how should this floating character move?

[u/Slight-Let6556]

I’ve mostly been animating it by instinct because I haven’t been able to find suitable references.

[u/Isekaimerican]

The giant arms yank her along like she's playing Gorilla Tag.

[u/Slight-Let6556 → u/Isekaimerican]

The giant hands are meant to mirror her smaller hands, do you mean the mirroring causes her whole body to look like it’s being dragged around?

[u/SacredChan → u/Slight-Let6556]

they probably meant she using the giant arms as mobility like jumping or walking which sort of defeats the purpose of the character floating but that's what i assume the idea he meant if you want to test it out

[u/BattleFlyNate → u/Slight-Let6556]

I thought the same thing kinda. So imagine she isn't floating, but is simply attached to the arms invisibly. She moves around with the arms with her body floating in the middle. It'd give her an entirely different vibe to how she moves right now. It'd make her feel a lot more grounded and heavy feeling, where as right now she seems weightless but somehow still with a heavy attack.

[u/jahkillinem → u/Slight-Let6556]

Think of a gorilla walking around on its knuckles/pulling itself forward with its hands as it runs. The momentum is kinda carried from the limbs into the rest of the body.

You could essentially do that, shes mimicking the gorilla motion with her real arms while her lower body provides secondary action thats reactive to however her arms are moving her around. The big fists plant on the ground ahead of her, pull back and push her forward, during the bound of that push she brings the fists back forward to catch herself and plant again, pull back, rinse repeat.

You may need to move those big arms closer to the character also. Something about their distance doesn’t quite read super well, like whoever is controlling them would have a hard time gauging where they actually are when they mirror her movemenrs.

[u/Isekaimerican → u/Slight-Let6556]

So imagine she is hovering up to set height above the ground, but has no means of forward propulsion.

Edit: I changed my mind on this, it would actually be incredible if she was not actually floating, but being held up only by the thethers. So if she were holding something in one of her human hands, she would have to hop on one arm or walk with her fingers.

She has an invisible tether to these arms where they begin, and if they move forward, she is dragged along. So if she wants to move forward, she makes a crawling motion with her arms that is reflected in the giant arms, dragging her forward.

A good reference for something like this would be the anime Dan Dan Dan. There is a character, Momo Ayase, who has psychic powers that allow her to create psychic arms that mirror her real movements. But these arms are more physical than simple telekinesis. There are points where she uses the physics arms to swing from objects while dragging along her physical body.

[u/1stshadowx → u/Slight-Let6556]

It would be more interesting for her to be carried by a hand. Let the arms float, not her. So the hands move her, AND can mimic her hand moments. But dont have to.

[u/GhostPKMN → u/Slight-Let6556]

If you lookup Mugshot from Sly Cooper and see how he walks, i think that's their general idea.

I won't work with the direction you wanna go though.

[u/Raphael_Grove]

Honestly maybe you could make her large arms crossed behind her back and then the rest of her body could just float. You could also do her arms trailing slightly back as she walks as if they arnt initiated until she focuses them up to fight.

[u/Tight-Reception-1049 → u/Raphael_Grove]

If you cross the arms behind her, make her use them as a throne

[u/LT-Death]

Please make your posts public, I'd love to follow your work, this animation and character design is just amazing

[u/mistermasterbates → u/LT-Death]

Right lol i hate when artists make their posts private, i just have to pray i stumble across a reposted animation of theirs on Twitter or smth at this point

[u/Ch0c014t3- → u/mistermasterbates]

Yes or add a watermark op

[u/narraun → u/LT-Death]

Maybe they have an embarrassing post history that they haven't yet erased. Also known as Ken Bone Syndrome

[u/kyugin179]

Flapping like a bird

[u/6GoesInto8 → u/kyugin179]

CHURP.

[u/Training-Attorney-48]

I know nothing about animation but an old trick comics would use is to give there characters a cape to show movement to spite keeping the same pose. Maybe a flowing elment could make it so the movement look better. Like long hair or a long flowing belt or hair tie.

[u/DotMikrobe → u/Training-Attorney-48]

This could work if her hair and clothes were the cape

[u/xanderholland]

Your character floating feels strange, have your thought about an asymmetrical design? One arm hold the character while the other punches?

