 21: BREAKING DOWN ANIMATION STYLES – WHY DISNEY, ANIME, AND LOONEY TUNES ALL MOVE DIFFERENTLY
(Or: Why Your Favorite Cartoon Looks the Way It Does.)
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🎨 CONGRATULATIONS! YOU’RE ABOUT TO REALIZE THAT NOT ALL ANIMATION IS THE SAME.
Every new animator thinks animation is just… animation.
🚨 WRONG. 🚨
💀 Disney and Pixar characters move smoothly and realistically.
💀 Anime characters use fewer frames and rely on dynamic posing.
💀 Looney Tunes is an absolute lawless mess of physics-breaking insanity.
🚨 AND NONE OF THEM ARE WRONG. 🚨
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🔥 WHY DIFFERENT ANIMATION STYLES EXIST (AND WHY IT MATTERS)
1️⃣ Different industries have different priorities.
• Disney = realism and fluidity.
• Anime = efficiency and composition.
• Looney Tunes = exaggeration and chaos.
2️⃣ Not every style requires full-frame animation.
• Some styles work BETTER with fewer frames.
• Other styles feel wrong if they don’t move enough.
3️⃣ If you animate in the wrong style, it looks weird.
• A Disney princess moving like Bugs Bunny? Nightmare fuel.
• Goku moving like a Pixar character? Looks sluggish.
🚨 THE RESULT:
💀 Understanding animation styles = your work looks intentional.
💀 Not understanding styles = your work feels off, even if it’s well-animated.
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🔥 THE THREE MAJOR ANIMATION STYLES (AND HOW THEY WORK)
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🚨 1. DISNEY/PIXAR STYLE – SMOOTH, REALISTIC, AND EXPENSIVE
• Full-frame animation (on 1s or 2s).
• Physics-based motion with weight and fluidity.
• Every movement is carefully eased, overlapping, and believable.
🔥 HOW TO USE IT:
✅ Think in naturalistic motion (even if exaggerated).
✅ Use squash and stretch, but subtly.
✅ Make sure everything moves smoothly with proper easing.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ Over-animating to the point where it looks uncanny or artificial.
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🚨 2. ANIME STYLE – LIMITED FRAMES, BIG IMPACT
• Often animated on 3s, 4s, or even 6s.
• Heavy reliance on strong key poses over in-betweens.
• Snappy timing—long holds, then sudden movement.
🔥 HOW TO USE IT:
✅ Focus on dynamic poses instead of constant motion.
✅ Use camera tricks (panning, zooms) instead of extra frames.
✅ Animate on fewer frames for impact (but time them well).
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ Trying to animate everything smoothly—anime is NOT Disney.
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🚨 3. LOONEY TUNES STYLE – CHAOS, SPEED, AND ANARCHY
• No rules, just exaggeration.
• Smear frames, extreme poses, broken physics.
• Fast motion with insane anticipation and follow-through.
🔥 HOW TO USE IT:
✅ Push exaggeration beyond realism.
✅ Use big, snappy arcs and ridiculous physics.
✅ Don’t be afraid to distort characters mid-motion.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ Not pushing far enough—Looney Tunes needs WILD exaggeration.
⸻
🔥 COMMON MISTAKES WHEN MIXING STYLES (AND HOW TO FIX THEM)
🚨 MISTAKE #1: “WHY DOES MY ANIMATION FEEL OFF?”
🛠️ FIX: Check if your movement style matches the tone of your animation.
🚨 MISTAKE #2: “MY SMOOTH ANIMATION LOOKS TOO SLOW.”
🛠️ FIX: Not all scenes need full-frame animation—sometimes snappier timing is better.
🚨 MISTAKE #3: “MY LIMITED ANIMATION LOOKS JANKY.”
🛠️ FIX: If you animate on fewer frames, make sure poses are STRONG.
🚨 MISTAKE #4: “WHY DOES MY EXAGGERATION LOOK WEIRD?”
🛠️ FIX: Looney Tunes exaggeration works because of solid posing.
🚨 MISTAKE #5: “CAN YOU MIX STYLES?”
🛠️ FIX: Yes, but it has to be intentional. Don’t mix Looney Tunes physics with Pixar realism unless you KNOW what you’re doing.
⸻
🔥 HOW TO USE ANIMATION STYLES WITHOUT RUINING YOUR WORK
1️⃣ Choose a style BEFORE you start.
• Know whether you’re going for realism, minimalism, or exaggeration.
2️⃣ Study animation styles separately.
• Don’t assume all animation works the same.
3️⃣ Experiment, but don’t mix styles randomly.
• Clarity is key—audiences should understand your style instantly.
🚨 THE SECRET: Once you master different animation styles, you can break the rules—but only if you know why. 🚨
⸻
🔥 FINAL THOUGHTS: UNDERSTANDING STYLE WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER ANIMATOR
Here’s the truth:
🎨 Different animation styles exist for a reason.
💀 If you animate without understanding them, your work feels awkward.
🚀 Once you master them, you can control exactly how your animation FEELS.
And if all else fails, just pick one style and commit—half-assing multiple styles at once is worse than just sticking to one.
⸻
🚨 THE SOLUTION: JUST WATCH THIS SERIES INSTEAD.
I wasted six figures so you don’t have to.
🔥 Next lesson drops soon!
🔥 Subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss it:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs👈
💀 COMING NEXT: Lesson 22 – How to Animate Emotion: Why Characters Need to Act, Not Just Move
💬 Drop a comment: What’s the worst animation style mix-up you’ve ever seen? 🎨💀😂
⸻
🚨 ANIMATION ANARCHY STARTS NOW. 🚨
🚀 The revolution will not be graded.
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 20
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 20
(Or: When NOT Moving is More Powerful Than Moving)
⸻
🔥 WELCOME BACK TO ANIMATION ANARCHY – WHERE WE TEACH YOU TO DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING (ON PURPOSE) 🔥
This is Animation Anarchy. The blog where we:
✅ Expose the biggest lies about movement.
✅ Teach you what actually matters.
✅ Make sure your animation doesn’t look like a hyperactive mess.
I wasted six figures on an art education, and now I’m giving it all away for free—because if I had to learn the hard way that animation isn’t about constant motion, you should at least benefit from my suffering.
🚨 SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs
(Unless you enjoy animating every single frame and making your life way harder for no reason.)
⸻
LESSON 20: THE POWER OF HOLD FRAMES – WHEN NOT MOVING IS MORE POWERFUL THAN MOVING
(Or: How to Stop Over-Animating Like a Lunatic.)
⸻
🎨 CONGRATULATIONS! YOU’VE DISCOVERED THE SECRET TO GREAT ANIMATION: DOING NOTHING.
Every beginner animator makes the same mistake:
🚨 THEY MOVE EVERYTHING, ALL THE TIME. 🚨
💀 EVERY frame has movement.
💀 Characters constantly twitch like they drank 12 espressos.
💀 Nothing ever settles, and the scene looks exhausting.
🚨 HERE’S THE SECRET: 🚨
✅ A character that STOPS moving at the right time has more power.
✅ Holding a pose with confidence is MORE impactful than endless fidgeting.
✅ Stillness builds tension, drama, and focus.
Welcome to hold frames—the thing that will save your animation (and your sanity).
⸻
🔥 WHY HOLD FRAMES ARE SECRETLY THE MOST POWERFUL TOOL IN ANIMATION
1️⃣ They make movement feel intentional.
