Flight cycle sketches

Here are the sketches I was using when I was animating the wings flapping from online reference.

This was comparing real bird wings to the rig I was using. 

Masterclass - Animating Animals

Some really excellent advice http://vimeo.com/33660586#

Showreels and animal animations

Research on how to make showreels and examples of showreels. I'll put here the best ones I've found.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvq1171As4M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7p-hIm7QGs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0fUVBQU3mI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGXlIlzCYDg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlgYPQq92w8


Some animation ideas

from 1.30
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVLIvmMlZoQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gmzsjdkXss

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpV9rf-hqsw

Horse walk test 2D

I used the Animators Survival guide book to produce this as a reference for myself in 2D.
I think the up and down movement is too much and shouldn't be as obvious unless the legs are pulled up higher and the head should be lower and more horizontal to the body. Although it does look like a foal (baby horse) and not an adult, which is not what I wanted as my model is of an adult horse.

But it served it's purpose to visualise the movements from these.

Horse rig test

I'm testing the limits of the rig to see what actions I could use it for. So far it looks good for basic walk and run cycles.