Exaggeration in animation: a wave, then a cartoon wave
Exaggeration is one of the 12 principles of animation: an action pushed further than life, so it reads at once and from far away. It is not distortion for its own sake. A real wave on a small screen is easy to miss; the same wave with the arm thrown higher and the hand swung wider says hello before anyone has time to wonder what it is.
In this lesson you make one wave twice in the Forge's move maker, with the same keys at the same times: once as a person really waves, then pushed further, the arm right up and the hand swung three times as far. Sunny does both in a cartoon, one after the other, so you can judge how far is far enough. It takes about fifteen minutes.
1. Open the editor
Go to jabbertoon.com/editor/. This is the one editor: Cartoon, World, Game and Forge are its tabs along the top.
2. Go to the Forge
Press Forge at the top. The Forge is where things are made: characters, things, lands and moves.
3. Wave 1: a new move
Press New move. This one is a wave as a person really waves.
4. Wave 1: the arm
Under Pick a part, press right arm.
5. Wave 1: when it is up
Press Later until the playhead says 0.3 s: three presses.
6. Wave 1: up
Move the Turn slider to 100. The arm rises out to the side, a little above the shoulder.
7. Wave 1: the hand
Press right forearm. The forearm carries the hand.
8. Wave 1: one way
Move the Turn slider to 20.
9. Wave 1: the other way
Press Later until it says 0.6 s: three presses.
10. Wave 1: swing back
Move the Turn slider to -20.
11. Wave 1: and again
Press Later until it says 0.9 s: three presses.
12. Wave 1: swing once more
Move the Turn slider to 20. The hand swings side to side, twice.
13. Wave 1: its name
Click The move's name, delete “My move” and type Real wave.
14. Wave 1: keep it
Press Use it. Real wave is kept in 🎒 My moves.
15. Wave 2: a new move
Press New move again. This one is the same wave, pushed further.
16. Wave 2: the arm
Under Pick a part, press right arm.
17. Wave 2: when it is up
Press Later until the playhead says 0.3 s: three presses.
18. Wave 2: up
Move the Turn slider to 170. The arm goes right up, as high as it reaches.
19. Wave 2: the hand
Press right forearm. The forearm carries the hand.
20. Wave 2: one way
Move the Turn slider to 60.
21. Wave 2: the other way
Press Later until it says 0.6 s: three presses.
22. Wave 2: swing back
Move the Turn slider to -60.
23. Wave 2: and again
Press Later until it says 0.9 s: three presses.
24. Wave 2: swing once more
Move the Turn slider to 60. The hand sweeps from side to side, three times as far.
25. Wave 2: its name
Click The move's name, delete “My move” and type Cartoon wave.
26. Wave 2: keep it
Press Use it. Cartoon wave is kept in 🎒 My moves.
27. To the cartoon
Press Cartoon at the top.
28. Bring in Sunny
Press Add a character. The characters you can bring in are shown.
29. Sunny on the stage
Press Sunny. Sunny stands on the stage.
30. Sunny's moves
In the list, In this world, press Sunny. Sunny's buttons appear over Sunny on the stage.
31. Do
Press Do. The moves Sunny can do are on the right, in kinds.
32. Your moves
Press My moves. Both waves are there.
33. The real one
Press Real wave. Sunny waves as anyone might.
34. On Sunny's row
Press Put it on Sunny's row. The list stays open for the next one.
35. The cartoon one
Press Cartoon wave. Sunny waves with the whole arm.
36. After it
Press Put it on Sunny's row. The cartoon wave goes after the real one.
37. Watch them both
Press Watch. The real wave is easy to miss on a small stage. The cartoon wave, the same move pushed further, reads from across the room: that is exaggeration.
Try it yourself
- In between. Make a third wave between the two, the arm at 140 and the hand swung 40 each way, and watch all three: which one reads best on your stage is the one to use.
- Exaggerate the timing too. Put the cartoon wave's keys closer together, 0.2 s apart: it becomes frantic, a wave across a busy platform.
- Exaggerate the jump. In the jump lesson, sink the body to −30 and send it up to 90: deeper anticipation and a bigger leap, a cartoon jump.
The real wave is not wrong: a quiet scene may need it. Exaggeration is a choice, made for the audience at the back.