Character animation is a complex form of animation which involves... you guessed it... characters!

Animating a character is far more diffucult than animating other objects. Not only do some characters have complex moving parts, but they also contain the mysteries of personality and emotion. A character can be anything from a ball to a dog, as long as the character has life.

When animating a character, you need to know who the character is. . Sure... she's a dog. But is she a little dog, a big dog, a fat dog, a skinny dog... is she a smart dog, a dumb dog, a sneaky dog... is this dog depressed, excited, angry, overjoyed? Every creature acts differently depending on their ciucumstances, and you need to keep these factors in mind with every movement that your character makes.

Before you even begin animating a character, it is a good idea to have a character study which tells all of the details about the character. This study may show the character in various moods, various positions, and have intricate details about the character's life. Before attempting to move a character, you need to get to know the character. Only then can you imagine how the character will behave in the world you are about to create.

The essentials of animation come into full effect when animating a character. Timing, squash and stretch, anticipation, and follow-through all change dramatically depending on the emotions of a character. The audience should be able to determine the mood of a character without her saying, "Oh, I'm soooooooooo lonely!" They should know she is lonely by the way she hangs her head and drags her feet when she walks.

Try to get inside the head of your character. Don't think, "Now I want her to punch him in the face..." Instead, think, "Now she would punch him in the face." For the audience to believe the action, the actions must be believable and fit the character.