Animation Study Guides
Practical, frame-by-frame guides to studying animation reference — combat, reactions, locomotion and acting — with clips from the library embedded in every article.
Run Cycle & Locomotion Animation Reference from Real Games
Contact, down, passing, up: a practical guide to studying run and walk cycles from shipped games, and what to look for in each key pose when you scrub frame by frame.
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Hit Reaction Animation Reference: Making Impacts Feel Heavy
Impacts sell the fight. Learn to study hit reactions frame by frame: the snap, the stagger, the recovery — and why the first two frames matter more than everything after.
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Sword Animation Reference: How to Study Blade Combat Frame by Frame
What separates a floaty sword swing from one that feels lethal? A practical guide to studying sword animation reference: anticipation, smears, contact frames and follow-through.
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Smear Frames in 3D Animation: Maya and Blender Guide
Smear frames give fast 3D motion an authored silhouette that motion blur cannot match. A practical Maya and Blender guide to blendshapes, lattices, and multi-limbs.
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Photoshop Frame by Frame Animation Plugin: Real Options
Photoshop's native Timeline handles basic 1s and 2s, onion skinning, and GIF exports. Here is when to buy a plugin, when to stay native, and why dedicated reference tools beat both.
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