Animal & Creature Tutorials at Our Vimeo Channel

Dragon animation cycle by Tim Golton

Our Vimeo Tutorial Channel is our main hub for our animation and VFX video tutorials, making it easier than ever for our students to find tutorials to support their classroom studies.   Tutorials include quadruped locomotion - walks, trot and runs, and also how to combine clips.  

Other tutorials show how to animate spiders, birds, dinosaurs and dragons - everything you need to master the art and craft of animal and creature animation. 

Animal and Creature Animation

Much of the animation industry in London focuses on realistic animal and creature work, achieving photo-real levels of quality. For example, the Disney re-make of The Lion King was made at MPC in London. Learning to animate animals and creatures is a core skill for all our animation students.

QUADRUPEDS - WALKS, TROTS & RUNS

How to Block Out and Plan Creature Animation

The theory behind blocking and planning creature animation by Alex Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeEn3smIcC8
Also see this blog post on planning and blocking creature animation. 

Quadruped Locomotion - Walks, Trots & Runs
Quadruped Walks, Trots & Runs with a low-poly sabre tooth tiger rig, by Maria Robertson
https://vimeo.com/album/5698554
Also read this blog post for more on quadruped locomotion.

Quadruped Transitions - Walks, Trots & Runs
Quadruped Transitions using the Sabre Tooth rig and the Maya Time Editor by Maria Robertson

https://vimeo.com/showcase/6551271
Also read this blog post on animating transitions.

Horse Walk, Trot & Run with Alex Williams

Horse Locomotion - Walks Trots & Runs (Maya 2012)
Horse Locomotion - Walks, Trots and Runs with Alex Williams
https://vimeo.com/showcase/6711043
Also read this blog post about horse locomotion, with rig suggestions. 

Horse Trot Tutorial - Maya 2020

Horse Trot Tutorial https://vimeo.com/826204782

Horse Trot Tutorial with Alexander Williams. 

https://vimeo.com/826204782

To see more about this tutorial, and find thumbnails (and learn how to download the Mothman TD rig, read this blog post. 

Horse Run Tutorial with Marc Stevenson

Horse run tutorial with Marc Stevenson

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxIzoEJ0jom14wxh6i0BI9aRxh3lhaRil

Also see this blog post:

https://escapestudiosanimation.blogspot.com/2021/09/horse-run-tutorial-with-marc-stevenson.html

Horse Run Tutorial with Alexander Williams - Maya 2020

Horse run tutorial with Alex Williams

To find the horse run tutorial with Alex Williams, follow the link below:

https://vimeo.com/showcase/10518751

Also see this blog post on how to animate a horse running, including thumbnails.

Animate a Horse Rearing Using Live Action Reference

Animated a horse rearing with Alex Williams

This video tutorial shows how to animate a horse rearing using live action reference, to create believable animation.

https://vimeo.com/showcase/8900385

With Alex Williams.

To see more, read this blog post here.

Leopard walk with Alex Williams

Quadruped Locomotion - Animating a Leopard Walk - Maya 2020

with Alexander Williams

Showcase: https://vimeo.com/showcase/8613093

To see more about animating the leopard walk, including information about the Truong CG rig, see this blog post. 

Putting Animals on a Path 

Putting animals on a path with Marc Stevenson

Putting animals on a path with Marc Stevenson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dw30wLf-X4&list=PLxIzoEJ0jom0YN5X8MIxQ19uK02h7OTeC&index=1

Also see this blog post on putting animals on a path.

Planning Animal and Creature Animation

To get started, see this blog post on Planning Animal & Creature Animation.

BUGS, SPIDERS, SCORPIONS & CRABS

Crab & Spider Locomotion

Six-legged crab animation by Maria Robertson
https://vimeo.com/showcase/6055339
For more on the crab animation, see this blog post

Spider Locomotion Tutorial with Alex Williams
https://vimeo.com/showcase/7543710

Spider locomotion tutorial using the free spider rig "Raa".
This tutorial by Alex williams explains how to animate a spider in motion using the free "Raa" spider rig, which you can read about here. You can download the Raa rig for free from HighEnd3D here.

