Unlike the previous bouncing ball with a tail, this animation introduces legs to the ball, adding complexity and personality to its movement.
The key challenge was to balance the motion of the main body, which follows the principles of a traditional bouncing ball, with the legs, which provide buffering, elasticity, and propulsion. The legs not only absorb impact upon landing but also give a sense of power and intent during takeoff, making the animation feel more grounded and character-driven.
This project also allowed me to explore different animation workflows: I used the pose-to-pose technique for blocking the main body movement and applied straight-ahead action to animate the secondary motion of the legs. These approaches, combined with principles like anticipation, slow in and slow out, and follow through, contributed to a lively and believable performance.