One of the best things I am learning about animation while working on these tests is the importance of understanding spacing and posing. My first pass on this test gave me a pretty clear idea about what I was going for, but it still didn’t feel “alive” enough, there were parts that needed to be pushed more.
In order to push my poses, improve my spacing and create the fluidity I was looking for, I drew over my initial poses, played a little bit with the timing and refined areas I thought weren’t working in terms of spacing.
Working on all these tests in 2D is a real treat as it pushes me to think about what my shots are all about. Suddenly I find it so much easier to trouble shoot what sort of elements are lacking.
I highly recommend everyone to have a go at doing those 2D tests, they do take a little bit of time to get used to in terms of the thinking process but once you get the gist, it’s an absolute treat!
It seems like the Jason Ryan approach is working for me!
Woot Woot 
Hey Avner,
Looks like you have been making steady progress in these 2D studies. Working in 2D gets you directly in touch with the fundamentals in a way that 3D can’t so easily.
I think you have worked out the story for this exercise. The poses work. No one pose gets in the way of, or distracts from the result at the end. They clearly show both intention and action. Keeping with 2s and 4s, etc. you have spacing and holds that help keep your poses and actions easy to read. Much easier to accomplish than when everything is on 1s. That’s what gets in the way for a lot of CG animators… all those additional inbetweens start looking important.
Weight is the only issue I find inconsistent in this. The broader actions are showing plenty of weight. Squash and stretch. Well done. But the way you have drawn the contact between the sack and the surfaces is sometimes ignoring that weight. Occasionally, the little flour sack tips at the bottom seem to easily support all of the weight for the character without much change in shape to indicate weight (37-48). Occasionally, you also have the bottom of the sack showing an arc that seems to defy gravity (81-100).
The way the bottom of the sack squashes against the surface as he bounces around is working. Knit picky I know, but I just think you drain off a little of this weight demonstrated with how the bottom is drawn on the holds identified above. It might be a matter of just a few pixels so I’m being very picky at this point.
I like how he lands on the smaller box and how it adjusts under his weight. Perhaps it should recoil upward, ever so slightly, after that first bounce (75-78). It would show a little of the weakness of the smaller box, setting up your gag a little more, and would give you an opportunity for just a touch more overlapping action as the sack recovers after the big jump.
Hope you find these comments useful.
Keep it up Avner. I’m loving the results.
hey bro.. looks cool.. and funny…,jejeje
i see you learn new moves .., and probably its just demo to something.., but i do think it will effect if the figure will be more reall or more recognized… for example if you draw miki mouse.., just for the sake of it..
big hugs..,
Roy
It’s looking good, Avner. I like the timing and energy. Maybe he could be closer to the edge at the beginning… maybe more follow through in places… Seems to stick in mid air on the jump… Overall, the timing is good and it looks well staged… good job!