Art College Crash Course, Lesson 24: How to Make Animation Feel Heavy

Or: why some characters move like they're made of cotton candy.

Weight is one of the biggest differences between beginner animation and pro animation. When characters feel light and floaty, nothing feels real. When they feel grounded, every step and every landing matters.

What weight means

Heavy things take more effort to start moving and more effort to stop. A feather drifts down slowly. A bowling ball drops fast and lands hard.

Cartoon characters follow weight rules too, unless breaking them is the joke.

Five ways to add weight

1. Speed up and slow down. Heavy things start slowly, build up speed and take time to stop. When a big character lands, bend the knees and let the arms settle. Watch: Sulley in Monsters, Inc., a big character who always feels big.

2. Jumps and falls. Launch fast, slow down at the top, then fall fast. Things speed up as they fall. Land firmly.

3. Follow-through. Heavy things keep moving a little after they stop. Bellies jiggle, fur settles, capes swing. Watch: Wile E. Coyote's landings: squash, bounce, settle.

4. Squash and stretch. Squash on impact, stretch before a jump. Even realistic styles use a little.

5. Walks. Feet plant firmly. Hips and shoulders shift with each step. Heavier characters take longer to lift each foot. Compare: a gorilla's walk and a bird's hop.

Common weight problems and fixes

• Floating instead of falling. Make the fall speed up.

• Landings feel wrong. Add a reaction: knees bend, body sinks, then settles.

• Walk feels too light. Make foot contact, push-off and weight shifts clear.

• Weight is confusing. Use contrast. Heavier characters start slower and stop later.

• Ghosts and magic. Floating is fine, if it's on purpose and consistent. Even ghosts need rules.

The big idea

A cartoon cat shouldn't land like a balloon, unless that's the joke. Weight makes animation believable, even in the silliest cartoon.

Try this

Animate two balls dropping from the same height: a balloon and a bowling ball. Same number of frames. Make the difference obvious through speed, squash and bounce.

Up next

Lesson 25: Appeal in Character Design. Why some characters become icons and others are forgotten.

What's the floatiest animation you've ever seen? Tell us in the comments.

The revolution will not be graded.

New episodes drop on YouTube first. Subscribe to Mr. Bray Labs so you never miss one.