• If everything moves constantly, nothing stands out.
• A well-placed hold makes action hit harder.
2️⃣ They give weight and realism.
• In real life, people hold still all the time.
• Movement should feel motivated, not mindless.
3️⃣ They control pacing and focus.
• Holding a frame tells the audience where to look.
• Breaking the stillness with a sudden movement = instant impact.
🚨 THE RESULT:
💀 No holds? Your animation looks like a jittery nightmare.
💀 Bad holds? Your scene feels frozen and unnatural.
💀 Perfect holds? Your animation has weight, timing, and impact.
⸻
🔥 THE THREE TYPES OF HOLD FRAMES (MASTER THESE OR YOUR ANIMATION WILL NEVER STOP MOVING)
⸻
🚨 1. ANTICIPATION HOLDS – BUILDING TENSION BEFORE ACTION
• Holding a pose right before a big action makes it feel stronger.
• Example: A character winds up for a punch and FREEZES for a few frames.
• The audience expects movement, so the pause builds suspense.
🔥 HOW TO USE IT:
✅ Pause before major action beats (punches, jumps, reactions).
✅ Let the audience FEEL the tension before impact.
✅ Use quick, small holds (3-5 frames) for maximum effect.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ Holding too long kills the momentum instead of building suspense.
⸻
🚨 2. POST-IMPACT HOLDS – MAKING ACTION FEEL POWERFUL
• Holding a character for a few frames AFTER impact makes hits feel stronger.
• Example: A boxer throws a punch and holds the follow-through for a split second.
• Without a hold, hits feel too soft.
🔥 HOW TO USE IT:
✅ Freeze the follow-through of big movements for a few frames.
✅ Let the weight settle before moving again.
✅ Works GREAT in action scenes!
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ If you don’t hold long enough, hits feel weak.
❌ If you hold TOO long, it looks like the character is frozen in time.
⸻
🚨 3. EMOTIONAL HOLDS – LETTING A MOMENT BREATHE
• Holding a character completely still during emotional moments adds depth.
• Example: A character hears devastating news and freezes in shock.
• The stillness forces the audience to focus on the emotion.
🔥 HOW TO USE IT:
✅ Freeze for dramatic pauses.
✅ Let the character absorb the moment before reacting.
✅ Use slow, subtle movements (eye shifts, breathing) to keep it alive.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A hold with ZERO movement makes the character look dead inside.
⸻
🔥 COMMON HOLD FRAME MISTAKES (AND HOW TO FIX THEM)
🚨 MISTAKE #1: “WHY DOES MY CHARACTER LOOK FROZEN?”
🛠️ FIX: Use micro-movements (blinking, breathing, slight shifts).
🚨 MISTAKE #2: “WHY DOES MY SCENE FEEL TOO STILL?”
🛠️ FIX: Balance stillness with contrast—use holds, but break them up with quick actions.
🚨 MISTAKE #3: “WHY DOESN’T MY ACTION FEEL POWERFUL?”
🛠️ FIX: Hold for a moment AFTER impact to let the force settle.
🚨 MISTAKE #4: “CAN YOU OVERUSE HOLD FRAMES?”
🛠️ FIX: Yes. Too many holds make the animation feel sluggish. Use them strategically!
⸻
🔥 HOW TO USE HOLD FRAMES WITHOUT RUINING YOUR ANIMATION
1️⃣ Use them for emphasis.
• Not every action needs a hold. Use them for dramatic moments.
2️⃣ Add micro-movements.
• A character should NEVER be 100% frozen. Even a small breath keeps it alive.
3️⃣ Contrast movement with stillness.
• Too much stillness = boring. Too much movement = chaotic. Balance is key.
🚨 THE SECRET: If you master hold frames, your animation will have more WEIGHT, IMPACT, and EMOTION than 90% of beginners. 🚨
⸻
🔥 FINAL THOUGHTS: HOLD FRAMES WILL CHANGE YOUR ANIMATION FOREVER
Here’s the truth:
🎨 If your animation NEVER stops moving, it’s exhausting to watch.
💀 If you use hold frames correctly, your animation feels intentional and powerful.
🚀 Once you learn this, you’ll wonder why you ever wasted time animating every frame.
And if all else fails, just pause a classic Disney movie and notice how often NOTHING is moving.
⸻
🚨 THE SOLUTION: JUST WATCH THIS SERIES INSTEAD.
I wasted six figures so you don’t have to.
🔥 Next lesson drops soon!
🔥 Subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss it:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs👈
💀 COMING NEXT: Lesson 21 – Breaking Down Animation Styles: Why Disney, Anime, and Looney Tunes All Move Differently
💬 Drop a comment: What’s the worst over-animated scene you’ve ever created? 🎨💀😂
⸻
🚨 ANIMATION ANARCHY STARTS NOW. 🚨
🚀 The revolution will not be graded.
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 19
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 19
(Or: How to Break Animation Rules and Get Away With It)
⸻
🔥 WELCOME BACK TO ANIMATION ANARCHY – WHERE WE TURN MISTAKES INTO ART 🔥
This is Animation Anarchy. The blog where we:
✅ Expose the biggest animation myths.
✅ Teach you what actually matters.
✅ Show you how to cheat physics and make your animation look better for it.
I wasted six figures on an art education, and now I’m giving it all away for free—because if I had to sit through a lecture about “realistic motion” while Looney Tunes was out here bending reality, you should at least learn the good stuff first.
🚨 SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs
(Unless you enjoy animating everything at a painfully realistic frame rate like a total amateur.)
⸻
LESSON 19: SMEAR FRAMES – HOW TO BREAK ANIMATION RULES AND GET AWAY WITH IT
(Or: Why Your Favorite Cartoons Look Insane in Single Frames, and That’s the Point.)
⸻
🎨 CONGRATULATIONS! YOU’RE ABOUT TO LEARN ANIMATION CHEATING AT ITS FINEST.
At some point, every new animator discovers “smear frames.”
🚨 And they react like this: 🚨
💀 “Wait… THAT’S ALLOWED?!”
💀 “But that’s ILLEGAL! Physics doesn’t work like that!”
💀 “This single frame looks like an absolute abomination!”
🚨 GOOD. THAT MEANS YOU’RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK. 🚨
⸻
🔥 WHAT IS A SMEAR FRAME? (AND WHY IT’S PURE ANIMATION WITCHCRAFT)
A smear frame is a single stretched, distorted, or duplicated frame used to:
🎭 Create smooth fast motion.
🎭 Make action feel snappier.
🎭 Trick the human brain into thinking animation is smoother than it really is.
The best part? Smear frames are literally invisible unless you pause the animation.
🚨 Translation: You get to completely break physics, and nobody will ever know. 🚨
⸻
🔥 WHY SMEAR FRAMES MAKE ANIMATION LOOK 10X BETTER
1️⃣ They make fast motion look smooth.
• Without smears, fast movements look choppy or teleporty.
• With smears, motion flows naturally.
2️⃣ They let you cheat frame count.
• A well-placed smear can replace multiple in-between frames.
• Less work, better results.
3️⃣ They make animation feel more alive.
• Smears add style, exaggeration, and personality to motion.
🚨 THE RESULT:
💀 No smears? Motion looks rigid.
💀 Bad smears? Motion looks like a horror movie glitch.
💀 Perfect smears? Motion feels buttery smooth.