Spider Locomotion Tutorial with Marc Stevenson

https://escapestudiosanimation.blogspot.com/2022/07/spider-locomotion-tutorial-with-marc.html

This tutorial by Marc Stevenson explains how to animate a spider in motion.

Crab "Mating Dance" using live action reference
Six-legged "Xye crab" mating dance animation by Maria Robertson 
https://vimeo.com/showcase/6191592
For more on the Xye crab animation tutorial, and where to find the parasite rig by Truong, see this blog post.

Animate a Scorpion

Animate a giant robot scorpion in motion with Alex Williams
https://vimeo.com/showcase/7266226

For more on animating a scorpion in motion, see this blog post.

Animate a Crab Scuttling

 Animate a Crab Scuttle,

Animate a crab scuttling underwater, and add caustics, with Alex Williams.

To get started with the crab scuttle, see this blog post.

Crab Scuttle Pt 1

https://vimeo.com/966470076

Crab Scuttle Pt 2 

https://vimeo.com/966471195

Crab Scuttle Pt 3

https://vimeo.com/966471941

DINOSAURS & DRAGONS

Dinosaur Locomotion

Dinosaur Walk Cycle by Alexander Williams
https://vimeo.com/album/5793283

For more on dinosaur animation, read this blog post.
Also see this blog post on dinosaurs and the animation of Jurassic World.

Dragon in flight tutorial
Dragon in flight tutorial by Jamie Floodgate
https://vimeo.com/showcase/6687324
The tutorial uses the free Jaemin Dragon rig by Truong, which can be downloaded here.

For more on how to animate dragons, read this blog post.


BUTTERFLIES & BIRDS

Butterfly Animation 
How to Animate Butterfies in Motion by Alexander Williams 
https://vimeo.com/album/5793287

Also read this blog post on Butterfly animation.

 

Bird in Flight Animation Tutorial
Crow in flight tutorial by Alexander Williams
https://vimeo.com/showcase/6218232
For more on animating birds in flight, see this blog post.  

Also see Brendan Body's web page on bird locomotion.

Marc Stevenson Flap Cycle Tutorial

Flap cycle with Marc Stevenson. This tutorials uses the "do one wing then cut and paste method".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kodwi0skziA&list=PLxIzoEJ0jom0gPY4zczEz3vPIBhsPgDku&index=2

FISH & UNDERWATER FX

Fish Swimming with Alex Williams

Learn to animate a fish swimming with Alexander Williams. To find out more - and see a step-by-step lesson plan, read this blog post.  You can find the free video tutorial here. 

Fish Swimming with Marc Stevenson

Learn to animate a fish swimming with Marc Stevenson. To find out more, see this blog post. 

Submarine & Caustics with Alex Williams

Learn to animate a Submarine underwater with caustics with Alex Williams (beginner tutorial). 

VEHICLES

Vehicle Animation Tutorial  
Cartoony Yellow Beetle tutorial by Alexander Williams
https://vimeo.com/album/5793289
For more on animating vehicles, including rig notes, read this blog post.

Animate a Car to a Sudden Stop

Animate a car to a sudden stop with Alexander Williams. 

Vimeo Channel

You can find the rest of our Vimeo Tutorials at the main Vimeo Channel page here.

Animal & Creature Animation Resources

"Xye Crab" mating dance by Maria Robertson

To see more resources on how to animate animals and creatures, follow the links below:

• How to Plan Character & Creature Animation
• Leopard Walk Tutorial at Vimeo
• Spider Animation Workshop
• How to film animals and creatures for live action reference
• Ziva muscle systems tutorial with Michael Davies
• Scorpion Animation Tutorial at Vimeo with Alex Williams
• Horse Animation Tutorials at Vimeo with Alex Williams
• Horse Run Tutorial with Marc Stevenson
• Dragon in Flight Tutorial with Jamie Floodgate
• Quadruped Transitions with Maria Robertson
  
• Bird in Flight Tutorial with Marc Stevenson
• Putting Animals on a Path with Marc Stevenson

The Escape Studios Animation Blog offers a personal view on the art of animation and visual effects. To apply for our BA/MArt in 3D Animation, follow this link.