Maya for Animators: Body Mechanics

Fundamental Animation Principles with Erik A. Castillo

In this intermediate-level workshop, following on from Introduction to Maya for Animators, Erik Castillo explores the core principles that bring animated characters to life. Using Maya, Erik focuses on understanding and applying fundamental animation concepts like squash and stretch, anticipation, timing, balance, and follow-through to create realistic and expressive movements.

Designed for those familiar with Maya, this workshop aims to help animators elevate their understanding of how body mechanics affect a character’s movement and overall performance. Through practical, hands-on exercises, artists will explore the process of creating believable actions such as lifting objects, standing, walking cycles, and more.

The workshop includes an analysis of famous animation sequences to see how professionals tackle complex body mechanics. By the end, students will clearly grasp how to make characters move naturally and with intent, using the principles discussed to refine and polish their animation sequences.

Whether you’re looking to solidify your fundamentals or gain new insight into body mechanics, this workshop offers the essential building blocks to improve your animation skills and deepen your understanding of character movement in CG. 

The demonstrations in the workshop utilize ProRigs.