8. Cat Animations

Animating the Black Cat: Walk and Grooming Scenes

The black cat plays a small but significant role in my animation, and animating it presented a rewarding challenge. The cat appears in two scenes, each requiring a distinct approach to bring its movements to life authentically.

For the first scene, the cat walks down the street. To achieve a natural gait, I worked directly in spline, skipping the blocking stage to focus on fluid motion from the start. I studied several reference videos of cats walking, paying close attention to the subtle shifts in their shoulders and hips as they move. These details helped me capture the characteristic grace and rhythm of a cat’s walk.

The second scene, where the cat licks itself, required a different process. For this, I began with blocking to establish the key poses, such as the cat leaning down, raising its paw, and the licking motion. Once I was satisfied with the overall structure, I transitioned to spline to smooth out the animation and refine the details. Again, reference videos were invaluable in ensuring accuracy, particularly in capturing the repetitive yet natural movement of the licking action.

Both animations were great opportunities to practice studying real-world references and translating them into convincing 3D character movements. It was a meticulous process but deeply rewarding to see the cat come to life on screen.