⸻
🔥 THE FIVE TYPES OF SMEAR FRAMES (LEARN THESE OR STAY A MORTAL)
⸻
🚨 1. STRETCH SMEARS – THE CLASSIC CARTOON CHEAT CODE
• The entire object or body part stretches in the direction of motion.
• Used heavily in Looney Tunes, SpongeBob, and classic 2D animation.
🔥 HOW TO USE IT:
✅ Stretch arms, legs, or heads on super-fast motions.
✅ Use when a character is swinging a limb or dashing.
✅ Make sure the stretch follows the motion arc.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A stretch smear that goes in the wrong direction makes no sense.
⸻
🚨 2. MULTIPLE LIMBS – THE “MOTION BLUR” CHEAT
• Instead of stretching, you duplicate limbs or objects to create a blur effect.
• Used in Looney Tunes, The Simpsons, and anime fight scenes.
🔥 HOW TO USE IT:
✅ Use for extreme speed—punches, slaps, rapid gestures.
✅ The duplicate should be slightly faded or overlapping.
✅ Works great for spinning motions (like helicopter arms).
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ If you copy too many duplicates, it looks like a glitch instead of speed.
⸻
🚨 3. FACE SMEARS – THE ABSOLUTE CHAOS OPTION
• Instead of stretching the whole body, just the face distorts.
• Used in Ren & Stimpy, Looney Tunes, and SpongeBob.
🔥 HOW TO USE IT:
✅ Push exaggerated expressions beyond realism.
✅ Use during super-fast movements (like head turns).
✅ Let the eyes, mouth, or entire face warp unnaturally.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A face smear that lasts too long turns terrifying.
⸻
🚨 4. PROP SMEARS – THE INFINITE WEAPON TRICK
• Weapons, props, or objects duplicate and stretch mid-swing.
• Used in Tom & Jerry, anime sword fights, and action scenes.
🔥 HOW TO USE IT:
✅ Use when swinging weapons, baseball bats, or tennis rackets.
✅ Stretch and duplicate only in the direction of motion.
✅ Keep the smear short—just a single frame.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ If the weapon smear is too exaggerated, it looks fake instead of fast.
⸻
🚨 5. ABSTRACT SMEARS – THE TOTAL INSANITY OPTION
• Instead of a “real” smear, you draw a completely different shape for a frame.
• Used in The Amazing World of Gumball, Cuphead, and extreme squash-and-stretch styles.
🔥 HOW TO USE IT:
✅ Get experimental—turn arms into ribbons, heads into blurs, or bodies into streaks.
✅ Use for extreme comedy moments.
✅ Works great in “rubber hose” style animation.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ If the smear is TOO abstract, the audience won’t read it as fast motion.
⸻
🔥 COMMON SMEAR FRAME MISTAKES (AND HOW TO FIX THEM)
🚨 MISTAKE #1: “WHY DOESN’T MY SMEAR WORK?”
🛠️ FIX: Make sure it’s used on fast motions only. Smearing a slow movement looks unnatural.
🚨 MISTAKE #2: “MY SMEAR LOOKS TOO OBVIOUS.”
🛠️ FIX: Smears should be a single-frame trick. If it lasts too long, it looks like a glitch.
🚨 MISTAKE #3: “WHY DOES MY CHARACTER LOOK MELTED?”
🛠️ FIX: Keep smears within motion arcs. Don’t stretch in the wrong direction.
🚨 MISTAKE #4: “CAN YOU OVERUSE SMEARS?”
🛠️ FIX: Yes. Too many smears in one shot = visual overload.
⸻
🔥 HOW TO USE SMEARS WITHOUT RUINING YOUR ANIMATION
1️⃣ Use them for speed, not slow actions.
• Smears should enhance fast movement, not slow gestures.
2️⃣ Keep them quick.
• A smear frame should never last more than 1-2 frames.
3️⃣ Experiment.
• The best smears push exaggeration without breaking the scene.
🚨 THE SECRET: Smear frames are invisible when done right, but once you master them, your animation will NEVER look the same again. 🚨
⸻
🔥 FINAL THOUGHTS: SMEAR FRAMES WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE
Here’s the truth:
🎨 Smears are the ultimate animation cheat code.
💀 Bad smears break realism, but great smears enhance motion.
🚀 Once you master smears, you can ignore half the rules of physics—and no one will notice.
And if all else fails, just pause an episode of Looney Tunes and remind yourself that everything is a lie.
⸻
🚨 THE SOLUTION: JUST WATCH THIS SERIES INSTEAD.
I wasted six figures so you don’t have to.
🔥 Next lesson drops soon!
🔥 Subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss it:
👉https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs 👈
💀 COMING NEXT: Lesson 20 – The Power of Hold Frames: When NOT Moving is More Powerful Than Moving
💬 Drop a comment: What’s the wildest smear frame you’ve ever seen? 🎨💀😂
⸻
🚨 ANIMATION ANARCHY STARTS NOW. 🚨
🚀 The revolution will not be graded.
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 18
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 18
(Or: How to Make Punches Look Powerful Without Accidentally Making a Slapstick Comedy)
⸻
🔥 WELCOME BACK TO ANIMATION ANARCHY – WHERE WE BREAK BONES (ANIMATED ONES, OBVIOUSLY) 🔥
This is Animation Anarchy. The blog where we:
✅ Expose the biggest animation industry traps.
✅ Teach you what actually matters.
✅ Make sure your animated fight scenes don’t look like a Monty Python skit.
I wasted six figures on an art education, and now I’m giving it all away for free—because if I had to endure my first fight animation looking like two drunk Muppets slapping each other, you should at least learn how to do it right.
🚨 SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs
(Unless you enjoy fight scenes where punches hit like a pool noodle.)
⸻
LESSON 18: ANIMATING FIGHT SCENES – HOW TO MAKE PUNCHES LOOK POWERFUL WITHOUT ACCIDENTALLY MAKING A SLAPSTICK COMEDY
(Or: Why Every Beginner Fight Animation Looks Like Two Action Figures Flailing at Each Other)
⸻
🎨 CONGRATULATIONS! YOU WANT TO ANIMATE A FIGHT? PREPARE FOR PAIN.
Animating a fight seems fun and easy until you realize:
💀 Real fights are messy, but animated fights need to be clear.
💀 Bad physics make hits look weak or weightless.
💀 If the timing is wrong, your character looks like they’re shadowboxing in slow motion.
🚨 WELCOME TO THE HARDEST ACTION ANIMATION CHALLENGE. 🚨
⸻
🔥 WHY MOST BEGINNER FIGHT SCENES LOOK TERRIBLE
1️⃣ No weight = no impact.
• If characters don’t react to being hit, the fight feels fake.
• A punch should send weight through the body, not just the arm.
2️⃣ No exaggeration = no excitement.
• Real fights are fast, but animation needs clarity.
• The best fight scenes push poses and motion arcs to make hits feel HUGE.
3️⃣ No anticipation = no power.
• If a punch comes out of nowhere, it feels weak.
• Winding up before the hit makes it land harder.
🚨 THE RESULT:
💀 Too slow? Looks awkward.
💀 Too stiff? Looks robotic.
💀 Too realistic? Somehow still looks fake.