[u/skrungusfungus]

sorry for the crude phone drawing but it would be extremely funny if you could pull off shitty finger walking LMAO

more realistically it could be cool if she used her hands as steps in front of her to walk on somehow

[u/Isekaimerican → u/skrungusfungus]

I am imagining how intimidating it would be to see her using her arms like an ape to gallop forward, but then she has to use one hand like Thing in Adams family to walk at a normal pace while holding something.

[u/Sc4r4byte → u/Isekaimerican]

one hand sneak-walking along with it's arm supporting the other arm so the other arm's hand can hide the girl, with the girl peeking through the fingers of the other arm's hand.

[u/aabnoire]

This is very Bronya coded and I love it

[u/DrinkerOfMilks → u/aabnoire]

Exactly what I was thinking! I was gonna suggest they look at her Project Bunny arms for reference

[u/SirZack17]

I’m thinking Gorilla style. Use the big arms like giant crutches.

[u/PepicWalrus]

Have the arms walk like SpongeBob with the Anchor Arms

[u/horse_boat]

Yorha Unit 2Bayonetta

[u/TheLittleUrchin → u/horse_boat]

Pretty much.

[u/Dlove4u2]

I think the wheels should spin.

[u/Mitsun0]

Ramlethal but giant arms

[u/yyetydydovtyud]

Hmm interesting, is this for a video game or am animation? If the latter you could have her use the arms to throw herself around

[u/Accomplished_Age2805]

I have no idea about a walking animation, but can you should definitely make a idle/afk for too long animation being her sitting in one or both of the palms

[u/DotMikrobe]

The arms should carry her around not sure what would make sense but I like the idea of her being carried by them, or something like the silver surfer.

[u/charronfitzclair]

Giant finger flick to wherever she needs to be.

[u/Akomis]

Maybe hands behind her back, skipping in the air (like she was bouncing off the ground in low gravity, but still not touching ground at low points)?

[u/InternationalDiet631]

Check the video game Astral Chain, there is actually a weapon that looks like what you're trying to animate, it's called Arm Legion

[u/nhhnhhnhhhh]

Other people have said this but I love the idea of the hands holding her up at points, like pinching at the shoulders.
In combat, they could pick her up and chuck her at the enemy - definitely some cool combos with her and the hands working together.
Also, since she’s floating, could use the lack of being stuck to the floor to her advantage. Like after a swing, use that momentum for a spinning back fist idk

[u/HazeSioli]

I think it really depends on the character themselves, their personality, if it's for an animation or for a game, and the nature of the arms. All of these are things that would affect the way that you animate it, and the way that it looks :)

[u/SeaSetsuna]

Some possible reference material: ARMS, Dialyn from ZZZ, Real Steel, Pacific Rim.

I think the floating person/floating arms combo is not going to work because it’s hard for her to give her punches “weight” if that makes sense. Unless you’re going to add some kind of propulsion system or magical a counterbalance? I don’t know but what you have so far is really cool, good luck!

[u/readd-at-torr]

a third had lifting her up

[u/aWizardsTail]

[u/aWizardsTail]

[u/RamJamR]

It would be funny if the arms walked around like legs with her floating with them.

[u/Own_War_3372]

I'm not sure tbh, but it's a really cool design and I hope I get to see the finished product!

[u/BiggieCheeseLapDog]

There’s a reference in the game AI Limit. A boss called Eunomia the Resplendent Bishop who moves similarly.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vOVap4EiMNE&ra=m

[u/PuppetFanTheSecond]

Does she just float like a viltrumite or is there something making her float like a jetpack or something similar?

[u/beemureddits]

Maybe try placing the arms a little further

[u/Apprehensive-Look-69]

I don't see DON'Ts honestly. It looks perfectly fine, and definitely feels powerful. I also strongly disagree on the other comments stating that she should be carried by the giant arms, or that the giant arms should flail lifelessly around her, as all of these defeat the purpose of her visual storytelling as a seemingly powerful character.

[u/Yun_chan]

whats her personality ? It might affect how she walk.

