Animating Character Expressions (part 2)

Animation has been an incredible creative journey for me. One of the things I enjoy most is the acting element—creating reference images and videos of myself performing scenes. It brings back memories of high school drama class and being part of the drama team at church. Storytelling has always been a core part of who I am. I’ve told stories through fashion collections, graphic designs, movie sets, play designs, and even costumes for characters. It feels like all of these experiences have converged in animation.

What excites me most about designing animations is crafting dialogue and scripts for my characters. I love that I can envision entire worlds and bring them to life. My imagination has always been big, and it’s taken me on an unexpected but thrilling path. I never anticipated ending up here, and I never realized how much animation would mean to me. But here I am, learning the craft and transforming into an animator along the way.

The journey hasn’t been easy—learning new skills rarely is. At times, I doubted the direction I was headed. Yet, when I was designing 3D fashion, I caught a glimpse of what could be possible. I kept asking, "What if my characters could move?" That "what if" led me down the path of acquiring new skills.

Now, I’m excited about the unknown and the endless possibilities ahead. I’m constantly dreaming about what more I can achieve, and the best part is seeing my creativity continue to grow.

Animating character expressions (part 1)

It’s been a few years since I started working in animation. My journey began with 3D fashion animation and conceptual 3D art, which naturally led me into the world of animation. Over the years, my skills have significantly improved. I’ve come a long way since I first started learning, and now I find myself creating characters, writing scripts, and much more. Transitioning into a different industry was tough at first, but I’m committed to getting better each day. Along the way, I’ve gained countless lessons as I’ve embraced new skills.

One of the most important things I’ve learned in animation is the value of patience. The animation process is long and requires time and care. At first, I struggled because I wanted fast results. I tend to be a perfectionist, which made it difficult to accept how much time and effort it takes to build layers and bring a project to life. Now, I understand the importance of taking things step by step.

When I begin working with a new character, the first thing I do is create reference images to help me get to know who the character is. This step is essential for me in building the character’s personality. Once I have the reference images, especially of their emotional expressions, I begin animating in Maya to capture the right emotions. This process can take hours, but I’ve grown to love it because I can see my progress as an animator.

Currently, I’m working on animating the emotion of anger. One thing I’ve noticed is that I’ve applied an adult’s emotion to a child character, and I think I’ll approach that differently next time. However, I’m still happy with the outcome. Through this process, I’m learning more about myself as an animator and continuously evolving in how I approach my work.