01-18-2014, 06:05 AM
Ha, not a stupid question at all! But kinda hard to answer XD
It depends on exactly what you're studying, my idea is to analyze the shape design that's working in a body part draw it in different position, trying to achieve the same effect. In that arm drawing I was studying for example, I noticed there's a rhythm of convex curse getting progressively smaller: the arm, the palm, and the pinky. The other fingers are a continuation of the rhythm of the other side of the arm and the way they're facing is opposite of the pinky finger, giving visual variety. You find little rules like those and try to make them work for you.
There could be an infinite amount of detail in any drawing, but good animation artists know where to keep the drawing simple to make the eye flow how they want, and where to place features so they have the maximum variety of large and small shapes, and how to show just a little bit of something so the viewer can tell what it is but not be distracted by it if it's not important to the pose.
It depends on exactly what you're studying, my idea is to analyze the shape design that's working in a body part draw it in different position, trying to achieve the same effect. In that arm drawing I was studying for example, I noticed there's a rhythm of convex curse getting progressively smaller: the arm, the palm, and the pinky. The other fingers are a continuation of the rhythm of the other side of the arm and the way they're facing is opposite of the pinky finger, giving visual variety. You find little rules like those and try to make them work for you.
There could be an infinite amount of detail in any drawing, but good animation artists know where to keep the drawing simple to make the eye flow how they want, and where to place features so they have the maximum variety of large and small shapes, and how to show just a little bit of something so the viewer can tell what it is but not be distracted by it if it's not important to the pose.