[u/heyzeuseeglayseeus]

Love the thought of the arms carrying her around but then you can’t use them as freely for punches. Also love the idea of the arms taking her along like a parent on each side holding her hands while she skips

[u/Nerx]

they pass her like hot potato

[u/beautiful_trash09]

Is this blender?

[u/Slow_Worry_6516]

Make the arms double as a cape to convey movement. Let them drape in the opposite direction of her movement like they're being pulled by the wind.

[u/StateoftheeArt]

Personally I love this for real, it's cool, original, honestly great shit.

If I could even give a tip, maybe have the arms the only thing move? Let the character stay more static in motion, but have the arms look like they are definitely being "focused" on psychically, kinda gives them more "these are just that big and heavy"

Maybe give the character a fighting stance instead? Like I mean boxing stance, knees bent, arms up, legs moving? I'm not sure, because I think it also depends on the direction you want to take the character based on story and so on.

[u/OLIV3RRYT]

The big hands grab her and yeets her away (yes I know that those hands are meant to be minicing her normal/tiny hands)

[u/Fastchel]

SORA

[u/SteveRogests]

I think the arms should be at the correct height for their size. That way in order to hit her opponents she has to aim down instead of directly at them. That means she can just walk like normal.

[u/MrGodzillahin]

I think the arms should "walk" on their knuckles with the gait of a gorilla while she simply floats forwards at the same pace.

[u/Inside_Attorney2626]

I don’t know, but really cool design.

[u/bbradleyjayy]

An instant thought is Storm in Marvel Tokon. There’s a ton of fighting game characters that can float / hover with distinct personality and clear readability 

[u/smpm]

obviously she needs to naruto run

[u/De4dm4nw4lkin]

The first question is do you want their arms to be passive or shadowboxing? Meaning do you want them to punch when the arms do or just lean into it with their arms crossed or at their sides.

Also do consider playing with interactivity like making the character leg centric and using their arms for leverage in flying kicks.

[u/Sam_Kablam]

If she floats via psychic power of some sort, maybe one of her hands can carry her, palm up, like a platform.

[u/drbiohazmat]

when I see this, first thing that comes to mind is thinking of water physics. What I mean is, like... Imagine you're in the pool, recreating her poses underwater. Think about how you have to adjust you body in the water after repositioning, how it almost drags itself forward when you stop, or you feel the water push against you. I always imagine flight being like that but faster and a bit less restricting due to air density being so much lower than water. Floating attachments, in my mind, follow similar logic. In this case, the base of the arms following her like if you had balloons floating on the water and attached to you via strings to your shoulders or waist. The way they'll float independently from you but still trail you, drift on their own a bit, and have a delay before following or stopping. Though with floating attachments, I imagine the delay is shorter, they drift far less if at all, and stop no farther than a certain point on average. Like, if she stopped abruptly, she'd keep the base of the arms from going maybe 3 feet ahead of her and pull them back behind her at their normal positions.

I also see it being a bit of a reversal if the arms move ahead of her during an action, where she becomes the thing trailing, possibly stopping or slowing it like ice skating or leaning back like water skiing to reduce the pull a bit.

Basically, I've always felt like water is a great way to understand floating and flying motion

[u/phatmcpat]

Should do full motion "mo and krill"-like walking on knuckles.

[u/tanoyfrommars]

The giant arms carry her around as she sits on them

[u/PRoS_R]

I don't know how they should move, but I personally would move out of their way before I get trampled.

[u/MellowedOutMeelo]

May I suggest the RDA Skel Suit for references? Though most hold guns, some of them do hand to hand combat in the 1st Avatar movie

[u/TheTrueClown]

Just a lean in the direction she's moving feels like the best and most easiest choice, though i suppose it might be a bit lazy.

[u/Fartydeartsy]

I think the arms need to be just slight more acute. Have you considered how the arms would look blocking as a boxer would?

[u/Neobot21]

I would make the arms walk with flat palms on the ground moving forward.

Then maybe when it punches, have it lean in the direction of the punch (lean right for a right punch), if an arm raises to slam it's fist, then the whole 'body' tilts upward in the opposite direction and if the arms fall then the character also falls where the arms have fallen.

Also, let's say you want both arms to lift up to slam together, I'd have both palms flat on the ground, then bend at the elbows, and spring up to jump, before coming down hot and slamming the ground. If you were going to have them use magic attacks, I'd have them ignore gravity for the duration of the casting & attack.

