Bear Walk Tutorial

Bear walk by Joris Van Laar

All animators need to learn how to animate a quadruped walk cycle.  All quadrupeds walk in more or less the same way, allowing for anatomy (herbivores have less flexible spines than do carnivores). 

To the left is a bear walk cycle animated by Animation Apprentice graduate Joris Van Laar, and below are some useful thumbnails showing how to animate a bear walking.

Character Animation by Joris Van Laar

Above is a charming character animation shot created by Animation Apprentice student Joris Van Laar.  It's a great example of how character animation can be funny and full of personality.  Joris used the almost-free Kayla rig, which you can read about here, and also created a well-designed set, with appealing textures and lighting.  Having a great character animation piece on your demo reel is an important step in landing that crucial first job in the animation industry.  Animation studios are looking for animators who have good technical skills - but can also create genuinely entertaining work - the animation "X factor".

Demo Reel 2012-2021 "Best Of"

Our latest demo reel is an edit of some of the best shots done by students at Animation Apprentice over the last decade. These shots have all been selected because they show considerable skill in character and creature animation, as well as imagination and a flair for entertainment.  Thanks to Marc Godfrey, Joris Van Laar, Lee Caller, Giuseppe Candido and Victoria Bailey. The background track is "Wait for me" by Moby.

Joris Van Laar Animator at Little Chicken

Little Chicken

Many congratulations to Animation Apprentice graduate Joris Van Laar, who is working as an animator at the Little Chicken Game Company, an Amsterdam based studio that has been designing award winning games since 2001.

Joris got his start in games working as a producer, where he gained valuable experience about creative team leadership.

Working in games, Joris spent long nights working on his animation reel, and finally broke into the industry as an animator.

Animation Apprentice Animals & Creatures 2017

Check out our latest Animals & Creatures Reel, featuring work by many of our talented students. Animators aren't just technicians, they are entertainers, and the job of the animator is not just to master the art of animal and creature locomotion, but to craft an interesting and compelling performance. Congratulations to Joris Van Laar, Lee Caller, Dave Novis, Celine Sakr, Ramakrishna Maccha and Victoria Bailey on their excellent animation.

Weight Lift Animation by Joris Van Laar

Check out this excellent piece of work by Animation Apprentice student Joris Van Laar, who has taken the familiar theme of a character lifting a heavy weight and turned it into an excellent and entertaining piece of character animation. As ever, here at Animation Apprentice we encourage all our students to think of themselves as actors giving a performance. It's not enough to learn the mechanics of animation - we also have to make our work entertaining and fun to watch. Many congratulations to Joris on some excellent pantomime animation.

Student Showcase: Follow-Through Animation by Joris Van Laar

Above is a short piece of animation showcasing follow-through and overlapping action - by one of our MA students, Joris Van Laar.  It's a lovely piece of work, simple but full of character and invention. Follow through and overlapping action together form part of the fundamental principles of animation, first set out in print by Disney legends Ollie Johnstone and Frank Thomas in their classic book "The Illusion of Life".

Awesome Animation by Joris Van Laar

We're enjoying this beautiful pantomime animation of a pro wrestler celebrating his victory by Animation Apprentice student Joris Van Laar.  Boris used the Norman rig (a very adaptable and dependable rig) for this shot, and used as his reference and inspiration the superb animation of "Spanish Buzz" by Pixar's Carlos Baena, on Toy Story 3.  Using other animator's work as a reference for your own shot is a great way to learn the art and craft of animation. Study the work of masters, and you can't help but get better yourself.