Recommended Rigs - "Monty" The Green Pea

One of the many rigs that we recommend for student use in the early stages of learning animation is the Monty Rig, created back in 2007 by the very talented Raveen Rajadorai, and free for download at CreativeCrash.com

Monty is a simple character who is described by his creator as "a simple ball with legs. You can control his eyebrows, eyes and do squash and stretch on him".  We would also add that he's very cute, easy to learn, you can easily change his colour and he looks very nice wearing a hat.

Like most rigs, Monty has his quirks. So, how can animators get the most out of the Monty rig?

Animate Dialogue with Monty: "I'm Outta Here!"

Monty: "I'm Outta Here!" 

In the simple animation tutorial below we show how to animate a character with no mouth saying a line of dialogue.  

But how can you animate dialogue and lipsync - with no lips?  The answer is - it's all in the performance.  If the body language is working, then the audience will believe that the character is speaking - even if it has no mouth. 

Animate a Feminine Walk with "Monty"

Exaggerated Feminine Walk with "Monty"

One thing every animator needs to learn is how to animate a character walk.  In this basic tutorial, we show how to take a "plain vanilla" walk using the marvellous "Monty" rig (free for download from highend3d.com) and make Monty walk in a feminine way, like a model on a catwalk.   

The video tutorial is recorded in Autodesk Maya, and is aimed at animation beginners. 

Animate a Slow, Sad Walk with "Monty"

Animate a sad walk with "Monty"

One thing every animator needs to learn is how to animate a character walk. In our newest tutorial, we show how to take a "plain vanilla" walk using the marvellous "Monty" rig (free for download from Creative Crash) and make Monty sad and depressed - with just a few clicks.  

The video tutorial is recorded in Autodesk Maya, and is aimed at animation beginners. 

Animate a "Take" Reaction with "Monty"

Animate a "take" with Monty

In this tutorial, we show how to animate a reaction shot, or "take" with Monty.  Reaction shots are the bread-and-butter of junior animators. On a feature film, once you have graduated from walk cycles and crowd shots, you get given reaction shots to test your skills.

A reaction shot is where animators first start to get to grips with acting and performance.  Just like live-action actors, animated characters on a screen must listen - and react.

Animate a Walk Cycle "On the Spot" with Monty

Monty goes for a stroll

We've uploaded a new series of video tutorials on how to animate a walk, using the marvellous "Monty" rig, free for download from Creative Crash.

There are four video tutorials of just under ten minutes, showing step by step how to animate a walk cycle, animating the walk "on the spot" on a treadmill, then adding a forward translation on the World Control to have Monty move through his environment.  

The videos are recorded in Autodesk Maya, and are aimed at animation beginners. 

Animate a Sneeze with Monty

Animate a sneeze with Monty

In this beginner animation tutorial, we show how to animate a sneeze with Monty, the green pea.

A sneeze is an explosion of air, so we want a big anticipation, and then a big sneeze. 

If you have time, attach a hat to Monty's head, and animate it flying up in the air, spinning and landing again (you will need the Parentmaster plugin for this).

Animate an "Angry Walk" With "Monty"

Angry Walk with Monty by William Thomas

One thing every animator needs to learn is how to animate a character walk. In our latest tutorial, we show how to take a "plain vanilla" walk using the marvellous "Monty" rig (free for download from Creative Crash) and make Monty angry and grumpy - with just a few clicks.

The video tutorial is recorded in Autodesk Maya, and is aimed at animation beginners. 

Animate Dialogue with "Monty" - "Smokin!"

Monty: "Smokin!"

In the simple animation tutorial below we show how to animate a character with no mouth ("Monty") speaking a line of dialogue.  

But how can you animate dialogue and lipsync - with no lips?  The answer is - it's all in the acting and the performance. 

 

If the body language is working, then the audience will believe that the character is speaking - even if the character itself has no mouth. 

Animate a "Sneaky Walk" with Monty

Sneaky Monty

In the video tutorial below we show how to animate a sneaky walk with "Monty" the green pea.

To complete the tutorial, first start with a Basic Walk with "Monty" - which you can learn how to do here.

Then, as with our other character walks tutorials, adapt the basic walk to give it character and personality - in this case a "sneak". 

