This soothing animation by Petroc Menuhin is built around a really clever looping idea. The hand movements feel especially appealing, with that subtle re-adjustment right before the tool touches the clay. How did Petroc achieve such natural motion? By carefully studying real-world references, as he shared.

The animator works in Maya and is currently open for work, so check out his showreel and don't miss the opportunity to connect:

References are essential in any form of art, whether 2D or 3D, and animation is no exception. Look at how the developers of LUNARK built character animation from real-world footage, or how animated reference work shaped KPop Demon Hunters, Zootopia 2, and Arcane:

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