The Walk Cycle is the most fundamental technical exercise in animation, demanding a precise understanding of timing, weight transfer, and the four key poses: Contact, Down, Passing, and Up. A technically sound walk cycle must convincingly demonstrate the character’s weight shifting from one foot to the other, the natural rise and fall of the head and hips, and the correct counterbalance provided by the opposing arm swing. It is the basic unit of locomotion.

Students dedicate extensive time to perfecting various locomotion types—from a heavy, lumbering run to a light, skipping trot—learning how to adjust the frame count and the height of the Up and Down poses to define speed and personality. This technical mastery of cycles ensures that animators can efficiently create seamless, looping movements that read clearly across any animation medium, serving as a cornerstone of production efficiency.