Animating a character climbing stairs is a classic body mechanics exercise that trains timing, balance, and believable weight. In this tutorial, game animator and Animation Mentor alum Loris Vodeb demonstrates a clean, practical workflow for building a looping stair climb in Maya, starting from rough poses and layering detail over time.
Meet Loris Vodeb
Loris Vodeb an alum of Animation Mentor’s 3D Character Animation program where he continues to give back by tutoring current students. He works as a 3D Animator at Outfit7, where he led animation on the studio’s latest mobile game release, My Talking Tom Friends 2.
Start with Simple, Clear Poses
Loris begins with a short video reference of himself running up stairs, then sets up a basic stair blockout and a character rig in Maya. His goal is a short section of animation that can loop and be extended for longer shots.
He keeps the first pass extremely simple:
- Focuses on the lower body and core first
- Uses only the main body and leg controls to avoid overcomplicating things too early
- Keys on every fourth frame, creating a handful of strong poses that describe the motion
Key poses include:
- Contact pose, where the leading foot is about to land on the next step
- Down pose, when weight has just transferred to the planted foot
- Passing pose, where the back leg swings through
- Up pose, as the character prepares to push to the next stair
He emphasizes contrast between poses, pushing height and forward lean differences so the climb feels dynamic rather than flat.
Build a Functional Loop
Once one full step cycle is blocked, Loris:
- Copies the first pose to the last frame and translates it up the stairs so the foot positions match
- Selects the whole rig and cycles curves so the motion continues forward in space
- Checks that the character moves up the staircase in a continuous, believable rhythm
At this stage, the motion is “functional.” It reads as running up stairs, even though upper body, arms, and subtle offsets are still missing.
Refine the Center of Gravity and Feet
Next, he tightens the body mechanics:
- Adjusts side-to-side translation of the COG so the weight shifts over the planted foot on each step
- Tweaks up-and-down movement, adding more lift before each foot plant and a small drop as weight lands
- Cleans tangents on the feet and sets them to auto to reduce popping between keys
- Snaps foot positions at plant frames so there is minimal sliding and the stomp feels crisp
- Makes the swing and lift of each foot snappier by moving keys closer together on takeoff and landing
This pass focuses on making the climb feel grounded and energetic, not floaty.
Layer in Arm and Shoulder Motion
With the legs and COG working, Loris adds the arms:
- Starts with both arms in a simple, clenched-fist pose that fits the “running upstairs” effort
- Animates one arm first, matching a basic run-style swing opposite the legs
- Copies the arm animation to the other side and offsets it in time so the swings alternate naturally
- Offsets shoulders as well, rotating them slightly to enhance the upper-body twist
If both arms ever move in perfect sync, he breaks that symmetry to avoid stiffness and “twinning.”
Add Upper Body Rotation and Head
He then:
- Rotates the chest toward the leading leg on each step, adding a believable twist through the torso
- Uses rotate Y on the spine to alternate side-to-side lean
- Adjusts head and neck so the character looks where they are going, then adds small offsets and drags to keep it from feeling robotic
These additions bring personality and organic motion into an otherwise mechanical climb.
Polish, Overlap, and Hair
In later passes, Loris:
- Refines translate Y and rotation curves to get subtle overshoots and settles when the character hits each step
- Tightens spacing on fast parts and smooths slower sections to keep timing varied and interesting
- Adds overlapping motion in the hair controls, dragging and overshooting them with simple curve edits and offsets
- Copies hair motion from one side to the other, then offsets and tweaks for variation
He frequently bakes keys once he is happy with timing, which allows him to retime sections and smooth curves without worrying about earlier blocking poses.
Extending and Customizing the Shot
Because the core climb is loopable, Loris notes that it is easy to:
- Extend the climb across more stairs by cycling animation and adjusting translation up the staircase
- Use animation layers to add character-specific acting, like looking to one side, pausing, or changing pace
- Choose a start or end section of the loop where the character can begin or finish the run naturally
Key Takeaways
- Start simple and focus on clear lower-body poses and functional movement
- Use reference, but do not overcomplicate controls in the early stages
- Lock in a loopable cycle before adding polish
- Refine COG and feet first to sell weight and contact
- Layer arms, torso twist, head, and hair only after the base mechanics work
- Use offsets and overlapping action to avoid stiff, mirrored motion
Keep an eye on our social media platforms for more tutorials, live workshops, and new courses.
Follow us: LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube
Want to be mentored by professional animators like Loris was?
At the core of Animation Mentor are our 3D Character Animation and Game Animation programs. Follow your animation dreams by learning from animators at studios like Disney, DreamWorks, Pixar, ILM, Riot Games, Netflix, and Blizzard!
