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INFORMATION SHEET 2
Principle AND TECHNIQUES

2.1 12 Basic Principles of Animation

The 12 basic principles of animation is a set of principles introduced by the
Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas in their 1981 book. The Illusion of
Life: Disney Animation. Johnston and Thomas in turn based their book on the work of
the leading Disney animators from the 1930s onwards, and their effort to produce a
more realistic animations. The main purpose of the principles was to produce an illusion
of characters adhering to the basic laws of physics, but they also dealt with more
abstract issues, such as emotional timing and character appeal.

The book and its principles have become generally adopted, and have been
referred to as the “bible of the industry. In 1999 the book was voted number one of the
“best animation books of all time” in an online poll. Though originally intended to apply to
traditional, hand-drawn animation, the principles still have great relevance for today’s
more prevalent computer animation.

1. SQUASH AND STRETCH

This action gives the illusion of weight and volume to a character as it moves.
Also squash and stretch is useful in animating dialogue and doing facial expressions.
How extreme the use of squash and stretch is, depends on what is required in animating
the scene. Usually it's broader in a short style of picture and subtler in a feature. It is
used in all forms of character animation from a bouncing ball to the body weight of a
person walking. This is the most important element you will be required to master and
will be used often.
 The most important principle is “squash and stretch”, the purpose of which is to
give a sense of weight and flexibility to draw objects

2. ANTICIPATION
An action occurs in three parts:
1. The preparation for the action - this is anticipation
 2. The action
3. The termination of the action
Can be an automatic preparation for the action, e.g., retracting a foot before
kicking a ball. It can

Also be a device to attract the viewer’s attention to the proper screen area and to
prepare them for the action , e.g., raising the arms and staring at something before
picking up, or staring offscreen at something and then reacting to it before the action
moves on-screen. An example of this is the opening scene of Luxo, jr.. the father is
looking off-screen and then reacts to something. This sets up the viewers to look at that
part of the screen so they are prepared when Luxo, jr. hops in from off-screen. A
properly timed anticipation can enable the viewer to better understand a rapid action,
e.g., preparing to run and then dashing off-screen.

Anticipation can also create the perception of weight or mass, e.g., a heavy
person might put their arms on a chair before they rise, whereas a smaller person might
just stand up.

This movement prepares the audience for a major action the character is about
to perform, such as, starting to run, jump or change expression. A dancer does not just
leap off the floor. A backwards motion occurs before the forward action is executed. The
backward motion is the anticipation. A comic effect can be done by not using anticipation
after a series of gags that used anticipation. Almost all real action has major or minor
anticipation such as a pitcher's wind-up or a golfers' backswing. Feature animation is
often less broad than short animation unless a scene requires it to develop a characters
personality.

3. STAGING
A pose or action should clearly communicate to the audience the attitude, mood,
reaction or idea of the character as it relates to the story and continuity of the story line.
The effective use of long, medium, or close up shots, as well as camera angles also
helps in telling the story. There is a limited amount of time in a film, so each sequence,
scene and frame of film must relate to the overall story. Do not confuse the audience
with too many actions at once. Use one action clearly stated to get the idea across,
unless you are animating a scene that is to depict clutter and confusion. Staging directs
the audience's attention to the story or idea being told. Care must be taken in
background design so it isn't obscuring the animation or competing with it due to excess
 detail behind the animation. Background and animation should work together as a
pictorial unit in a scene.

This principle is akin to staging as it is known in theatre and film. The Main
purpose is to direct the audience's attention, and make it clear what is of greatest
importance in a scene, what is happening, and what is about to happen. Johnson and
Thomas defined it as “the presentation of any ideas that its Completely and
unmistakably clear” whether that idea is an action, a personality, an expression or a
mood. This can be done by various means, Such as the placement of a character in the
frame, the use of light and shadow, and the angle and position of the camera The
essence of this paper as keeping focus on what is elevant, and avoiding unnecessary
detail.

4. STRAIGHT AHEAD AND POSE TO POSE ANIMATION

Straight Ahead Action in hand drawn animation is when the animator starts at the
first drawing in a scene and then draws all of the subsequent frames until he reaches the
end of the scene. This creates very spontaneous and zany looking animation and is
used for wild, scrambling action
 Pose-to-Pose Action is when the animator carefully plans out the animation
draws & sequence of poses, ie. The initial, some in-between, and the final poses and
then draws all the in-between frames (or another artist or the computer draws the in
between frames, This is used when the scene requires more thought and the poses and
timing are important

This is similar to keyframing with computer graphics but it must modified slightly
since the in-between may be too unpredictable. For example, objects or parts of objects
may intersect one another. Computer keyframing can take advantage of the hierarchical
model structure of complex object. Different parts of the hierarchy can be transformed at
different keyframes. For example, in a jump, translation key frames can be set for the
entire model in the X and Z directions. Then other rotation or translation keyframes can
be set for portions of the model, eg,. the things and arms.