⸻
🔥 THE FIVE KEY ELEMENTS OF A POWERFUL PUNCH (ANIMATE THESE OR REGRET IT)
⸻
🚨 1. ANTICIPATION – HOW TO MAKE A PUNCH FEEL POWERFUL
• Before throwing a punch, the character should wind up.
• This adds tension before the action happens.
• A bigger wind-up means a bigger impact.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Pull the arm back before the punch.
✅ Use body movement, not just the arm.
✅ Watch real fighters—punches come from the core, not just the hands.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A character throws a punch instantly with no setup—it looks weak.
⸻
🚨 2. FOLLOW-THROUGH – WHY HITS NEED A REACTION
• A good punch doesn’t stop on impact.
• The force must carry through the arm and body.
• The recipient should react properly.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Let the fist go slightly past the impact point before stopping.
✅ Animate a reaction—getting hit actually moves people.
✅ Show weight shifting after the punch lands.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A character punches but their arm stops dead on impact like a video game glitch.
⸻
🚨 3. SECONDARY MOTION – HOW TO AVOID STIFFNESS
• The torso, shoulders, and head should follow the punch.
• If only the arm moves, it looks unnatural.
• Even after the punch, the body should recover.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Move the shoulders and chest along with the arm.
✅ Let the head slightly turn with the motion.
✅ Add subtle movements AFTER the hit to make it feel organic.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A character punches but their upper body is completely frozen.
⸻
🚨 4. TIMING & SPACING – THE SECRET TO MAKING HITS FEEL STRONG
• Fast wind-up, slow impact, fast follow-through.
• More frames before the hit makes the punch feel weighty.
• Fewer frames during the hit makes it feel faster.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Add more frames before the punch to build anticipation.
✅ Reduce the number of frames on impact for a quick, powerful hit.
✅ Use impact frames (single exaggerated poses) to sell the force.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A punch that moves at the same speed the whole time—it feels weak.
⸻
🚨 5. CAMERA MOVEMENT – WHY FIGHT SCENES NEED CINEMATIC ENERGY
• A fight isn’t just about the animation—the camera plays a huge role.
• A slight camera shake on impact adds more weight.
• Quick cuts help with speed and energy.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Move the camera slightly with the hit for extra force.
✅ Use zoom-ins for close-contact punches.
✅ Match camera motion to the rhythm of the fight.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A fight scene where the camera is completely still—it feels lifeless.
⸻
🔥 COMMON FIGHT SCENE MISTAKES (AND HOW TO FIX THEM)
🚨 MISTAKE #1: “WHY DO MY PUNCHES LOOK WEAK?”
🛠️ FIX: Add anticipation, exaggeration, and a strong follow-through.
🚨 MISTAKE #2: “MY CHARACTERS LOOK LIKE THEY’RE FLAILING.”
🛠️ FIX: Keep motion arcs clear. Every hit should follow a strong visual line.
🚨 MISTAKE #3: “WHY DOES IT FEEL TOO SLOW?”
🛠️ FIX: Shorten the impact frames. Faster impact = stronger punch.
🚨 MISTAKE #4: “MY FIGHT SCENE LOOKS FLOATY.”
🛠️ FIX: Characters should shift weight when they move. Ground them in reality.
🚨 MISTAKE #5: “WHY DOES MY FIGHT SCENE FEEL BORING?”
🛠️ FIX: Use camera movement and sound effects to add energy.
⸻
🔥 HOW TO MAKE FIGHT SCENES LOOK NATURAL (WITHOUT DESTROYING YOUR SANITY)
1️⃣ WATCH REAL FIGHTS.
• MMA, boxing, street fights—study how people actually hit.
2️⃣ START WITH SILHOUETTES.
• If the action isn’t clear in silhouette, it won’t read well animated.
3️⃣ EXAGGERATE FOR IMPACT.
• Realism alone isn’t enough—push poses to sell the action.
4️⃣ USE CAMERA SHAKE SPARINGLY.
• Too much, and it feels cheap. Just enough makes it dynamic.
🚨 THE SECRET: A great fight scene isn’t just about movement—it’s about weight, rhythm, and storytelling. 🚨
⸻
🔥 FINAL THOUGHTS: FIGHT ANIMATION WILL DESTROY YOU, BUT IT’S WORTH IT
Here’s the truth:
🎨 A great fight scene feels like raw energy.
💀 A bad fight scene looks like a failed slapstick comedy.
🚀 If you master this, you’ll be ahead of 90% of beginner animators.
And if all else fails, just cut away before the punch lands and let the sound effect do the work.
⸻
🚨 THE SOLUTION: JUST WATCH THIS SERIES INSTEAD.
I wasted six figures so you don’t have to.
🔥 Next lesson drops soon!
🔥 Subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss it:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs 👈
💀 COMING NEXT: Lesson 19 – Smear Frames: How to Break Animation Rules and Get Away With It
💬 Drop a comment: What’s the worst fight animation mistake you’ve ever made? 🎨💀😂
⸻
🚨 ANIMATION ANARCHY STARTS NOW. 🚨
🚀 The revolution will not be graded.
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 17
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 17
(Or: Running Cycles and Why They’ll Haunt You Forever)
⸻
🔥 WELCOME BACK TO ANIMATION ANARCHY – WHERE YOUR SANITY GOES TO DIE 🔥
This is Animation Anarchy. The blog where we:
✅ Expose the most brutal animation truths.
✅ Teach you what actually matters.
✅ Prepare you for the nightmare of animating a running cycle—because it’s worse than a walk cycle in every possible way.
I wasted six figures on an art education, and now I’m giving it all away for free—because if I had to cry over a running cycle that looked like my character was speed-walking to the bathroom, you might as well learn from my pain.
🚨 SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs
(Unless you enjoy animating a run that looks like your character is floating through space.)
⸻
LESSON 17: THE ANIMATOR’S NIGHTMARE – RUNNING CYCLES AND WHY THEY’LL HAUNT YOU FOREVER
(Or: Why Your Character Looks Like They’re Speed-Walking Instead of Sprinting)
⸻
🎨 CONGRATULATIONS! YOU THOUGHT WALK CYCLES WERE HARD? WELCOME TO HELL.
If you survived walk cycles, you might feel confident about running cycles.
🚨 DON’T. 🚨
💀 Running is faster, more exaggerated, and has more complex physics.
💀 Mistakes are 10x more obvious.
💀 If anything is off, your character looks like a glitchy video game NPC.
🚨 Welcome to your next major animation crisis. 🚨
⸻
🔥 WHY RUN CYCLES ARE 10X HARDER THAN WALK CYCLES
1️⃣ There’s WAY less time to fix mistakes.
• A walk cycle takes about 12-16 frames.
• A run cycle? Only 6-8 frames.
2️⃣ The character leaves the ground.
• Walk cycles have constant foot contact.
• Runs involve “airborne” moments—aka more room for disaster.
3️⃣ Speed creates way more secondary motion.
• Arms, legs, head, torso—everything has to react to the speed.
• If you don’t add proper overlap, the run will feel stiff or weightless.
🚨 THE RESULT:
💀 Too slow? It looks like speed-walking.
💀 Too stiff? It looks like a horror movie glitch.
💀 Too smooth? Now it’s an Olympic-level jog instead of a full run.
⸻
🔥 THE FOUR MAIN POSES OF A RUN CYCLE (IGNORE THESE AND SUFFER FOREVER)
⸻
🚨 1. CONTACT POSE – WHERE EACH STEP BEGINS
• One foot just touches the ground.
