Stage 5: The Second DOWN Pose
I design the right leg down pose – it is a mirror image of the left leg pose – and copy it to every other key:

Consider how little I have done at this point, and how much I have to show for it. Already we can tell who this character is, what this scene is about, we have enough information to convey the idea of this walk to anyone with a basic understanding of animation, and I can show it to my lead animator to get his or her feedback. Any corrections I might receive at this point will be relevant and informed, as well as fairly easy to do.