ABSTRACT
As a warm-up, let’s explore the notion of anticipation. With any main animated action there’s almost invariably a moment just preceeding it when the movement goes in the opposite direction. For example, if a character jumps into the air, there is often a move (anticipation) downward before he or she jumps upward. This applies to most of our real-world actions to some extent, which will need to be exaggerated significantly in animation if it is to work convincingly. This exaggeration is particularly noticeable in classical cartoon animation, especially traditional Warner Brothers animation. Therefore, for this first exercise you should study and draw an appropriate pose for a real person about to hammer a nail into a piece of wood. When you have done this, observe what happens just before he or she hits the nail. Draw that position next to the first one on the next blank page. (Take no more than 2-3 minutes to complete both drawings.)