Animate "Monty" Doing Riverdance

Animate "Monty" Riverdance

We've uploaded a new animation tutorial - how to animate a character dancing. The tutorial shows how to employ live action reference, and uses the free Monty rig, which you can read about here.  

The purpose of the tutorial is to learn how to import live action reference footage into Maya and use it to create believable animation.  You can find the tutorial, which is free for all our students, at our Vimeo Channel.

Animate a Run Cycle with "Monty"

"Monty" runs for the bus

In this beginner's tutorial we show how to animate a simple, basic run cycle with "Monty". 

The tutorial uses the excellent "Monty" rig (which you can read about here), and which you can download for free from highend3d.com. 

Every animator should know how to animate a basic walk and a run cycle - these are the "scales" of the animator's skillset.  

Animate "Monty" Singing "Oh Yeah"

"Monty" sings "Ohhh Yeahhh". 

In the simple animation tutorial we show how to animate a character with no mouth ("Monty") singing a line of dialogue.  

But how can you animate dialogue and lipsync - with no lips?  The answer is - it's all in the performance.  If the body language is working, then the audience will believe that the character is speaking - even if the character itself has no mouth.  

In this tutorial we animate "Monty" saying (well, singing) a line of dialogue - "Ohhh Yeahhh". 

Cartoony Mad Scramble Run and Exit with Monty

Cartoony run and smear frame exit with Monty

In this new animation tutorial we show how to animate a cartoony run and smear frame exit with Monty, the green pea.  

It's a simple tutorial aimed at animation beginners, and covers runs, jumps and smear frames.  We'll also need to do some attaches and parenting (for Monty's hat) basic lighting in Arnold and learn how to add motion blur to the final render.

Animate a Military Walk With "Monty"

Monty "goose-stepping"

One thing every animator needs to learn is how to animate a character walk.  In this latest tutorial, we show how to take a basic walk cycle using the "Monty" rig (free for download from highend3d.com) and make Monty march like a goose-stepping soldier on a parade ground.  

The video tutorial is recorded in Autodesk Maya, and is aimed at animation beginners. 

Animate a "Manly Walk" with "Monty"

Cowboy walk with Monty

One thing every animator needs to learn is how to animate a character walk. In our latest tutorial, we show how to take a "plain vanilla" walk using the "Monty" rig (free for download from Creative Crash) and make Monty walk in a masculine way - with just a few clicks.

The video tutorial is recorded in Autodesk Maya, and is aimed at animation beginners. 

Animate a Simple Head Turn with "Monty"

Animate a simple head turn with "Monty"

In this basic tutorial for animation beginners we show how to animate a simple head turn with a basic character - Monty the Green Pea, who you can read about (and download) here.  

The idea is to learn how to do a basic head turn without making it stiff and lifeless - dip the head slightly on the turn, and also close the eyes - everyone blinks when they turn their head. 

"Double Bounce Walk" With "Monty"

"Double Bounce" walk by William Thomas

Every animator needs to learn how to animate a character walk.  

In this simple tutorial, we show how to take a "plain vanilla" walk using the marvellous "Monty" rig (free for download from Creative Crash) and give it a sunny, upbeat "Double Bounce" with just a few clicks.  

The video tutorial is recorded in Autodesk Maya, and is aimed at animation beginners. 

Animate a Jump with "Monty"

In this simple Locomotion and Mechanics Tutorial we show how to animate a jump with a simple character, using the "Monty" rig, free for download at HighEnd3D.com.  

The idea is to get a basic jump working, that feels fluid and believable, with weight and balance. You can read more about the Monty rig and how to use it here. The tutorial is aimed at animation beginners in Autodesk Maya. 

How to Troubleshoot Animation Curves in Maya

In this brief animation tutorial, aimed at animators learning Maya for the first time, we show how to troubleshoot your curves in Maya, using some simple animation with Monty The Green Pea.  Maya's Graph Editor is confusing at first, but after a while it becomes the animator's best friend. When you first learn animation, you will find bumps and clicks in your work, which can be hard to diagnose and fix. Slowly, over time, it becomes clear how to find the curve that is causing the trouble - and fix it.