Today's Animation Tip #1

THE SILHOUETTE TEST

On the movie screen, there isn't very much time to study the pose of the character, because it disappears very quickly. So, the pose must be as clear as possible.  A good way to test the pose is to fill it in with black. If you can still see exactly what the character is doing, then the viewers will understand it.
In illustration A, it is very clear that Jack is eating a banana, even when the pose is blacked in. When we black in illustration B however, we cannot see what Jack is doing.
This is a very basic and easy rule, but it's one that beginners often forget about.