A bouncing ball study is often one of the first things an animator learns since it’s able to offer an understanding of timing, squash and stretch, and arcs, some of the 12 animation principles. Timing is honed through the creation of the ball’s ascent and descent. Squash and stretch are key as the ball compresses upon impact and elongates during ascent, imparting a tactile sense of weight and indicating the material the ball is made of. The study also relies on smooth, curved arcs in the ball’s trajectory to emulate the physics of the bounce.
As a game animator, I am very used to using layering in my animations, since It’s very quick and actions often rely on motion distinct by body part- arms doing combat while the legs need to be able to run in eight directions, for example. Therefore for this animation, I wanted to work in a pose-to-pose method, since it’s entirely out of my wheelhouse. I still find it difficult but I think it’s important for me to learn.
