Disney Animator Demos Character Animation Basics

One of the earliest exercises I learned as an animation student was the "Flour Sack Test". It taught me how to get character, emotion, and story into my animation. Here is a quick demonstration...

*** Subscribe to My Channel for More Art & Animation Videos: ***

============================
Like my work? Follow me for More:
============================

*** Find More Art Lessons and Tutorials at my Website: ***

Watch MORE episodes:

Painting Rajah from "Aladdin" in Photoshop:

Creating Textures with Photoshop Texture Brushes:

Time Lapse Painting “Nubian Warriors”:

============================
About Aaron Blaise:
============================

Aaron Blaise is an animation feature film director and wildlife artist.

For 21 years Aaron worked with Disney helping to create some of the greatest animated films ever made. During that time he worked as an animator or supervising animator on "The Rescuers Down Under", "Beauty and the Beast", "Aladdin", "The Lion King", "Pocahontas", "Mulan" and more.

In 2003 he was co-director of "Brother Bear" for which he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature Film.

[davve]

I just wanted to say, you really inspire me to animate more. Thanks dude.

[djane]

The flour sack really makes me think of the Carpet in Aladin.

[ViralKiller]

I like how you turn the pages, those are some oldskool techniques right there

[smileyartz]

15:38
“Animation is not about moving things on paper, it’s about bringing character’s to life” -Aaron Blaise

Now that’s a quote I’ll hold dearly in my life’s dream! I hope I can be an animator in any way possible! A hobby, part time or full time I’ma make it up to my goal no matter what position I am, because that’s what I call determination with a bit of gusto.

[whatwherewhenwhy]

This one is a treasure, "Don't think about how you are moving it, think about the life you are giving it and that will determine the movement". - Legendary animator Aaron Blaise

[MariskaHargitay-]

Hey Aaron, very cool video, your talent is immense!
Sort of an odd connection, but you worked with my uncle Bob Walker on Brother Bear. He never really shared much of what he does, and having discovered your videos it’s cool getting a sense of what he did as our family is very proud of him.
Lastly I’d just like to say that he spoke very highly of you, some of the few stories I heard from him about his time working on brother bear, almost always mentioned you.
My dad and I look at your Facebook page all the time, your art is very appreciated.
cheers from Ottawa, Canada.

[teonnakatz]

Did the flour sack test, I want to say I didn't like doing it but don't regret doing it

[zenqbea]

So he posts this just as my art class starts and idk which to pay attention to cause they’re both doing animation based stufff

[nicolyro]

I'm taking an animation course. and this week the teacher spent this exercise. and then you post this video reinforcing what he said. Thank you very much

[Angels-xist]

Simple straightforward stuff like this really makes it easier to start thinking about connections. For instance if you look up how to animate a bouncing ball you will learn about how filling up the frames between the major moments is different based on the speed of what’s happening and that’s going to be different whether or not the subject has control of it’s own physics and from there you can build on other physical ideas. Who doesn’t love this guy?

[AClockworkKitten]

I’m in my mid twenties and have always been anxious about learning animation. But you make it look so approachable and I’m eager to learn everything that I can thanks to you.

So thank you!

[stormlord]

I have been trying to learn figure drawing the past couple of weeks, and it has been a frustrating experience. Each hour of practice required at least half an hour of break. And yet, here I am experimenting on my own, striking poses in the mirror and then trying to imagine a sack of flour doing it. So much fun! Thank you SO much for sharing this video!

[avatheartcup]

I'm currently in an animation class, and this is helping me out a lot! Thank you!

[midgift]

Fascinating. Even this flowersac proves that Aaron worked for Disney

[KayGreylai]

Im not an animator but just the emotion youre abke to express in the sack of flour has prickled a desire to draw again for the first time in a couple years...
Thankyou. Id lost this part of myself and I think I know how to get back my identity as an artist now.

[amberbobamber]

The way he runs off is so funny to me. 😂

This was such a valuable demonstration! Thank you so much!

[ericrogal]

Mr. Blaise, I can’t tell you just how inspiring and fun you make art to be, not just in animation and character design, but all aspects of art. Your videos, wisdom and experience truly make every one of your vids a gem for any and every kind of artist. Thank you and all that you do! You will be remembered for a long time just like one of the Nine Old Men. Period.

[kioku]

I'm now thinking the animators for Carpet in Aladin must have been having art school flash backs to the flour sack exercise! ; p

[snofixart]

I can't thank you more.
You're doing great work...
You are my mentor.

[Trinigmatic]

I'm in a Graphic Design degree program and I'm supposed to be completing an assignment, but I keep getting distracted by animation and finding this channel has COMPLETELY taken me off onto a whole other tangent! I love it! I'll get back to my assignment in a minute. I still have 20 hours to finish it. Lol!