Straight ahead animation starts at the first drawing and works drawing to drawing
to the end of a scene. You can lose size, volume, and proportions with this method, but it
does have spontaneity and freshness. Fast, wild action scenes are done this way. Pose
to Pose is more planned out and charted with key drawings done at intervals throughout
the scene. Size, volumes, and proportions are controlled better this way, as is the action.
The lead animator will turn charting and keys over to his assistant. An assistant can be
better used with this method so that the animator doesn't have to draw every drawing in
a scene. An animator can do more scenes this way and concentrate on the planning of
the animation. Many scenes use a bit of both methods of animation.

5. FOLLOW THROUGH AND OVERLAPPING ACTION

These closely related techniques help render movement more realistic, and give the
impression that characters follow the laws of physics. Follow through means that
separate parts of a body will continue moving after the character has stopped
"Overlapping action" is the tendency for parts of the body to move at different rates (an
arm will move on different taming of the head and so on). A third technique is "drag",
where a character starts to move and parts of him take a few frames to catch up These
parts can be inanimate objects like clothing or the antenna on a car, or parts of the body
such as arms or hair. On the human body, the torso is the core, with arms and legs.
Head and hair appendices that normally follow the torso's movement Body parts with
much tissue, such as large stomachs and breasts, or the loose skin on a dog, are more
prone to independent movement than bonier body parts. Again, exaggerated use of the
technique can produce a comical effect, whale more realistic animation must time the
actions exactly, to produce a convincing result

Thamas and Tohnston also developed the principle of the "moving hold" A
character not in movement can be rendered absolutely still, this is often done,
particularly to draw attention to the main action. According to Thomas and Johnston,
however, this gave a dull and lifeless result, and should be avoided. Even characters
sitting still can display some sort of movement, such as the torso moving in and out with
breathing.
 When the main body of the character stops all other parts continue to catch up to
the main mass of the character, such as arms, long hair, clothing, coat tails or a dress,
floppy ears or a long tail (these follow the path of action). Nothing stops all at once. This
is follow through. Overlapping action is when the character changes direction while his
clothes or hair continues forward. The character is going in a new direction, to be
followed, a number of frames later, by his clothes in the new direction. "DRAG," in
animation, for example, would be when Goofy starts to run, but his head, ears, upper
body, and clothes do not keep up with his legs. In features, this type of action is done
more subtly. Example: When Snow White starts to dance, her dress does not begin to
move with her immediately but catches up a few frames later. Long hair and animal tail
will also be handled in the same manner. Timing becomes critical to the effectiveness of
drag and the overlapping action.

6. SLOW-OUT AND SLOW-IN

As action starts, we have more drawings near the starting pose, one or two in the
middle, and more drawings near the next pose. Fewer drawings make the action faster
and more drawings make the action slower. Slow-ins and slow-outs soften the action,
making it more life-like. For a gag action, we may omit some slow-out or slow-ins for
shock appeal or the surprise element. This will give more snap to the scene.
7. ARCS
All actions, with few exceptions (such as the animation of a mechanical device),
follow an arc or slightly circular path. This is especially true of the human figure and the
action of animals. Arcs give animation a more natural action and better flow. Think of
natural movements in the terms of a pendulum swinging. All arm movement, head turns
and even eye movements are executed on an arcs.
8. SECONDARY ACTION
This action adds to and enriches the main action and adds more dimension to
the character animation, supplementing and/or re-enforcing the main action. Example: A
character is angrily walking toward another character. The walk is forceful, aggressive,
and forward leaning. The leg action is just short of a stomping walk. The secondary
action is a few strong gestures of the arms working with the walk. Also, the possibility of
dialogue being delivered at the same time with tilts and turns of the head to accentuate
the walk and dialogue, but not so much as to distract from the walk action. All of these
actions should work together in support of one another. Think of the walk as the primary
action and arm swings, head bounce and all other actions of the body as secondary or
supporting action.
9. TIMING
Expertise in timing comes best with experience and personal experimentation,
using the trial and error method in refining technique. The basics are: more drawings
between poses slow and smooth the action. Fewer drawings make the action faster and
crisper. A variety of slow and fast timing within a scene adds texture and interest to the
movement. Most animation is done on twos (one drawing photographed on two frames
of film) or on ones (one drawing photographed on each frame of film). Twos are used
most of the time, and ones are used during camera moves such as trucks, pans and
occasionally for subtle and quick dialogue animation. Also, there is timing in the acting of
 a character to establish mood, emotion, and reaction to another character or to a
situation. Studying movement of actors and performers on stage and in films is useful
when animating human or animal characters. This frame by frame examination of film
footage will aid you in understanding timing for animation. This is a great way to learn
from the others.

