In WEEK 02 of Computer Animation Fundamentals with Professor Ting Liu, I received another set of Golden Poses assignment. However, this time instead of using the Ultimate Bony rig, I worked with the Ultimate Beefy Rig. The process remained quite similar, but this rig gave me a new challenge in terms of proportions, muscle mass, and overall body dynamics. Unlike the Bony Rig, which was simpler and lighter to handle, the Beefy Rig had more defined shapes and volume, which made it more complex to pose naturally.
I started this assignment by revisiting the feedback that Professor Ting had explained earlier like focusing on the line of action, balance, silhouette clarity, and asymmetry. I made quick thumbnail sketches to plan the poses and understand how the line of action would flow through the heavier body type of the Beefy Rig. It had four levels of challenge:
Level 1: Create a hero pose
Level 2: Create a sitting pose
Level 3: Create a angry pose
Level 4 (Final Boss): Make a 360-degree rotation video render of the pose
A) HERO POSE
Step 1: Choosing the Reference and Identifying the Line of Action
Step 2: Defining Silhouette and Final Render
Step 3: Composing 360 degree Turntable
B) ANGRY POSE
Step 1: Choosing the Reference and Identifying the Line of Action
Step 2: Defining Silhouette and Final Render
Step 3: Composing 360 degree Turntable
C) SITTING POSE
Step 1: Choosing the Reference and Identifying the Line of Action
Step 2: Defining Silhouette and Final Render
Step 3: Composing 360 degree Turntable
Each level increased in difficulty. For example, the hero pose has strong action and movement, while the standing pose is tricky because it looks plain but needs life in it. The happy pose needed emotional expression without a face rig, and the final one tested my rendering and camera setup skills.
Step 4: Receiving the Feedback
After I submitted my animation, I received encouraging feedback from Professor Ting as she mentioned that she could clearly see improvement in my poses compared to the previous week’s work. However, she also gave me one important suggestion to work on:
“Try to play more with the shoulders, the shoulder joints add a lot of emotion and strength to the character’s body language.”
Based on this feedback, I planned to create my Week 03 Golden Poses sketches by focusing on shoulders and other details in the pose. This feedback helped me realize how even a small adjustment in the shoulders can change the entire energy of a pose. For my next assignments, I planned to focus more on shoulder movement and rotation to make my poses look more expressive and natural.