• The opposite foot is fully extended behind.
• The arms swing at maximum distance.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Make sure the foot hits the ground with purpose.
✅ The back leg should stretch naturally—not look broken.
✅ Arms should move opposite to the legs.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ The foot barely touches the ground, making it look like the character is floating.
⸻
🚨 2. DOWN POSE – THE LOWEST POINT OF THE RUN
• The weight drops as the foot absorbs impact.
• The knee bends for compression.
• The arms cross the body slightly.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Lower the torso slightly—this is where weight shows.
✅ Keep the motion quick but snappy—too slow, and it looks weird.
✅ Check that the arms match the momentum of the body.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A character lands stiffly, making the run look robotic.
⸻
🚨 3. PASSING POSE – THE MIDPOINT OF THE RUN
• The back leg swings forward.
• The front leg is bent and lifted.
• The arms switch positions.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ The knee should be lifted naturally—not too high or too low.
✅ Check that the arms don’t look too stiff or too floppy.
✅ Make sure the character still has forward momentum.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ The character slows down too much, turning the run into a weird power-walk.
⸻
🚨 4. UP POSE – THE HIGHEST POINT OF THE RUN
• Both feet are completely off the ground.
• The arms are mid-swing.
• The torso is at its highest.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Make sure the character actually leaves the ground!
✅ Keep motion fluid—if it’s too stiff, it looks fake.
✅ Ensure the feet don’t “float” before hitting the ground again.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A character never fully leaves the ground, making it look like they’re gliding.
⸻
🔥 COMMON RUN CYCLE MISTAKES (AND HOW TO FIX THEM)
🚨 MISTAKE #1: “WHY DOES MY CHARACTER LOOK LIKE THEY’RE SPEED-WALKING?”
🛠️ FIX: Make sure the airborne phase is exaggerated enough. If the feet are always on the ground, it’s a fast walk, not a run.
🚨 MISTAKE #2: “MY CHARACTER LOOKS LIKE A RAGDOLL.”
🛠️ FIX: Control the secondary motion! Arms, torso, and legs should follow clean arcs.
🚨 MISTAKE #3: “THE ARMS LOOK AWKWARD.”
🛠️ FIX: Arms move opposite to the legs. Overlap their movement so they don’t snap unnaturally.
🚨 MISTAKE #4: “WHY DOES MY RUN CYCLE LOOK TOO FLOATY?”
🛠️ FIX: Add more weight! The character should hit the ground with clear impact, not gently glide.
🚨 MISTAKE #5: “I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT, BUT IT STILL FEELS OFF.”
🛠️ FIX: Check the timing. Small timing adjustments can make or break the run’s believability.
⸻
🔥 HOW TO MAKE RUN CYCLES LOOK NATURAL (WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SANITY)
1️⃣ EXAGGERATE FIRST, THEN REFINE.
• Push the bounce and leg extension to extremes, then dial it back.
2️⃣ CHECK SILHOUETTES CONSTANTLY.
• A good run cycle should look readable in every frame.
3️⃣ ADD SUBTLE HEAD AND TORSO MOVEMENT.
• If the torso is too stiff, the run feels robotic.
4️⃣ USE REFERENCE.
• Film yourself running. Slow it down. Study how weight shifts.
🚨 THE SECRET: A great run cycle isn’t just movement—it’s physics, timing, and personality. 🚨
⸻
🔥 FINAL THOUGHTS: RUNNING CYCLES WILL BREAK YOU, BUT THEY’RE WORTH IT
Here’s the truth:
🎨 A great run cycle will instantly make your animation feel professional.
💀 A bad run cycle will make it look like your character is glitching.
🚀 Master this, and you’ll never fear animating action scenes again.
And if all else fails, just cut to a close-up shot of the character’s face and avoid showing their legs.
⸻
🚨 THE SOLUTION: JUST WATCH THIS SERIES INSTEAD.
I wasted six figures so you don’t have to.
🔥 Next lesson drops soon!
🔥 Subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss it:
👉https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs 👈
💀 COMING NEXT: Lesson 18 – Animating Fight Scenes: How to Make Punches Look Powerful (Without Accidentally Making a Slapstick Comedy)
💬 Drop a comment: What’s the worst run cycle disaster you’ve ever animated? 🎨💀😂
⸻
🚨 ANIMATION ANARCHY STARTS NOW. 🚨
🚀 The revolution will not be graded.
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 16
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 16
(Or: How to Make a Character Walk Without Looking Drunk)
⸻
🔥 WELCOME BACK TO ANIMATION ANARCHY – WHERE ART SCHOOL DOESN’T WARN YOU ABOUT THIS 🔥
This is Animation Anarchy. The blog where we:
✅ Expose the cruelest animation industry truths.
✅ Teach you what actually matters.
✅ Prepare you for the absolute horror of animating a proper walk cycle.
I wasted six figures on an art education, and now I’m giving it all away for free—because if I had to animate a walk cycle for 12 straight hours only for my teacher to say, “It’s stiff,” you might as well learn from my suffering.
🚨 SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs
(Unless you enjoy watching your character moonwalk in place like a broken video game NPC.)
⸻
LESSON 16: ANIMATING WALK CYCLES – HOW TO MAKE A CHARACTER WALK WITHOUT LOOKING DRUNK
(Or: Why This Is the First Thing You’ll Learn… and the Thing That Will Break You the Most.)
⸻
🎨 CONGRATULATIONS! YOU WANT TO ANIMATE A WALK CYCLE? PREPARE FOR A BREAKDOWN.
Every animation student underestimates walk cycles.
💀 It’s just walking, right?
💀 People walk every day!
💀 How hard can it be?
🚨 WRONG. 🚨
⸻
🔥 WHY WALK CYCLES ARE ANIMATOR HELL
1️⃣ Walk cycles are one of the hardest things to animate well.
• If one little detail is off, the entire animation looks wrong.
• If timing isn’t perfect, the character looks like they’re floating.
2️⃣ It has to look effortless, but it’s actually an insane balancing act.
• The character’s weight must shift properly.
• The arms must counterbalance the legs.
• The head and torso can’t be stiff.
3️⃣ It exposes all of your weaknesses.
• Bad posing? It shows.
• Bad timing? It shows.
• Bad physics? Oh, it REALLY shows.
🚨 THE RESULT:
💀 Too stiff? Your character looks robotic.
💀 Too loose? Your character looks drunk.
💀 Too perfect? Now they look like a soulless AI.
⸻
🔥 THE FOUR MAIN POSES OF A WALK CYCLE (LEARN THESE OR SUFFER FOREVER)
Every walk cycle is built around four key poses. Get these right, and you’re 80% there.
⸻
🚨 1. CONTACT POSE – WHERE EACH STEP BEGINS
• One foot is just touching the ground.
• The opposite foot is lifting off.
• The arms are at their widest swing.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Check that the weight is balanced.
✅ Make sure the foot is actually making contact, not floating.
✅ Pose should feel “mid-step.”
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ The foot is either too far ahead or behind, making the walk look unnatural.
⸻
🚨 2. DOWN POSE – THE LOWEST POINT OF THE STEP
• The character’s weight presses down.
• The foot absorbs the impact.
• The torso drops slightly.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Lower the torso slightly—this is where weight shows.
✅ Bend the knees naturally.
✅ Feet should stay firmly planted.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A character walks stiffly because their body never lowers.