Timing can also indicate an emotional state. Consider a scenario with a head
looking first over the right shoulder and then over the left shoulder. By varying the number of in-
between frames the following meanings can be implied:

 No in-betweens - the character has been hit by a strong force and its head
almost snapped off
 One in-betweens - the character has been hit by something substantial, e.g.,
frying pan
 Two in-betweens - the character has a nervous twitch
 Three in-betweens - the character is dodging a flying object
 Four in-betweens - the character is giving a crisp order
 Six in-betweens - the character sees something inviting
 Nine in-betweens - the character is thinking about something
 Ten in-betweens - the character is stretching a sore muscle
10. EXAGGERATION
Exaggeration is not extreme distortion of a drawing or extremely broad, violent
action all the time. It's like a caricature of facial features, expressions, poses, attitudes
and actions. Action traced from live action film can be accurate, but stiff and mechanical.
In feature animation, a character must move more broadly to look natural. The same is
true of facial expressions, but the action should not be as broad as in a short cartoon
style. Exaggeration in a walk or an eye movement or even a head turn will give your film
more appeal. Use good taste and common sense to keep from becoming too theatrical
and excessively animated.

11. SOLID DRAWING

The basic principles of drawing form, weight, volume solidity and the illusion of
three dimensions apply to animation as it does to academic drawing. The way you draw
cartoons, you draw in the classical sense, using pencil sketches and drawings for
reproduction of life. You transform these into color and movement giving the characters
the illusion of three-and four-dimensional life. Three dimensional is movement in space.
The fourth dimension is movement in time.
12. APPEAL
A live performer has charisma. An animated character has appeal. Appealing
animation does not mean just being cute and cuddly. All characters have to have
appeal whether they are heroic, villainous, comic or cute. Appeal, as you will use
it, includes an easy to read design, clear drawing, and personality development
that will capture and involve the audience's interest. Early cartoons were
basically a series of gags strung together on a main theme. Over the years, the
artists have learned that to produce a feature there was a need for story
continuity, character development and a higher quality of artwork throughout the
entire production. Like all forms of storytelling, the feature has to appeal to the

mind as well as to the eye.

INFORMATION SHEET 3
ANIMATION PROCESS

3.1 2D ANIMATION PROCESS CHART

STORY DEVELOPMENT

Building the storyboard is an integral part of putting together an animated feature. The
process provides not only a visual interpretation of script; it also allows designers in each
department to get a feel for what is being presented on screen.

Creating the visual story composed of consecutive story sketch panels that depict the
action and staging of the film’s script is the first step in the animation production process.
Twenty or more departments converting ng them into a final full color film, will build upon the
concepts and timing initiated here. The storyboard is the basic game plan, the vision of
continuity that will drive the entire production
Storyboarding involves working from a film script to set a story down in picture or illustration
form; rather like a comic book. The storyboard functions as the blueprint of an animated picture.
The following is a breakdown of the story-sketch artist’s set up, and the thought and drawing
processes involved.

3.2 EQUIPMENT
1. Pencils: whatever the individual feels comfortable with. Anything from a HB to a
6B depending on the quality of the line and darkness of shadow required.
2. Paper: 8.5 x 11, standard white.
3. Field guide: story sketches are drawn to a standard 8-field size (5.5 x 10.52).
This is traced down on paper and represents the screen edge all production
artwork is finished out to the edge of the paper. Wide screen projects will have
altered field sizes and measurements.
4. Xerox machine with variable size capability: it is frequently necessary to enlarge
or reduce artwork to specific sizes, both to save time and for cutting purposes.
Final approved boards are enlarged or reduced to proper production sized.
5. Desk: any comfortable desk will suffice. An animation disk is not necessary,
though backlight is sometimes useful.
6. Pin-up board: for displaying sketches in continuity.
7. Push Pins: to pin up sketches
8. X-Acto Blade: for cutting Xerox copies before revising.
9. Erasers: plastic or kneaded soft eraser the plastic for getting rid of drawings
completely, the soft for lightening lines.
10. Model sheet and reference as needed
11. Chair
12. Overhead Light
13. Pencil Sharpener

It is also important to keep your work area neat and easily accessible. Keep the desk functional
and as uncluttered as possible. Reference material should be pinned up or displayed for use as
you draw.
3.3 THE STORY BOARD:

Smooth visual flow is the major objective in any film, especially if it is an animated one.
Good continuity depends on coordinating the action of the character, choreography, scene
changes and camera movement. All these different aspects cannot be considered in isolation.
They must work together to put across a story point. Furthermore the right emphasis on such
planning, including the behavior of the character, must also realize. The storyboard should
serve as a blueprint for any film project and as the first visual impression of the film. It is at this
stage that the major decisions are taken as far as the film’s content is concerned. It is generally
accepted that no production should proceed until a satisfactory storyboard is achieved and most
of the creative and technical problems that may arise during the film’s production have been
considered.

There is no strict rule, how many sketches are required for a film. It depends on the type,
character and content of the project. A rough guideline is approximately 100 storyboard
sketches for each minute of film. If, however the film is technically complex the number of
sketches could be double. For a TV commercial, more sketches are produced as a rule because
there are usually more scene changes and more action than in longer films.

