Animation Tutorial: The Wave Principle

How to animate using the wave principle. TVPaint is the animation program I use to make animation, but the technique can adapted to any program or animation style.

[katdrawz]

me : hmm i could do this...
(three hours of suffering)
me : This dosent even look like a tail

[pinkfluffy]

Once you learn this, suddenly, animating seems so much easier...

[sofiapagen]

Oh my god... thank you for making this video...

[babiiesketches]

One way I remember this is this: every part of the object/limb hits a certain high point before relaxing/ starting the loop over again.

[cludy_days]

Me: okay I'll watch this video and make a beautiful hair flow!
(Watches video and attemps)
Me: I'll just make them bald.

[sans_ified]

I'm a young self-thought artist and animator and i search about how to make smooth flows and when i saw this i learn how!
thank you gor this useful video you created uwu

(sorry for my bad spelling and grammar qwq)

[nicosmovingcastle]

Thank you so much! I loved this tutorial. Its "bite sized" length was nice and I like the fact that you actually explained a specific technique. Most animation tutorials say draw a line here, here and here but, you actually explained why and elaborated on how you can use the technique in different ways.

[ToriDaBat]

I literally cannot thank you enough for how much this helped me. For years I’ve been trying to figure out how to animate a tail, and today I finally did it. Thank you so much!!

[hi_imstillhere]

I’m a beginner animator and this helped a lot

[wingedrider]

I’ve watched this so many times a swear I’ve memorized everything you said.

[peterdewit]

Very nice. I would like to see you create a detailed tutorial of a waving flag. I understand what you say about the wave principle, but, as a beginner, it is very difficult to actually apply it when trying to animate, for example, a waving flag or a stormy sea. I am sure you could make a brilliant tutorial of such things.

[cinnamon]

woooah 0:46 it's so mesmerizing....

[dianasaurstudio]

Dang I needed this like 2 days ago when I was animating a tail! Now that I know the principles behind it the next time I do it, should be easier! Glad to have found your channel, subbed!

[roar_imscary]

I’m watching this because I’m making an animation of l’manburg and I can’t animate flags flowing. this actually really helped me! Thankyou :)

[owl-kingdom]

I set out on youtube for exactly this not knowing at all what it would be called. I'm so happy searching "wavy lines animation tutorial" brought me straight here to a video whose existence I accurately guessed at. Thank you!

[movedtotheothersoobwuferch]

This is the first tutorial I found about a year ago that showed me how to make a proper tail movement thank you so much for making this!

[SuperMisurino]

very good tutorial! Easy to understand and explains all the basic stuff!
I have been studying 2d anime and one of the first exercise I have done was a flag animation.

[PerplexiaX]

I got seasick from watching this... you're good!!! lol :-D

[its_nukatron]

Good stuff! I was looking to animate tentacles but with a restriction of 4 frames so thanks for that break-down of a wagging dog tail!

[lexmcdaniel]

this is such a perfect lesson!!!!

Thanks to this video, hundreds of my followers on DA LOVE my GIFS! they call them "so in depth", and "will feeling"!! Thanks so much for this vid!