My Role and Responsibilities

During the Simulated Work project, I contributed to Ging Gao’s master’s graduation project by taking on roles in character design and 3D model research. My specific tasks included:

1. Character Design – Creating different pigeon character sketches, exploring styles suitable for animation.

2. 3D Asset Research – Finding appropriate telephone booth 3D models online and curating options for the project.

3. Technical Exploration – Learning Blender material application and experimenting with Grease Pencil for an ink-wash effect.

Task Completion and Feedback

I successfully completed my assigned tasks and actively participated in team discussions, incorporating feedback along the way.

In the character design phase, I explored various pigeon designs based on Ging’s directions and refined my sketches after reviewing my teammates’ work. Ging’s feedback was that my designs were expressive and well-structured, but could be more exaggerated to enhance their comedic appeal.

For the 3D asset research, I compiled and presented suitable telephone booth models that matched the project’s style and technical requirements. Although I didn’t create the models myself, this process helped me realize the importance of asset management in animation production—a skill that is often overlooked but crucial in industry workflows.

Additionally, I took this opportunity to delve deeper into Blender’s material application, testing different PBR material settings on models, and experimented with Grease Pencil for creating an ink-wash effect. These studies broadened my understanding of how 2D and 3D animation techniques can be integrated for unique visual results.

Performance & Areas for Improvement

What Went Well:

• Smooth teamwork – Effective communication via WhatsApp helped us adapt to each other’s workflows and efficiently adjust tasks.

• Technical learning – Beyond my assigned tasks, I explored Blender’s material system and 2D/3D integration, which will be valuable in future projects.

• Task execution – I successfully delivered high-quality character designs and curated 3D assets within the project timeline.

What Could Be Improved:

• More exaggerated character design – While my pigeons met the animation requirements, they could have been pushed further in shape and personality for a more dynamic appeal.

• Better 3D asset evaluation – Some telephone booth models I found were visually suitable but had technical issues like poor topology and UV mapping. I need to improve my ability to assess 3D assets for production use.

• Deeper communication with Ging – While I followed instructions well, I could have asked more questions and engaged in further discussions to understand her creative vision better.

How This Experience Relates to Industry Roles

In the professional animation industry, team collaboration, resource management, and technical innovation are key aspects of production. This experience made me realize:

1. Animation production is not just about drawing and modeling—it also involves sourcing, optimizing, and integrating assets effectively.

2. Character design must balance style with animation feasibility—a character should be not only visually appealing but also easy to animate.

3. Technical exploration expands creative possibilities—experimenting with Blender’s Grease Pencil ink-wash effectmade me think about combining 2D and 3D techniques in my future work.

This project also gave me insight into potential industry roles, such as:

• Character Designer – Creating expressive, animation-friendly characters.

• Production Coordinator – Managing and optimizing 3D assets for efficient pipeline use.

• Technical Artist – Exploring hybrid animation techniques like 2D/3D blending.

Key Takeaways & Future Applications

From this experience, I learned:

+ How to work efficiently in a team, contributing creatively while adapting to a shared artistic vision.

+ How to refine character design for both aesthetics and animation functionality.

+ How to use technical tools like Blender’s Grease Pencil to experiment with new styles.

In the future, I aim to:

• Push my character design skills further, exploring more exaggerated and stylized forms.

• Improve my 3D asset evaluation to ensure models meet animation production needs.

• Continue developing 2D/3D hybrid animation techniques, finding a personal artistic direction.

Conclusion

Simulated Work gave me firsthand experience in collaborative animation production, strengthening my skills in character design, asset management, and technical research. This was not just a coursework assignment—it was a realistic industry simulation that prepared me for professional workflows.

Moving forward, I will apply the collaborative skills, design refinements, and technical experiments from this experience to future animation projects, ensuring that I continue to evolve as both an artist and a professional in the field.

Introduction

In Unit 1, I engaged in a series of animation exercises that helped me gain practical knowledge through hands-on experimentation. These projects allowed me to explore movement, character performance, and animation techniques, pushing me beyond my comfort zone.

This blog will document my research process, including storyboards, sketches, live-action references, and animation tests. Through these exercises, I gradually shifted from a highly detailed drawing approach to a more expressive, dynamic animation style, emphasizing exaggerated movement, clearer emotions, and improved storytelling.

Using Live-Action Video References: Character Lift, Push, or Pull

One of the most challenging yet rewarding exercises was Character Lift, Push, or Pull, where I animated a character interacting with an object. Since weight and force are difficult to portray convincingly in animation, I decided to use live-action video references to guide my motion study.

Process & Findings

1. Filming myself performing different lifting and pushing motions helped me understand weight distribution and body mechanics.

2. Through video analysis, I realized that real-life motion alone isn’t enough—exaggeration is key to making animation feel expressive and clear.

3. I experimented with different keyframe spacing to balance realism with stylized motion, adjusting the anticipation, timing, and follow-through for a more dynamic effect.

This process deepened my understanding of physics in animation, teaching me to analyze real-world movements and translate them into stylized yet believable animated actions.

Experimenting with Non-Human Characters: Mood Change Walk

For the Mood Change Walk exercise, I challenged myself by animating a non-human character—a pillow. This was my first attempt at bringing life to an inanimate object, which required a different approach than animating a human figure.

Key Challenges & Learnings

• Without facial expressions, I relied solely on body motion to convey emotions.

• The animation needed strong squash and stretch principles to emphasize the softness and flexibility of the pillow.

• I played with timing variations to make the pillow’s emotions clearer—slow movements for sadness, quick bounces for excitement.

This exercise taught me that animation isn’t limited to traditional humanoid figures—anything can be brought to life with the right movement choices.