When developing the storyboards, careful attention was paid to budgetary and creative
constraints designated by the client. Any solutions that allowed for greater efficiency and better
use of the budget without hurting the quality of product were worked into the storyboard, while
constantly aiming for increased action and over-all coolness. The storyboard process was
critical, as it would fine tune the story and serve as a point of reference throughout production.
Major corrections and story change took place during this phase of the project to avoid making
them during vital parts of production down the road. Once the storyboards had been approved,
they were scanned and taken into Final Cut Pro to be edited into a 2D animatic. The editing of
the 2D animatic is where we first took a swing at the trailer’s timing… roughly depicting the
camera motion, as well as the actions of the characters.
 Whether from original concept or by buying the rights to a book, a story must be developed to fit
the proposed duration of the movie. This in turn will be refined into a storyboard. A storyboard
shows sketches of the envisaged movie, each of which represents perhaps 4-5 seconds of
action, with the dialogue shown against each picture. A shooting script and timing chart are also
normally produced. Model sheets are also prepared. These show the major characters in
different poses, from various angles and with a variety of expressions. They will also show the
coloring to be used. In effect, the model sheet is the nearest an animator usually has to a
sculpture of the character. The model sheet is used to fix in the animator’s mind how the
character moves and what it looks like. This completes the design phase…

Sample storyboard
4.4 Values
Start our drawing with two values, these two value breakup is very important to maintain
through the drawing. Once you have this established you can add as many values as you want
(it is not advisable however) as long as you keep the added values secondary to the big two
value separation. The rule for this says “The lightest light in the dark should always be darker
than the darkest dark in the light.” Thus, nothing in the unlit side of the form should be as light
as anything on the lit side of the form

The best process I have found to establish my full value range goes like this:
1) Establish the two big value block in (posturize and simplify)
2) Add in your middle tone to add depth and soften the transition between the light and
dark
3) Add your darkest dark and lightest light, preferably around your focal point with
contrast lessening as you move outward away from your focal point. In the end this will give you
a controlled five value drawing.
 Keys to controlling values
1) Squint
2) Five values or less
3) Step 1: block in light and dark
Step 2: add halftone
Step 3: add darkest dark
Step 4: add lightest light

4.5 Developing Forms

Form by definition is the shape or structure of anything. At this point in our drawing
we should have already defined the forms when we defined the structure, but now we need to
create the illusion of light on form. To do this it is best if we break things down into the four basic
primitives of forms; Cylinder, Sphere, Cube, and Cone.

By breaking things down into basic forms we remove ourselves from having to think
about drawing complicated things like legs, fingers, etc. on any basic form lit by a single direct
light source, (this is the best way to observe and learn about form) there are two basic fields of
value; lit and until or light and dark. We have already discussed this degree in the previous
chapters, but as in all things art related, there is overlap. Because we already discussed value I
am going to jump right into the key factor in developing form and that is edges, or the
transitions between light and dark. Any time you have a light and dark value coming together
within a form, a corner or change of plane is created visually. The sudden or gradual transition
from one value to another is going to tell us whether this change of plane is sudden like on a
cube or gradual like on a sphere or cylinder. This transition is what is called an edge in drawing
or painting

Basically there are four kinds of edges, soft, firm, hard, and lost. Soft edges are those
gradual transitions that you will see on around - deform. Hard edges are what you would see on
an angular form like a square or at the edge of a cast shadow. A firm edge, as it name implies,
is somewhere in between and would be found most commonly on an angular form that is not
completely squared off, like a nose, knee or other bony areas.
Occasionally you will observe a dark band of value at the edge of a shadow. This is
called a core shadow. Basically this is created when there is a transitional plane that is not
being lit by the direct light source or by the reflected light bouncing off the surface beneath the
form.

Identifying the value zones is very important to developing form. Even before applying
your edges the careful analyzation and placement of your light, shadow and reflected light can
reveal important changes of plane to the viewer. Be careful to not over-play the reflected light or
core shadow card. When used too often they can create a metallic look to your figure. Even
more, they can break down a drawing into too many values, and in doing so create confusion for
the viewer's eye. You should always strive to keep the lighting situation very clear. It will allow
the viewer a stronger foothold in your little world you have created, and therefore make a more
comfortable place for the viewer to visit. A few problem solving tips: If your drawing or painting is
looking cartoon-like, check to see if your edges are too hard. This can create a graphic or
cartoon-like look to your drawings. If your shapes are appearing ambiguous and lacking in
structure, check to see if your edges are to soft, this can create a foggy or weak appearance to
the drawing. Overly hard edges are generally favorable to overly soft for two reasons. One,
viewers will grow quickly bored of a drawing they are having difficulty solving, and two, it is
easier to soften an edge than to harden an edge.
 Keys to Developing Form
1) Think in terms of primitives (cubes, spheres, cylinders, and cones)
2) Carefully observe and utilize your edges
3) Identify the breakup between direct light, reflected light and core shadow.
4) In the beginning error on the side of hard edges.

