Creating Solid and Dynamic Poses
With Toon Boom Storyboard Pro, you can go beyond drawing poses in frames. There are tools that let you transform those poses in solid and dynamic animation keys. Using the Onion Skin and the Flipping tools, you are able to feel the motion and see how well your previous and next drawings fit together.
In this document, you will learn how to use these tools to your advantage and create a lively storyboard to transmit your storyline more effectively.
Drawing Your First Pose
You will start the process by adding a new shot and drawing your first pose. Try to create a dynamic pose following the character design. If need be, use a mirror and carefully watch your expression and body posture. All that studying will show up in your storyboard and afterward in your animation project, increasing the quality and credibility.
To add a new shot and draw:
- In the Storyboard toolbar, click on the Add Shot button.
- In the Drawing Tools toolbar, select the Brush tool.
- In the Pen panel, select a pen style and a colour.
- In the Drawing view, start drawing your character.
Adding a New Panel and Onion Skin
Once your first drawing is completed, add a new panel in your shot. This panel will be used to draw the second pose of the character’s action.
Then, you will need to enable the Onion Skin feature to see your previous drawing while drawing your second pose. This will allow you to conserve the proportion and location of your character.
To add a new panel and enable the Onion Skin:
- In the Storyboard toolbar, click on the Add Panel button.
- In the Onion Skin toolbar, click on the Toggle Onion Skin button.
- In your new panel, you should now see the previous drawing in red.
You can now draw your second pose using the first one as a reference.
Onion Skin Settings
To avoid having your onion skinned drawing look like a smudge, you can change the Onion Skin settings in the Preferences panel:
- Select Edit > Preferences.
- Go to the Drawing View tab.
- In the Onion Skin section, disable the Enable Shade option.
Disabling the Onion Skin on the Background
Sometimes while drawing a character pose, the background or some other layers from other panels can get in the way, if this happens simply disable the onion skin on those layers.
You can disable the onion skin on those layers by clicking on the Background icon situated in the layer tab.
Flipping Through the Poses
To verify the solidity and consistency of your drawings, you can use the Flipping feature. This tool is usable only when the Onion Skin is enabled. It allows you to flip through your drawings and see the animation forward and backward the same as you would do traditionally on an animation table!
You can flip through 1 to 3 previous and next drawings. Click on the Show Previous and Show Next buttons to establish the amount of previous and next drawings you want to see.
You can then flip through your drawings and see your key poses. Remember that the better your storyboard poses are, the better the animators, directors and customers will understand your storyline.
If ever you need to extend the Onion Skin to a previous or next scene, you can change the following setting in the Preferences panel:
- Select Edit > Preferences.
- Go to the Drawing View tab.
- In the Onion Skin section, enable the Enable Across Shot (Scene) Boundary option.
You are now ready to add more panels and create more poses to enhance your storyboard!
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