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. 

How to Use The Eye Direction Controller

Eye direction matters. If animated characters aren't looking at each other, or if the motion of the eyes feels weird and lifeless, the animation will lack believability.  Fortunately, most character rigs come with a "Look See" or "Eye Direction" controller, which control the character's eye direction, so that the eyes always seem to be focused and alert. To see how to use the "Look See" control with the Kayla rig (one of the rigs we recommend for learning animation), watch the short video above. 

How to Animate Eye Darts

Above is a short video using the free Eleven Rig, on how to animate eye darts - fast moving micro-changes of eye direction. 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?