INFORMATION SHEET 4

FUNDAMENTALS OF FIGURE DRAWING

4.1 THE GESTURE

There are few things in art more challenging than drawing the human figure. I have found that
when facing a daunting challenge the best thing to do is attempt to break the process down and
simplify. That is what I am going to try to teach you in the following chapters; to break down the
process into separate but interwoven steps and principles. The reason for doing this, is so you
only have to worry about one thing at a time rather than fifty. The first step in this process is to
establish the gesture or linear lay-in. This is the most important step of the drawing because it
dictates all other steps in the process.

1. There are three basic lines: c-curve s-curve straight

1) Establish the head first using either a bloated triangle or an oval (whichever works best for
you), and the sweep of the neck.
2) Next establish the sweep of the shoulders from acromion process to acromion process (the
acromion process is the visible and palpable bump near each end of the collar bone)

3) Now find your way to the ground as efficiently as possible. This is usually through the center
line, or from the pit of the neck to the weight bearing foot.
 4) From the acromion process on each side draw a line mimicking the center line down to the
crotch. Then draw a line from the outside of the neck to the hip on each side. These lines should
establish the gesture of the torso and hips while ignoring the true breadth of the rib cage and
pelvis.

From here you should inject only as much structure as is needed to connect the limbs

5) Establish the gesture of the limbs by first drawing the flow of the limb (usually the tendenous
inner portion). Then by establishing the width (the boney outer portion). Also terminate the limbs
with the hands and feet, use simple geometric shapes at this time.
 6) complete the gesture with any supporting elements, in this case the stool, block, pole, etc.

Before going any further, let’s define gesture. In its simplest form, gesture is the action of
the pose or movement between its forms. However, this is too vague because gesture should also
establish the length, width and direction of all the masses of the figure. In a more abstract sense,
the gesture is the life, flow and energy of the figure. This is why I say gesture is the most important
step of the drawing process. If your linear lay-in doesn’t have the aforementioned elements neither
will your finish. As you take your drawing toward completion, it will typically become more stiff and
uptight, so try to give your gesture as much energy as you can without sacrificing accuracy.
Lets begin to capture the gesture. The gesture should be established using the longest
lines possible. Anything else is a scribble not a line. In the first pass through the figure you should
find the triangular or pyramid shape of the pose. Almost all poses fit into a triangle of one
proportion or another. Next, begin to establish the gesture of the pose using those long lines we
talked about earlier. Remember above all else, keep it light. Nothing is a mistake until you can’t
erase it

Before moving on I want to discuss a few more principles of gesture with you. Let's start
with one of the most important, Stretch and Pinch. Stretch and pinch is essentially the idea that
in any natural pose the body has an active or “pinch” side and an inactive or “stretch” side. This is
best seen through the bean bag metaphor. When you bend a bean bag you can see the fabric
elongate on one side and bunch up on the other. In fact you can stick arms, legs and a head on
the bean bag and have a decent representation of a human figure
 This theory actually applies to most parts of the figure, but none so obviously as the trunk
of the body. As I mentioned, the stretch and pinch happens all throughout the body, even in
repose. As you can see, stretch and pinch oppose each other on opposite sides of the figure,
and you will rarely have stretching or pinching simultaneously on both sides of the figure. This
creates a “Michelein Man” or snowman effect, which is dumpy and undesirable.
This theory actually applies to most parts of the figure, but none so obviously as the trunk
of the body. As I mentioned, the stretch and pinch happens all throughout the body, even in
repose. As you can see, stretch and pinch oppose each other on opposite sides of the figure,
and you will rarely have stretching or pinching simultaneously on both sides of the figure. This
creates a “Michelein Man” or snowman effect, which is dumpy and undesirable.
Plumb lines are another helpful tool during the lay-in stage of the drawing. Plumb lines
are basically straight vertical or horizontal lines to help establish proper placement in your
drawing. This is especially helpful in the case of foreshortening. The way plumb lines work is to
hold up your pencil exactly vertical or horizontal. Where things line up on either a vertical or
horizontal axis, they should line up exactly the same way in your drawing. This is a good way of
double checking your drawing with the model.

Characteristics of Gesture
1) Movement between forms
2) Curved, fluid, graceful
3) Lifeline
4) Connecting line
5) Long
6) Keep it simple (s-curve c-curve straight)
7) Stretch
8) Two-dimensional

