Character animation in After Effects using Duik rigs.

Character rigging — the next level in animation

It’s all about joints & limbs

Animation is powerful. It brings static images to life. It makes things do something.

Animation captivates the eye and commands our attention. We instinctively observe when something has kinetic energy, for instance, graphics that move through animation.

For me personally, just when I thought that I understood animation’s key principals, such as squashing and stretching, creating a motion arc, or slow in & slow out, comes the next level animation challenge, RIGGING!

Before digging into rigging, let’s look at some of the basic animation principles that help us with rigging movements.

Animations ahead!

Squashing and stretching

Squashing and stretching define an object’s weight and flexibility. If a malleable beach ball hits the ground, it will squash horizontally, as the ground pushes against the ball.

The principle of gravity and weight that makes an object squash and stretch.

Creating an arc

Arcs create a naturally curved motion following gravity’s laws. No object ever flies a direct…