⸻
🚨 3. PASSING POSE – THE MIDPOINT OF THE WALK
• One foot is lifting off completely.
• The other foot is directly under the torso.
• The arms are neutral.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Make sure the leading foot is high enough to clear the ground.
✅ Check that the weight is balanced on the supporting leg.
✅ Arms shouldn’t be frozen—there should be subtle motion.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A character shuffles instead of stepping properly.
⸻
🚨 4. UP POSE – THE HIGHEST POINT OF THE WALK
• The character pushes off the ground.
• The foot begins swinging forward.
• The torso lifts slightly.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Add a slight upward motion in the torso.
✅ Don’t overextend—too much lift makes it feel bouncy.
✅ Ensure the arms follow through with the step.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A character floats too high, making it look like they’re walking on the moon.
⸻
🔥 COMMON WALK CYCLE MISTAKES (AND HOW TO FIX THEM)
🚨 MISTAKE #1: “WHY DOES MY CHARACTER LOOK LIKE THEY’RE MOONWALKING?”
🛠️ FIX: The feet must make firm contact with the ground. If they slide, the illusion is broken.
🚨 MISTAKE #2: “MY CHARACTER LOOKS LIKE A ROBOT.”
🛠️ FIX: Loosen up the movements. Add natural bounce and flow to the arms, torso, and legs.
🚨 MISTAKE #3: “THE ARMS LOOK WEIRD.”
🛠️ FIX: Arms should move opposite to the legs. (Right foot forward? Left arm forward.)
🚨 MISTAKE #4: “WHY DOES MY WALK CYCLE LOOK SO… OFF?”
🛠️ FIX: Watch real people walk. Study real-life reference. Nothing replaces real movement.
🚨 MISTAKE #5: “I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT, BUT IT STILL FEELS WRONG.”
🛠️ FIX: Check the timing. Small timing tweaks make a massive difference in realism.
⸻
🔥 HOW TO MAKE WALK CYCLES LOOK NATURAL (WITHOUT WASTING YOUR LIFE ANIMATING THEM)
1️⃣ EXAGGERATE FIRST, THEN TONE IT DOWN.
• Start with an over-the-top walk and refine it.
2️⃣ CHECK SILHOUETTES CONSTANTLY.
• A good walk cycle should look readable in every frame.
3️⃣ DON’T ANIMATE IN A VACUUM.
• Walk cycles must fit the character’s personality.
4️⃣ WATCH YOUR OWN WALK.
• Record yourself walking. Study what your body does naturally.
🚨 THE SECRET: A good walk cycle isn’t just movement—it’s acting. 🚨
⸻
🔥 FINAL THOUGHTS: WALK CYCLES WILL BREAK YOU, BUT THEY’RE WORTH IT
Here’s the truth:
🎨 If you can master a solid walk cycle, everything else in animation gets easier.
💀 Bad walk cycles are painfully obvious.
🚀 Good walk cycles bring characters to life.
And if all else fails, just make your character float instead. Call it a “creative choice.”
⸻
🚨 THE SOLUTION: JUST WATCH THIS SERIES INSTEAD.
I wasted six figures so you don’t have to.
🔥 Next lesson drops soon!
🔥 Subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss it:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs👈
💀 COMING NEXT: Lesson 17 – The Animator’s Nightmare: Running Cycles and Why They’ll Haunt You Forever
💬 Drop a comment: What’s the worst walk cycle disaster you’ve ever animated? 🎨💀😂
⸻
🚨 ANIMATION ANARCHY STARTS NOW. 🚨
🚀 The revolution will not be graded.
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE -Lesson 15: The Laws of Light and Shadow – Why Your Art Still Looks Flat
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE
Lesson 15: The Laws of Light and Shadow – Why Your Art Still Looks Flat
(A.k.a. Why Your Drawings Have the Depth of a Paper Towel)
⸻
Congratulations, Your Art is a Pancake
So, you’ve been drawing for years, and yet your art still looks like a crime scene chalk outline. You add shading, but somehow, it doesn’t help. It just looks… muddy. Lifeless. Two-dimensional, like a low-budget mobile game.
WELL, GOOD NEWS! You’re not alone. Bad news? That’s because most of the world doesn’t understand light and shadow. Worse news? You’ve been lied to your whole life—shading isn’t the same thing as lighting.
But don’t worry. By the time we’re done, your artwork will have actual volume, and not just in the “your files are too big to save” kind of way.
And hey—if you like this brutal honesty, subscribe to my YouTube channel for even more self-esteem-ruining animation wisdom!
⸻
Step 1: What Even Is Light? (Besides the Thing That Makes Your Screen Work)
Light is what lets you see. (Duh.) But art-wise, light does a lot more than just let you suffer through Twitter discourse. It affects mood, shape, and depth, and if you ignore its rules, your artwork will look like a flattened potato.
Types of Light Sources (a.k.a. The Gods of Your Art)
• Direct Light – Harsh, dramatic, high-contrast. Think Interrogation Room Before They Bring You Coffee.
• Diffuse Light – Soft, ambient, spreads evenly. Like the gentle glow of regret when you realize you picked the wrong major.
• Ambient Light – The general light in a scene, the reason horror movies use it wrong all the time.
• Reflected Light – The reason shadows aren’t pure black. Light bounces off surfaces like your bad decisions coming back to haunt you.
Quick Quiz: Which of These Have You Ever Thought About?
• A) All of them.
• B) Some of them.
• C) LOL WHAT IS LIGHT?
If you picked C, please sit down. There’s a lot to cover.
⸻
Step 2: Shadows Are Not Just “Black” (Stop Doing This Immediately)
Raise your hand if you’ve ever shaded with straight black.
Now use that hand to slap yourself gently.
Shadows aren’t black—they’re a mix of the object’s color, ambient light, and reflected light from surrounding surfaces. Here’s what actually happens in shadows:
Types of Shadows (Yes, There’s More Than One, You Fool)
• Core Shadow – The darkest part of the object where light just straight-up gives up.
• Cast Shadow – The shadow the object throws onto the ground, wall, or your failed dreams.
• Reflected Light – A soft glow inside the shadow because light bounces, my dude.
• Highlight – The brightest part of an object where the light source hits directly.
If your shadows are just black scribbles, your drawing will look like it was done in a dimly lit dungeon using a broken crayon. Fix that.
⸻
Step 3: Why Your Art is Still Flatter Than Your First Pancakes
Even if you’ve applied shadows, your art might still look meh. Here’s why:
• You Didn’t Pick a Light Source – You need a consistent light direction. Shadows can’t just be wherever you feel like.
• You Used Black for Shadows – We just talked about this. DO NOT MAKE ME REPEAT MYSELF.
• You Didn’t Push Values – If everything is a boring mid-tone, your drawing will look like it’s stuck in a fog of artistic mediocrity. Use strong contrast!
• No Subsurface Scattering – When light passes through skin, leaves, or jellyfish, it glows. If your character looks like a plastic mannequin, this is why.
⸻
Step 4: Cheat Codes to Instantly Improve Your Lighting
Want an instant upgrade? Try these pro hacks:
1. Use a Single Light Source First – Master one before you try anything fancy.
2. Think in 3D – Stop shading like a coloring book. Wrap the light around the form!
3. Exaggerate Contrast – Push shadows darker and highlights brighter for actual depth.
4. Warm Light = Cool Shadows, Cool Light = Warm Shadows – This is real science. Use it.
5. Reference Real Life – Stop guessing. Look at how shadows behave around you.
And if you’re still struggling, just go outside. Look at how light hits objects. If that’s too much effort, watch my YouTube channel instead—I break this stuff down in actual motion.