4.6 The Head

There are many ways of approaching the head. What I will be covering here are the ways
that have worked best for me, but remember to look for the under-riding principles, not the
technique. Let's start at the beginning. The silhou-ette of the head can be drawn, from the front,
as a boxy oval not unlike a pumpkin seed. And from just about every other angle except behind
as a sort of bulging triangle. This is how I prefer to start the gesture of the head.
I am not going to go in depth into each of the features in this book, but there are some
important points that I would like to make some corrections to the most common mistakes I see
new students make. One of the most common mistakes I see is drawing the features flat, almost
The head can essentially be broken up into thirds vertically and fifths horizontally. If we
take the face plane of the head, starting at the top of the forehead or hairline and running down to
the chin, and break it up into perfect thirds we will find that the top of the eye socket and the ear
will fall on the top division, below the hairline, and the nose and bottom of the ear on the bottom
division, above the chin. Now if we divide the width of the head into fifths we will find that the
middle fifth defines the width of the nose which is then flanked the eyes, and those by the width
of the head.
 If we now look at the head in profile we find that our vertical measurements still hold true,
but our horizontal obviously change. The head in profile will fit exactly into a perfect square, if we
take that square and cut it in half both vertically and horizontally we find that the ear rides on the
back of the horizontal half way and between the brow and nose marks that we found earlier. If we
place the vertical half way we can use that place both the bottom lid of our eye as well as where
the neck connects to the back of the head. A common mistake with connecting the head to the
neck is placing the neck on the center of the head like a lollipop. Avoid this mistake by using this
measurement.
When dealing with up and down head tilts it is helpful to think of the head as a cylinder, or more
precisely as a whistle. The main reason it is helpful to think of the head this way is because it is
easier to visualize your axis and division bending into perspective. If you observe a cylinder with
three equal divisions tilted up or tilted down you can find the top of your eye sockets, the bottom
of your nose and your ears at any angle..
 like they are features painted on a volleyball, or worse yet a flat cardboard mask. It is
important to realize that for protection, all of the features are built with a bit of an overhang to
protect them from things falling from above. They also fit to the slight curved contour of the face
plane. Rely on skeletal markers for the placement of your features-at the brow ridge, where the
cartilage of the nose connects to the nasal bone, and where the flesh portion of the lips connects
to the face at the base of the nose, and at the mentolabial sulcus at the top of the chin.. Do not
rely as much on cartilage and even less on flesh, because this varies so much from one
individual to the next.
I am not going to go in depth into each of the features in this book, but there are some
important points that I would like to make some corrections to the most common mistakes I see
new students make. One of the most common mistakes I see is drawing the features flat, almost
like they are features painted on a volleyball, or worse yet a flat cardboard mask. It is important to
realize that for protection, all of the features are built with a bit of an overhang to protect them
from things falling from above. They also fit to the slight curved contour of the face plane. Rely on
skeletal markers for the placement of your features-at the brow ridge, where the cartilage of the
nose connects to the nasal bone, and where the flesh portion of the lips connects to the face at
the base of the nose, and at the mentolabial sulcus at the top of the chin.. Do not rely as much on
cartilage and even less on flesh, because this varies so much from one individual to the next.
 Keys to Drawing the Head
1) Break the head down into thirds vertically
2) Break the head down into fifths horizontally from the front
3) Head fits into a box in profile
4) Use a cylinder metaphor to help find up and down tilts
5) Head sits forward on the neck, avoid the lollipop head
4.2 STRUCTURE

Structure is the movement around a form. While gesture is more or less a two
dimensional lay-in, Structure adds a third dimension, depth. Essentially structure turns a shape
into a form. The main difference between a shape and a form breaks down like this. A square is
a shape, a cube is a form; a circle is a shape, while a sphere is a form.

In the second stage of the drawing we are going to be adding volume to our linear
construction. The reason for using this method is so we can all be sure we understand the
volumes and are not just mimicking superficial shading tricks that we have seen used by other
artists. We should understand the principles behind the tricks so that we can come up with our
own way of communicating with the viewer and not be stuck being a second rate copy of some
other artist.

Here we are mainly going to be working with cross contour lines, which essentially take the
gesture line and turn them into a rounded cylindrical form, a squared of boxy form or anything in
between. This is basically a tool for you to use later on in the drawing, a shorthand or road map
for guiding you in your shading of a form, much the way you will draw in a guideline before
cutting a piece of wood.

So let us begin. First we need to analyze each form and decide three things:
1) What is the primitive form, is it a cylinder, a cube, sphere or a cone?
2) How rounded or squared off is this form?
3) What is its position in three-dimensional space? Is it angled towards me, away from
me, or parallel to me? These principles are going to dictate our cross contours
 Characteristics of Structure
1) Movement over form
2) Three-dimensional
3) Pinch, flexion, tension
4) Form, depth, perspective
5) Strength

