tips for animating trees/rustling leaves?

I don't have any hard and fast rules, but I did a quick test where instead of pulsating back and forth (it's almost arousing to watch your leaves haha) I did a sort of arc. Not a full circle or a figure eight or anything but the gist is that right now you're at a

<====> (repeat)

and if you slowed it down, to 3/4 or better yet half of where it's at right now, and did more of a broad semicircle........so it moves across (toward the kid) to build up the energy, and then gets hit by the wind to move up and over, rainbow-style, back out away from the tree. Since you're not drawing every little leaf, you'd be getting some interesting stretching and squashing because while they have thin crisp edges, leaves are pliable and collectively would take on a blobby motion; it already looks like frayed/decorate organic balls, especially in the overlap. I honestly think you could get away with the arc version in 5 or 6 drawings, straight ahead, no tweens.

seems to be the main reason why you're put off.
and it's the easiest, least expensive solution.

then try putting six, seven inbetweens. but don't use them all at once.
skip some, put some on ones-- you know-- as you stagger it

if still wanting, reanimate. do the arc move ( or an 8-shape path) Scattered is suggesting. if i may: be careful of the highlights on the face-- looks a bit vague.

nice summer scene though.
it should be very good after a couple of tweaks.

Yah, not to get off-topic but just to quickly agree, I love the illusion of space, the depth and volume of it in this shot. Very much a strong "vast expanse" feeling, fills the room (especially with my monitor =)

As a "horti" I have to say, always remember the branches and to some extent the trunk also move, unless it's a really light wind. Smaller more flexible growth moves more than the heavier old stuff.

I think it works well. It looks like anime. All critiques are valid but as it is, it works. Seeing your character helps. I mean if it were a classic Diseny style charcater, the trees movement may need to be more realistic, keeping with the style. Stylistically, it works.I would add some random leaves random falling and blowing in the foreground. That will distract the viewer if they notice a pattern in the movement.

If you wanna get technical though, it appears like a pendulum cycle (1,2,3,4,3,2,1) In more complicateed animation it may be a repeat cycle (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,1,2,3.....last drawing hooks-up to the first)[not to suggest timing, I'm describing the type of cycles]). Boughs and branches woiuld move, varied and each have a different timing. Stronger branches would not move as much as smaller branches and considering wind direction, some will start their cycle before the following braches in the wind's path. You would treat the leaves as the masses you have (not going to draw each individual leaf) .

But it works. I would get on with the short if it were me.

................................, some will start their cycle before the following braches in the wind's path. ..........

I think I hit the nail on the head as far as something you could do without spending too much time. If your leaves masses are on different levels, vary the timing that they don't move in unison.(don't start all cycles together on number 1 drawing, maybe start the one first in the wind's path at it's lowest point , whatever that number is, and cycle as you usually do)
Simply, pretend your leave mass level's are fans at a sports game who are doing "the wave". Same movement but they don't start until it's their aisle's turn.:)

I think it works well. It looks like anime. All critiques are valid but as it is, it works. Seeing your character helps. I mean if it were a classic Diseny style charcater, the trees movement may need to be more realistic, keeping with the style. Stylistically, it works.I would add some random leaves random falling and blowing in the foreground. That will distract the viewer if they notice a pattern in the movement.

I agree with Graphite unless the trees are primary focus of your film, go ahead and work on the rest of it. This is secondary motion and most viewers probably won't even notice it. You can always come back and polish it later.

Pat

THAT's cool.

It's not very surprising that all of the responses above approach the problem - how to animate something - from purely technical point of view. From some reason animators tend to favor technical tricks over the life itself that they try to simulate. How about the real life observation? Just look out of the window - here is basically your answer: the timing, the type of movement and everything. Of course this motion can be generalized, simplified or stylized, depending on the effect that you want to achieve and the amount of work that you want to put into it, but I think most importantly we have to visualize and feel the movement rather than look for technical formulas.

Once we're dealing with 2-D representations of the illusions of realism, we become bound to an extent by the formal properties inherent in the medium. Therefore a technical approach that simplifies or abstracts movement based on the observation from life of which you speak is entirely appropriate. Sometimes it happens that the animation of a design of tree leaves blowing, waves, crashing, etc. "works better" visually in a moving design than it would had we copied/rotoscoped each frame meticulously. That would be a reproduction, while the solutions here end up with original artwork.

The answers provided here are in context; rather than being pulled from a hat, they've been shared sometimes alongside a device for the purposes of looking and -feeling- good in the animation. Consider that occasionally "technical tricks" are a means to the "end" that -is- life.

I'm sure the poster is open minded, though. Using your method, what do you suggest as an alternative?

Uhhh...what Scattered said..,I think.
You're right Vardas. But I saw that Bossmonkey came to the table with a realized impression of observation, not just ,"Tell me how to make leaves rustle.".
The alternative suggestions were also based on observation and articulated to how they would go into drawings.

I have to say lovely stuff, Bossmonkey. That line quality is also to die for.

The movement ;) of the branches and the person's hair works great~~ILAL~~~

The highlight for me is the change in wind speed. With my fan on it's like I'm a part of the scene! :)

It's not very surprising that all of the responses above approach the problem - how to animate something - from purely technical point of view. From some reason animators tend to favor technical tricks over the life itself that they try to simulate. How about the real life observation? Just look out of the window - here is basically your answer: the timing, the type of movement and everything. Of course this motion can be generalized, simplified or stylized, depending on the effect that you want to achieve and the amount of work that you want to put into it, but I think most importantly we have to visualize and feel the movement rather than look for technical formulas.

As a Horticulture major (horti) I think I gave him some suggestions from life observation, and I think he took up the gauntlet and did a great job with his revisions.

Wow that second version is really good! Nice job

just an idea - without adding any more frames you could make it go from

..........
\________.
.........\
.________/
/.........
\________.
.........\

to

..........
\____.....
.....\....
...__/....
../.......
..\_____..
........\.
....____/.
.../......
...\_____.
.........\
.....____/
..../.....

Iff that makes any sence.