⸻
Final Thoughts: Stop Making Paper Towel Art
If you actually absorb today’s lesson, your artwork will no longer look like a bad sticker. Lighting is the #1 thing that separates amateur artists from pros, so stop shading like a broken printer and start using real light logic.
And for the love of all that is holy, STOP USING BLACK FOR SHADOWS.
That’s it for Lesson 15—now go forth and shade like you actually know what you’re doing.
And hey—if you actually liked this brutal honesty, why not subscribe to my YouTube channel? I post even more animation wisdom, life regrets, and existential crises disguised as tutorials:
➡️ SUBSCRIBE NOW ⬅️
Your art will thank you. Your past mistakes? Probably not.
⸻
There you go—Lesson 15, fully armed with self-deprecating humor, YouTube plugs, and even more brutal honesty. Let me know if you need tweaks!
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 14
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 14
(Or: How to Make Your Character Talk Without Looking Like a Horror Movie Puppet)
⸻
🔥 WELCOME BACK TO ANIMATION ANARCHY – WHERE ART SCHOOL DREAMS GO TO DIE 🔥
This is Animation Anarchy. The blog where we:
✅ Expose the animation industry’s cruelest truths.
✅ Teach you what actually matters.
✅ Help you avoid making lip sync animations that look like a haunted ventriloquist dummy.
I wasted six figures on an art education, and now I’m giving it all away for free—because if I had to suffer through animating my first dialogue scene, you might as well benefit from my pain.
🚨 SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW 👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs
(Unless you enjoy characters talking with their mouths flapping randomly like a broken Muppet.)
⸻
LESSON 14: LIP SYNC – HOW TO MAKE YOUR CHARACTER TALK WITHOUT LOOKING LIKE A HORROR MOVIE PUPPET
(Or: Why Every Beginner Lip Sync Animation Looks Like a Bad Dub)
⸻
🎨 CONGRATULATIONS! YOU WANT TO ANIMATE DIALOGUE? PREPARE TO SUFFER.
Every aspiring animator dreams of animating their favorite characters speaking.
🚨 Then they try it. 🚨
💀 What they expect: Fluid, expressive lip sync that rivals Pixar.
💀 What they get: A character whose mouth flaps open and closed like a deranged goldfish.
🚨 WELCOME TO THE NIGHTMARE OF LIP SYNC ANIMATION. 🚨
⸻
🔥 WHY LIP SYNC IS HARDER THAN YOU THINK
Dialogue animation is deceptively difficult because:
💀 People are insanely good at spotting bad lip sync.
💀 Mouth shapes don’t match every sound exactly the way you think.
💀 If you focus only on the lips, the character still looks dead inside.
The goal isn’t just “matching the mouth to the sound.”
🚨 It’s about making the whole face FEEL like it’s speaking. 🚨
⸻
🔥 THE SIX MOST IMPORTANT RULES OF LIP SYNC
🚨 Ignore these, and your character will look like a malfunctioning animatronic.
⸻
🚨 1. THE MOUTH DOESN’T NEED TO MOVE FOR EVERY SOUND.
• If you try to animate every syllable exactly, the mouth will look like a chaotic mess.
• The key mouth shapes (visemes) should flow naturally into each other.
• Think about how real people talk—mouth movements are often subtle.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Find the most important mouth shapes (not every single one).
✅ Let the animation flow instead of snapping from shape to shape.
✅ Focus on rhythm, not hyper-accuracy.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A character’s mouth pops open and closed for every tiny sound like an insane sock puppet.
⸻
🚨 2. LIP SYNC STARTS WITH THE JAW, NOT THE LIPS.
• The jaw drives speech.
• If the jaw movement is wrong, the whole animation will feel stiff.
• Even if the mouth shapes are perfect, a locked jaw makes the animation look robotic.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Animate the jaw movement FIRST, then add lip detail.
✅ Observe real conversations—people’s jaws bounce with speech.
✅ If a word is emphasized, the jaw should react naturally.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A character talks without their jaw moving at all, like a cursed ventriloquist dummy.
⸻
🚨 3. DON’T IGNORE THE TONGUE AND TEETH.
• The tongue and teeth should appear naturally in certain sounds.
• Words like “TH” and “L” require the tongue to be visible.
• A floating mouth with no inside structure looks weird.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ For “TH” sounds, show the tongue between the teeth.
✅ For “L” sounds, let the tongue briefly hit the roof of the mouth.
✅ Don’t overdo it—too much detail can make it distracting.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A character says “thank you” but their tongue never appears. (What kind of cursed being is this?!)
⸻
🚨 4. DIALOGUE INVOLVES THE WHOLE FACE.
• If only the mouth moves, the character will look dead inside.
• Eyebrows, cheeks, and head movement sell the emotion of the dialogue.
• Think about real-life acting—our whole face reacts when we speak.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Animate the eyebrows and head tilt along with speech.
✅ Don’t let the eyes stay static while the mouth moves—it’s unnatural.
✅ Use facial expressions to emphasize important words.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A character delivers a passionate monologue while their face remains frozen like a taxidermy experiment.
⸻
🚨 5. TIMING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN PERFECT MOUTH SHAPES.
• Lip sync should feel natural even if the mouth shapes aren’t exact.
• A slightly exaggerated open mouth can work better than a “correct” one.
• Matching the timing to the emotion matters more than precise phonemes.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Prioritize clear, readable mouth shapes over frame-perfect accuracy.
✅ Time mouth openings to match the energy of the words, not just the audio waveform.
✅ Test the animation without sound—does it still feel like they’re talking?
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A character has mathematically perfect lip sync but somehow still feels unnatural.
⸻
🚨 6. SUBTITLES SHOULD STILL MAKE SENSE IF YOU MUTE THE AUDIO.
• If you watch an animation on mute, you should still be able to tell what’s being said.
• If you rely too much on sound to sell the lip sync, you’re doing it wrong.
• Test your animation without audio—it should still be clear.
🔥 HOW TO FIX IT:
✅ Mute your animation and see if the mouth movements still match the words.
✅ Act out the dialogue yourself in a mirror—what do you naturally emphasize?
✅ Trust your instincts—if it looks weird, it probably is.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A character is talking, but you can’t tell what they’re saying without sound.
⸻
🔥 HOW TO MASTER LIP SYNC WITHOUT WANTING TO QUIT ANIMATION
1️⃣ Start with simple words.
• “Wow” and “No” are great for practice.
2️⃣ Record yourself talking.
• Your own facial movements are the best reference.
3️⃣ Use key poses instead of animating every frame.
• Find the extreme shapes first, then fill in the gaps.
4️⃣ Watch bad lip sync and learn what NOT to do.
• Bad dubs are a masterclass in what to avoid.
🚨 THE SECRET: Lip sync is an illusion—focus on the feeling of speech, not hyper-accuracy. 🚨
⸻
🔥 FINAL THOUGHTS: LIP SYNC WILL BREAK YOU, BUT YOU’LL COME BACK STRONGER
Here’s the truth:
🎨 Lip sync is hard, but once you get it, it becomes second nature.
💀 Bad lip sync will ruin even the best animation.