4.3 Shape Analyzation

Shape analyzation is probably one of the most difficult aspects of drawing for most
people. It requires you to put aside most of what you have spent so long learning for a time and
trust your eye. We spend most of our lives learning what an eye or nose or arm looks like.
The best way of improving shape analyzation skills is just practice, practice, and
practice. That cannot be taught. The first thing that has helped me in seeing shapes more
accurately is to SQUINT. By Squint is to sit at one arm's length from my drawing surface, relax,
then close my eyes and open them back up slowly until i can make out the figure as a series of
blurry light and dark shapes. This is the proper way to see when analyzing shapes
 Another trick for getting to draw the shapes more accurately it to think of it almost like
connect the dots, but (and here is the trick) you have to find the dots. So basically when looking
at the perimeter of a shape mentally. Or physically if you find it helps, put a dot on my drawing
surface wherever I see a major change of angle. Then I connect the dots with a straight or
slightly curved line, whichever seems most appropriate. Where exactly you choose to put these
“dots” and curved and straight lines is called your “design sense”. The result of seeing and
drawing this way simplification of the incredibly complex visuals that nature presents us with into
a geometric, posturized, two value version of reality.
 There are times that what works visually in the real three-dimensional world will not work
in the illusionary two-dimensional world of our drawing pad. This is why we sometimes have to
interpret what we see and not simply translate. The things that each artist choose to change to
create a better illusion of three-dimensions on their pad is very individual, so take what is
presented in the rest of this chapter with a grain of salt and realize these are ways that I have
found to improve my drawing on a personal level not so much an academic one.

When drawing a form that is slightly foreshortened, (which by the way almost all forms
are) instead of pushing that form more into profile like a lot of beginning artists do (this is one of
the things that gives a lot of artists that very stiff uptight look) I push it more into foreshortening
just slightly. Another thing I like to do is push the outlines of a forms closer to me in front of the
outlines of forms farther from me. For instance if the models arm is pointed at me I push the lines
of the hand in front of the those of the wrist, those of the wrist in front of the forearm, etc

One last thing I like push in my drawings are an anatomical indications that show the
volume of a form and conversely remove or play down those that go against that form. For
instance I might push the hip insertion of a foreshortened leg, but not the downward bowing arch
of the teardrop shape of the vastus internus.

Keys to shape analyzation

1) Squint
2) Squint
3) Squint
4) Two values
5) Connect the dots
6) Keep it simple
7) Visually relate lights and darks

INFORMATION SHEET 1
BASIC CONCEPTS

1.1 What is animation?

“To animate” means “to give life to”. Animations are created
from a sequence of still images. The images are displayed rapidly in
succession so that the eye is fooled into perceiving continuous motion. This
is because of a phenomenon called Persistence of Vision. This is the
tendency of the eye and brain to continue to perceive an image even after it
has disappeared. For example, in the above shown figure, a sequence of
images of a character in various positions gives the illusion of motion when
displayed rapidly one after another. Animation generally deals with hand
drawn image in contrast to motion video which deals with actual
photographs of real-world objects taken through a camera, although both
uses the concept of displaying a sequence of images one after another to
depict motion.

Uses of Animation

In multimedia, animation is regarded as an important and useful tool for

communicating information. The main application areas of animation include:

 Marketing and Advertising

 Staff and Program Development Training Presentations
 Educational Multimedia Programs
 Training Programs
 Sports
 Edutainment Titles
 Health-Care Programs
 Games
 Process Simulation
 Cyber Art
 Interactive Magazines
 The Internet
1.2 Brief History
Animation is a graphic of drawings to show movement within those drawings. A series of
drawings are linked together and usually photographed by a camera. The drawings have been
slightly changed between individualized frames so when they are played back in rapid succession
(24 frames per second) there appears to be seamless movement within the drawings.

The Early Days

Animation may have not been drawn on paper, but the earliest animation can be seen in
Paleolithic cave paintings with animals with multiple sets of legs giving the impression at
least 5000 years ago, a vase found in Iran had five images painted of a goat leaping to
grab a leaf from a tree.

Moving to Paper

Many centuries later, inventions like the Magic Lantern, Thaumatrope,

Phenakistoscope, Zoetrope, Praxinoscope and the Flipbook all helped bring the illusion
of motion to life, but the only thing missing was sound. It was until 1928 that Walt
Disney’s Steamboat Willie was the first short film to contain synchronized sound.

Colour was finally added to animation 5 years later in Flowers and Trees released by
Walt Disney in 1932. The first ever full feature film was Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs
released in 1937, and made $416 million dollars in box office sales, from then on, Walt
Disney Studios has become the biggest animation company in the world.

Stop Motion
Stop motion also had been around before in movies combining live action, however
Aardman is the only well known animation company that produces feature length stop
motion movies to this day.The first film to be completely stop motion/clay animation was
The Adventures of Mark Twain released in 1985, directed by Will Vinton, although it
made a theatrical release, it only made into 6 major cities.

Although Stop Motion is less popular with movies, a man and his dog still keep it alive.
They are called Wallace and Gromit.

Created by Nick Park, he was able to get a job in Aardman to finish his first short film ‘A
Grand Day Out’. Since then the famous duo won Oscars with 4 30 minute films, 11
shorts, a feature length movie and a special concert at the BBC Proms, and their films
translated into over 20 languages.
Getting all technical
Pixar were the first to create animation completely on a computer with countless short
films, before joining Disney to create the first ever computer animated feature length film
grossing over $300 thousand, before making a $1 billion with Toy Story 3, the first ever
animated movie to reach that much in box office sales. Pixar is now the most successful
Computer animated animation company in the world.