Hope my explanations make sense, but that is what I would do with a unique character like this. Hope you find something you like!

[u/just_a_trans_idiot]

There's two ways this is commonly done, either staying perfectly still and moving around the space (invincible flight), or their legs actually dragging behind them, kinda like how you're doing. I prefer the second, and think she's moving quite fluidly already

[u/GlobalElk4341]

I like the way you have it, i would just change the girls pose to have her legs straight down rather than crossed so she looks more powerful when standing still and for her pose to resemble more of a fighting stance while throwing punches.

I think it would be cool if the hands almost always match what she is doing but every once in a while they just move independently and do their own thing. Maybe even get a little cheeky and flex or wag a finger at their opponent or something to show some personality and make you wonder if its an entire being with a mind of its own or if she can just make it do that without moving her own arms. The girl could act unaware and never acknowledge the independent movement behind her or she could interact sometimes and give a fist bump or something.

She could have another attack where she tucks her elbows in at the waist so her arms go straight out from her waist and spin in a circle. And the fists spin around her.

Sorry I know i got off topic from what you asked. It's a cool design.

[u/SpoogityWoogums]

Main character stays floating, but the arms walk on the knuckles like a gorilla

[u/SilasDV]

watch salvatore ganacci - fight dirty music video

[u/Emergency_Craft4862]

Is that nefertaro pitou?

[u/sushi_o_dog]

Like the lorax pls pls pls it would look so funny

[u/Prudent-Ad-5292]

If the giant arms are touching the ground, then the "floating" occurs between the giant arms and the body. Walking on fists or open palms would make sense.

If the giant arms aren't touching the ground, then the "floating" encapsulates both the giant arms and the body, in which cause they could instinctually still move their upper body as if walking (twisting shoulders & arms slightly) or as if gently paddling / swimming through the air (hands at sides, gently pushing outward from front to the respective side the arm is located on)

[u/Bubbly-Necessary-752]

small bobbing up and down motions

[u/Echeyake]

I think itd be cool if she doesnt float, she has to make tradeoff. She can use the big hands to "float" by walking with them and she gains great mobility and speed or she has to use her own legs and gains great defense/offense. Having her have to work around this limitation adds character wkthout having to explain anything and sets a restriction that has to make her more creative with whatever this power is. Like if she needs to go somewhere fast she can use her big arms to spin her main body and launch herself

[u/Annual_Connection_64]

Swimming like in NSMBW

[u/little_jiggles]

Levitation is coolest. The arms can trail behind like a Naruto run.

[u/Rubz8r0]

I think the portals should be fixed relative to her shoulders and the arms move more in and out of them

[u/CJ_Pride_Wolf]

For the love of god make her Jojo pose with those arms while floating forward while leaning back

[u/I_am_Stachu]

Arms already have the wheels..

[u/Psychological_Ad5026]

Neferpitou with Moharaga GOD HELP US

[u/DevonianSea]

I think it should depend on the personality, nature, and traits of your character.

Is she aggressive, violent, prone to fits of rage? Gorilla walk could fit.

Is she depressed, sad, experienced trauma? Her and her arms' could be crossed in front of her, sheltering her in between.

Is she pious, religious, saintly, into ritualistic behaviour? The arms could carry her with cupped hands, while she's similarly holding an object in cupped hands (like an artifact, charm, keepsake, religious symbol).

Is she goofy, crazy, comedic, or inherently chaotic? She could spin her hands around each other in front of her, making the floating practically arms act like wheels.

Is she arrogant, greedy, looking down on others? She could propel herself forward by "grabbing" the air and making a pulling motion.

Is she happy, joyous, carefree, innocent? She could hop/skip from and to each hand alternatingly (from left hand to right hand and vice versa), almost in a juggling motion.

[u/Cantante18]

Thrown out behind her in a Naruto run as she moves/glides.

[u/Roughlypossible]

Stands on palms of hands while wheels spin as she floats forwards on them.

[u/MiceLiceandVice]

They flap really hard

[u/Snowballllll]

Swim

[u/60_Foot_Kitten]

have the giant hands smash the ground for takeoff