🚀 Good lip sync will make your character feel alive.
And if all else fails, just make your character talk off-screen and call it “artistic choice.”
⸻
🚨 THE SOLUTION: JUST WATCH THIS SERIES INSTEAD.
I wasted six figures so you don’t have to.
🔥 Next lesson drops soon!
🔥 Subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss it:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs👈
💀 COMING NEXT: Lesson 15 – Animating Hands: How to Lose Your Mind While Drawing Five Fingers
💬 Drop a comment: What’s the worst lip sync mistake you’ve ever made? 🎨💀😂
⸻
🚨 ANIMATION ANARCHY STARTS NOW. 🚨
🚀 The revolution will not be graded.
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 13
ANIMATION ANARCHY: THE ART COLLEGE CRASH COURSE – LESSON 13
(Or: Why You’ll Never Escape Richard Williams’ Ghost)
⸻
🔥 WELCOME BACK TO ANIMATION ANARCHY – WHERE ART SCHOOL LIES GET BURNED TO THE GROUND 🔥
This is Animation Anarchy. The blog where we:
✅ Expose the animation industry’s cruelest truths.
✅ Teach you what actually matters.
✅ Prepare you for the inevitable moment when you realize Richard Williams haunts every animator.
I wasted six figures on an art education, and now I’m giving it all away for free—because if I had to cry over The Animator’s Survival Kit, you might as well get something useful from my suffering.
🚨 SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW 👉https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs
(Unless you enjoy learning animation the hard way.)
⸻
LESSON 13: THE ANIMATOR’S SURVIVAL KIT – WHY YOU’LL NEVER ESCAPE RICHARD WILLIAMS’ GHOST
(Or: How This One Book Will Make or Break Your Animation Dreams)
⸻
🎨 CONGRATULATIONS! YOU WANT TO LEARN ANIMATION? GOOD LUCK.
At some point, every aspiring animator stumbles upon this cursed tome:
🚨 The Animator’s Survival Kit by Richard Williams. 🚨
It’s the bible of animation.
It’s the best book ever written on the subject.
It’s also a soul-destroying reminder that you know NOTHING.
⸻
🔥 WHAT’S INSIDE THIS BOOK (BESIDES ANIMATOR TEARS)
📖 500+ pages of mind-blowing animation knowledge.
🎭 Detailed breakdowns of movement, acting, and timing.
🕳️ An existential crisis waiting to happen.
Every animator goes through The Five Stages of The Animator’s Survival Kit:
1️⃣ DENIAL – “THIS LOOKS EASY ENOUGH.”
• You open the book.
• The first few pages are simple.
• “I get it! Squash and stretch, anticipation, blah blah blah…”
🚨 WRONG. 🚨
⸻
2️⃣ SHOCK – “WAIT, I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT EVERY SINGLE FRAME?”
• You hit the section on walk cycles.
• Suddenly, you’re staring at 18-step breakdowns of a single movement.
• You realize animation isn’t about drawing—it’s about thinking like a robot from the future.
• Panic sets in.
⸻
3️⃣ BARGAINING – “IF I JUST SKIP TO THE FUN PARTS, I’LL BE FINE.”
• You flip past all the physics-heavy pages.
• You try to jump straight to acting and performance.
• Then you realize you don’t even know how to make a character take a normal step.
• You quietly go back to page one.
⸻
4️⃣ DEPRESSION – “I WILL NEVER BE AS GOOD AS THE EXAMPLES IN THIS BOOK.”
• You attempt your first Richard Williams-approved walk cycle.
• It looks like a haunted marionette trying to escape its own existence.
• You consider switching careers.
⸻
5️⃣ ACCEPTANCE – “I GUESS I’LL JUST KEEP ANIMATING UNTIL I DIE.”
• You accept that animation is suffering.
• You realize The Animator’s Survival Kit is your new best friend and worst enemy.
• You start animating, knowing Richard Williams is watching your every mistake from beyond the grave.
⸻
🔥 THE MOST PAINFUL BUT IMPORTANT LESSONS FROM THIS BOOK
🚨 1. WALK CYCLES ARE HARDER THAN ROCKET SCIENCE.
• A “simple” walk cycle isn’t actually simple.
• Every step needs weight, balance, timing, and personality.
• If you mess up one frame, your character turns into a glitching NPC.
🔥 HOW TO SURVIVE:
✅ Master the four main poses: Contact, Down, Passing, Up.
✅ Use reference. No one expects you to invent physics from scratch.
✅ Start with a basic walk before you try to add personality.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A character walking like they’re sliding on ice.
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🚨 2. TIMING IS EVERYTHING.
• Too slow? Looks lifeless.
• Too fast? Looks hyperactive.
• Perfect timing? Looks like magic.
🔥 HOW TO SURVIVE:
✅ Use more frames to slow down, fewer frames to speed up.
✅ Observe real-life movement and break it down.
✅ Remember: Every frame matters.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A character jumps but lands instantly like gravity just rage-quit.
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🚨 3. ACTING & PERFORMANCE > TECHNICAL PERFECTION
• Great animation isn’t about “perfect” movement—it’s about emotion.
• If a character isn’t engaging, nobody cares how smooth the motion is.
• Even a simple head tilt can add personality.
🔥 HOW TO SURVIVE:
✅ Focus on what your character is thinking.
✅ Make poses strong and clear.
✅ Don’t animate in a vacuum—always think about WHY a character moves.
🚨 COMMON FAIL:
❌ A beautifully animated scene where the character’s face is dead inside.
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🔥 WHY THIS BOOK WILL HAUNT YOU FOREVER
No matter how long you animate, The Animator’s Survival Kit will:
💀 Always be relevant.
💀 Always show you something new you missed the first time.
💀 Always remind you that Richard Williams was on another level.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a student, a professional, or the ghost of Walt Disney himself—this book will follow you.
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🔥 HOW TO USE THIS BOOK WITHOUT HAVING A FULL BREAKDOWN
1️⃣ Don’t try to read it cover to cover.
• Use it as a reference, not a novel.
2️⃣ Start with the basics.
• Walk cycles, timing, weight—master these before getting fancy.
3️⃣ Steal like an artist.
• Copy the exercises and learn WHY they work.
4️⃣ Use it as a reminder, not a rulebook.
• Even pros don’t get everything perfect.
🚨 THE SECRET: This book isn’t meant to intimidate you—it’s meant to guide you. 🚨
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🔥 FINAL THOUGHTS: YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE THIS BOOK, BUT THAT’S A GOOD THING
Here’s the truth:
🎨 If you’re serious about animation, you need this book.
💀 It will make you question your life choices, but it will also make you better.
🚀 If you keep learning from it, you will become a better animator than 90% of people who give up.
And if all else fails, just flip through the pages and pretend you understand.
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🚨 THE SOLUTION: JUST WATCH THIS SERIES INSTEAD.
I wasted six figures so you don’t have to.
🔥 Next lesson drops soon!
🔥 Subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss it:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/@mrbraylabs👈
💀 COMING NEXT: Lesson 14 – Lip Sync: How to Make Your Character Talk Without Looking Like a Horror Movie Puppet
💬 Drop a comment: What’s the most painful animation lesson you’ve learned from The Animator’s Survival Kit? 🎨💀😂
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🚨 ANIMATION ANARCHY STARTS NOW. 🚨
🚀 The revolution will not be graded.