1. What is Animation?

Animation is the art of creating a series of images that, when shown quickly in sequence, give the illusion of movement. Think of it like a flipbook: each page shows a picture that’s slightly different from the previous one. When you flip through the pages quickly, the images come to life.

Key Terms

  • Frame: A single image in a sequence.
  • Frames per second (fps): The number of frames shown each second; usually, 24-30 fps creates smooth movement.
  • Illusion of Motion: By changing images slightly frame by frame, our brain interprets these images as continuous movement.

2. The History of Animation

Animation has been around for thousands of years, though not always as it looks today. Let’s look at some key milestones:

  • Early Drawings (Ancient Times): Early examples of drawings that showed attempts at motion (like animals with multiple legs) were found in caves.
  • Zoetrope (1834): One of the first devices to create moving images. It was a cylinder with slits and drawings that, when spun, appeared to move.
  • Traditional Animation (1920s-1950s): Artists drew every frame by hand, giving rise to classic films like Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
  • Stop Motion (1910s-Present): Objects are moved slightly between photographed frames, like in Wallace and Gromit.
  • Computer Animation (1960s-Present): Using computers to create 2D and 3D animations, seen in films like Toy Story and Frozen.

3. Types of Animation

There are various types of animation, each with unique methods and purposes:

  • 2D Animation: Traditional, hand-drawn or computer-created images that appear flat.
  • 3D Animation: Created in a 3D space, allowing for realistic movement and shading.
  • Stop Motion Animation: Real objects are photographed frame by frame to create motion.
  • Motion Graphics: Animated graphic designs used in logos, videos, or presentations.
  • Cel Animation: Used in traditional hand-drawn animation, where each frame is drawn on a transparent sheet.

4. How Animation Works

Animation works by displaying a sequence of images, each with slight changes, so fast that they blur together in our brain to create motion. Here’s how this “illusion of motion” works:

  • Persistence of Vision: This is the phenomenon where our brain holds onto an image for a brief moment after it has disappeared. When new images replace the old ones quickly, the brain connects them, creating the appearance of fluid movement.
  • Frames per Second (fps): The faster the frames are shown, the smoother the motion. Most animations use 24 fps, which means 24 frames (images) are shown every second.

Example

Imagine drawing a bouncing ball on each page of a flipbook. Each drawing shows the ball slightly higher or lower. When you flip through the pages quickly, the ball seems to bounce.

5. How is Animation Created?

Creating an animation involves several steps, and it can vary depending on the type of animation.

Basic Steps in Animation Production

  1. Concept and Storyboard: Write out your idea, and sketch a series of images (storyboard) that outline the key scenes.
  2. Character Design: Design the characters, their appearance, and how they’ll move.
  3. Background Design: Draw or create the backgrounds where the characters will interact.
  4. Animating: Create the frames that bring characters and backgrounds to life. For hand-drawn animation, each frame is drawn separately. For computer animation, artists use software to make these frames.
  5. Adding Sound: Add voice-overs, music, or sound effects to match the animation.

Using Software for Animation

Today, animators use software like Adobe Animate, Blender, and Toon Boom for 2D and 3D animations. These tools allow artists to create smoother movements without needing to draw each frame individually.

6. Key Animation Concepts

Understanding a few core concepts will help you grasp how animations look so real:

  • Keyframes: Keyframes are critical frames that mark the beginning or end of any movement.
  • Inbetweens: Frames between keyframes that help smooth out the motion.
  • Timing and Spacing: Timing affects the speed of motion (fast vs. slow), and spacing affects how characters move in space (smooth vs. jumpy).
  • Squash and Stretch: Changing the shape of objects to make them feel more alive and realistic.
  • Anticipation and Follow-through: Small movements before (anticipation) and after (follow-through) main actions add realism. For example, before a jump, a character might bend their knees.

7. Animation Tools for Beginners

Here are some beginner-friendly tools to start creating animations:

  • Pencil2D: A simple 2D animation tool.
  • Krita: Open-source software with tools for basic animation.
  • Blender: Free 3D software, powerful for creating 3D animations.