Planning
To complete the animation, I’ll add a forward jump for the ball along with the tail movement. First, I’ll set a jump path, usually a curved arc, and add keyframes along this arc so the ball follows it smoothly. I’ll place keyframes at key points, like the start of the jump, the highest point, and the landing. As the ball jumps, I’ll make the tail swing naturally to match. When the ball takes off, the tail will swing back a bit, then hang down at the top of the jump, and swing forward upon landing due to the impact. I’ll also add a slight delay to the tail movement to make it look more natural, so the tail lags a little as the ball moves. Finally, I’ll play the animation to check for smoothness and adjust any keyframes or timing as needed to make sure the jump and tail swing feel natural together.
In addition to principles like squash and stretch, anticipation, and overlapping action, another key point to consider is using the ball’s trajectory during its airtime as a reference for positioning the tail. When the ball is in the air, the arc of its movement can guide how the tail should follow along, creating a more natural flow. This helps ensure that the tail’s motion complements the main movement, enhancing the sense of weight and momentum. As the ball rises and reaches the peak, the tail should follow the arc subtly, trailing slightly behind. This approach not only grounds the tail’s movement in the physics of the jump but also adds cohesion to the overall animation.