Exploring Facial Animation & Stop Motion: Facial Acting and Lip Sync

For Facial Acting and Lip Sync, I went beyond traditional frame-by-frame animation by experimenting with stop-motion elements. Instead of a conventional approach, I animated waves along with the lip movements, creating an abstract interpretation of dialogue.

Observations & Results

• I explored symbolic animation by making the waves react to the speech rhythm, reinforcing the character’s emotions.

• I tested different frame rates to determine the best balance between fluidity and stylized choppiness.

• By incorporating hand-drawn textures, I added organic, painterly elements to blend stop-motion with 2D animation.

This experiment helped me rethink animation as more than just literal motion replication—it can be poetic, expressive, and open to interpretation.

Reflection: The Shift from Precision to Expression

Through Unit 1, I experienced a transformation in my animation approach:

• From detailed illustration to expressive movement – I learned that fluidity, exaggeration, and storytelling matter more than static detail.

• From realism to stylization – Studying live-action references helped me see that realistic movement needs exaggeration to be effective in animation.

• From conventional characters to experimental motion – Animating non-human objects and abstract expressionsopened new creative possibilities.

These exercises gave me a stronger foundation in animation fundamentals, while also encouraging me to take risks, experiment with new styles, and embrace imperfection to create more engaging work.

Conclusion

Practice-based research through storyboards, sketches, live-action references, and animation tests was essential to my learning in Unit 1. Each exercise pushed me toward more confident and expressive animation, helping me develop both technical skills and artistic intuition.

Moving forward, I plan to:

✅ Continue using live-action references to refine my sense of weight and force.

✅ Experiment with non-human characters to enhance my storytelling versatility.

✅ Explore more abstract animation styles, blending traditional 2D with stop-motion and experimental techniques.

Animation is not just a visual art form; it is also a medium for cultural expression. Chinese ink animation, a distinctive style within the global animation landscape, is renowned for its rich oriental aesthetics and unique storytelling approach. Te Wei, a pioneering figure in this field, played a crucial role in innovating ink animation techniques and establishing it as a signature style of Chinese animation.

This essay explores the historical origins of ink animation, Te Wei’s artistic contributions, and the impact of his works, analyzing how ink animation differs from other animation styles in terms of technique, visual style, and cultural significance.

Origins and Development of Ink Animation

The concept of ink animation is rooted in traditional Chinese ink painting, an art form characterized by expressive brushwork, negative space, and rhythmic ink flow. Unlike Western animation, which often prioritizes frame-by-frame fluidity and realism, ink animation emphasizes poetic movement and artistic abstraction.

Shanghai Animation Film Studio (SAFS) pioneered this style in the 1950s-1980s, marking the golden age of Chinese ink animation. Key films from this era include:

• “Baby Tadpoles Look For Their Mother” (1960) – Directed by Te Wei, this was the first ink animation to incorporate the fluid brushwork of renowned painter Qi Baishi.

• “Shepherd‘s Flute” (1963) – Further refined the use of ink animation, creating a serene, dreamlike pastoral scene.

• “Feelings of Mountains and Waters” (1988) – A pinnacle of ink animation, exploring the spiritual connection between humans and nature.

These films not only introduced a new visual language in animation but also showcased traditional Chinese aesthetics in a moving format.

Te Wei’s Artistic Innovations

As a leading figure in ink animation, Te Wei emphasized “expressive abstraction” over “realistic representation,”drawing inspiration from traditional Chinese art theories. His approach can be summarized in three key aspects:

1. Brushwork and Negative Space

• Used Chinese calligraphy-style strokes to outline characters, preserving the texture of ink painting.

• Incorporated negative space, allowing the audience to imagine the missing details, enhancing poetic expression.

2. Fluidity of Motion

• Instead of the frame-by-frame animation principles of Western styles, ink animation employed morphing transitions that mimicked the natural diffusion of ink.

• Character movements followed the rhythmic flow of brushstrokes, creating a unique animation aesthetic.

3. Narrative and Cultural Symbolism

• His works often drew from Chinese folklore, poetry, and philosophical themes, such as the cyclical nature of life in “Baby Tadpoles Look For Their Mother” and the harmony between humans and nature in “Shepherd‘s Flute”.

• Focused on a spiritual and meditative storytelling approach, rather than action-driven narratives.

Te Wei’s artistic philosophy paved the way for a uniquely Chinese animation style, setting it apart from both Western and Japanese animation traditions.

Impact and Future of Ink Animation

Te Wei’s ink animation had a profound influence on the industry, shaping the cultural identity of Chinese animation and inspiring new artistic directions.

1. Influence in China

• Despite SAFS’s success, the decline of traditional ink animation in the 1990s was due to market demands and high production costs.

• However, recent animated films like Big Fish & Begonia (2016) and White Snake (2019) have begun reviving ink animation elements in modern productions.

2. Global Influence

• Hayao Miyazaki acknowledged that Chinese ink animation inspired some of the stylistic choices in Spirited Away (2001).

• Disney’s Mulan incorporated ink painting-inspired visuals, showing how this aesthetic has influenced international animation.

3. Future Prospects

• With the rise of 3D animation and digital tools, artists are experimenting with procedural rendering techniques to simulate ink textures.

• Blender’s Grease Pencil tool now allows for digital ink animation, potentially revitalizing the art form in new and innovative ways.

Conclusion

Te Wei’s ink animation was not just a technical innovation, but also an artistic and cultural statement. Unlike Western animation, which focuses on realistic motion, his work embraced abstraction and poetic rhythm, reflecting the philosophy and aesthetics of Chinese traditional art.

Although ink animation faces challenges in modern industry trends, advancements in digital technology and renewed cultural appreciation may lead to its resurgence. In the future, ink animation could evolve through VR, interactive media, and AI-assisted techniques, continuing to tell uniquely Chinese stories in a timeless artistic form.

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