This week, I completed the blocking stage for the crouching pull action in my washing machine animation. One of the biggest challenges was creating a believable sense of effort and weight. In my first version, the character appeared to be pulling mainly with the arms, while the rest of the body remained too static. After reviewing my reference footage, I realised that a convincing pull action relies on the entire body, particularly the shift of weight through the legs, hips, and torso.
I also encountered some issues with IK and FK controls. Since the character’s hands needed to stay attached to the washing machine door, IK was necessary to maintain stable contact. However, this sometimes caused the arms to look stiff and unnatural. I had to spend time adjusting the shoulder and upper body poses to make the movement feel more organic while keeping the hands locked in place.
Another challenge was pose readability. Because the character was crouching, the arms, legs, and torso often overlapped, making some key poses difficult to read. To solve this, I pushed several poses further and improved the silhouette.
Through this exercise, I learned that blocking is not only about placing key poses, but also about establishing clear weight, balance, and intention. Careful observation and thoughtful use of rig controls were essential in creating a more believable performance.