How To Time Eye Darts

One common mistake made by junior animators is to leave out eye darts - those rapid changes of eye direction that show that a character is thinking. 

Or, the animator includes eye darts, but they are too slow and mushy to feel believable. So how do animators time eye darts? Eye darts should be super quick - ideally with no in-betweens at all. 

To time an eye dart correctly, you simply pop from one pose to another, with a one frame cushion to ease in to the final pose.  To see how to animate an eye dart, watch the video below. 

Eye Darts

The short video uses the free Eleven Rig, on how to animate eye darts - fast moving micro-changes of eye direction.

Eyes are The Window to The Soul

Animators should always remember that eyes are the window to the soul - it's the thing the audience will look at most, and one of the most common mistakes made by junior animators is fail to pay enough attention to their character's eyes.  Our eyes are very expressive, and the eyes are what we look at when we seek signals for how another person is thinking and feeling. The human eye is directly connected to the brain, and the audience will watch your character's eyes. There are endless variations on eye expressions, and it's important to get it right. So, how do animators animate a character's eyes?

Thumbnail drawings showing eye expressions

Eye Darts

When people think, their eyes often dart from side to side. For example if they are talking on the phone, they are thinking, and their eyes move around rapidly. 

Snap Into The Pose

These micro-darts should be animated very fast, just a fast pop into the new pose with a one frame cushion.  CG eyes look dead if they go still, so animators use eye darts to keep the eyes alive.  If the eyes move too much they look soft and floaty. But…too little movement and they seem dead and lifeless.

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