So I gave the walk animation another go tonight and this time it was even tougher! I seem to have the most trouble with keeping the proportions consistent over time. I created a more complex character than my last one so I had a lot of trouble keeping the oval head shape consistent. What I think I may have improved on a little is the motion and timing of the walk.
The biggest problem is that you can see his proportions distort to all heck as he goes. I understand now why animators do model sheets. You really need to know your character and be able to draw him consistently. I only designed this guy tonight so I had to refer to my camera many times to remember his shape.
I am learning a lot as I go and I think I’m going to continue this practice for a couple more days. What I think I will do for tomorrow is create guides, cut out from card stock, to help keep things like head shape and body width consistent. Those two factors are the main weaknesses in this little animation test, in my opinion.