1.3 How animation Works

Scientific Theory of Animation – Persistence of Vision

Animation is an art and science; it’s a new art form that evolved from technical
innovations in frame projector science. Learning the concept of animation will be
easy by learning the scientific principle that helps animation work. So what is that
principle?

It’s very simple and is based on a simple theory-persistence of vision, according

to which, a human eye can retain images for more time when more images are
projected at high speed. That means a human eye requires some time to
conceive a single image. When multiple images are shown within a less span of
time, the eye will retain all images and the result is an illusion – That Is
Animation.

For example, multiple images carries an action printed on them like a rolling ball,
with some replacement in the positions of successive rolling ball, rolling in a path
in all images. Consider that the total number of images is 24, and the time
images are exposed to eye is 1 second. That means on average, each image is
exposed one twenty four time of a second and within the next one twenty fourth
of a second, the second image will follow. This time it is not enough to grasp all
information about an image for the eyes, so the image will be retained for a
longer time in memory. When these multiple number of images are retained in
the memory, the replacement in their positions causes an illusion of motion, like
that of a ball rolling.

Animation works by using an optical illusion. By presenting a

sequence of still images in quick succession, the viewer
interprets them as a continuous moving image. This is the same
principle that enables live action film making and projection to
work. Film
theorists often refer to this illusion of movement as the
persistence of vision.
Persistence of vision works because the human eye and brain can
only process 10 to 12 separate images per second, retaining an image
for up to a fifteenth of a second. If a subsequent image replaces it in
this period of time it will create the illusion of continuity.
The use of animation techniques to create moving images predates
conventional cinema. Devices like the phenakistoscope (disk pictured
above) and the zoetrope used the basic principles of animation to
provide entertainment in the 19th century.

A zoetrope
A sequence of images printed on a spinning drum or disk provide the
illusion of continuous motion when viewed through a slot in the drum
or on a secondary moving disk. The slot acts as a shutter momentarily
freezing the image. A traditional cinema projector works on the same
illusion by actually stopping the film frames.
Understanding persistence of vision helps animators to create smooth
and lifelike animations in the most efficient way by showing the viewer
just enough frames to create the sense of motion. In animation,
moving characters are often shot “on twos”, which means one image
is shown for every two frames of film, a total of 12 drawings per
second. Although this is just on the limit of our ‘persistence of vision’ it
is usually satisfactory for creating smooth and lifelike animation.

However, when a character is required to perform a quick movement,

it is usually necessary to revert to animating “on ones”. Alternating the
two techniques keeps the eye fooled without unnecessary production
cost. Cheaper cartoons often work on “threes”, or even “fours”, i.e.
three or four frames per drawing. This translates to only 8 or 6
drawings per second.

1.4 Animation Frame Rate

You can even try 12 frames per second but the action you see will not be
appealing. For live action movies the applicable rate is 30 frames per second and
for TV animation, any drawing that is produced for an action will be exposed
twice. That means, to produce a second of animated action you will need 12
drawings which is equal to 24 frames. The reason is to get some mileage. For
features, exposure rate will be in 1′s and it all depends in what kind of an action
whether it
is a slow one or a fast one. For example, a fast running character should be
exposed in 1′s. So that action looks very kinetic. This entire pattern comes under
the concept of animation timing. Timings play a major role in animation,
especially, in helping it defy the live action movies in extreme action like, Tom
and Jerry’s cut to chase sequences. You might have wondered what makes TOM
& JERRY performs those extreme actions and attain an elastic personality. This
is the result of proper application of animation timing.

How to Measure Length of Animation?

Animation is measured in footage. You must be familiar with the word footage.
We commonly use it in conservations like footage of hurricane or footage of a
wedding. In animation, footage is nothing but length of animation measured in
feet. Normally one foot of animation is equal to the length of 16 frames of
animation. That means one second of animation is equal to one and a half feet.

1 foot = 16 frames
1 sec animation = 24 frames = 1 1/2 feet.

Frame Rates:

The frame rate that you work at is a very important factor in the final quality of
your animation. The frame rate determines how many frames per second are
displayed when you playback your animation. If you set the frame rate too high,
you have to produce too many drawings. If you set it too low, your animation will
look choppy.

12 frames per second (FPS) are recommended for drawn animation. This is one
half of the frame rate used by film. This is referred to as ‘drawing on twos’

Typical Frame Rates:

12 fps: The majority of cartoon animation is drawn on twos. When put on film,
the frames are exposed twice to make 24 fps. In our case, we can simply play
back at 12 fps.
15 fps: Less typical would be animation drawn for twos on video.
24 fps: Film
25 fps: Pal (European) Television.
29.97 fps: When color was added to the television standard, a slight adjustment
had to be made to accommodate the extra signal used for color. The video still
plays at 30 fps, but occasionally a frame has to be dropped to keep up. This is
called ‘Drop frame’
30 fps: Black and White NTSC (US) Television.
1.5 Type of Animation
Types Of Animation

In this post we listed 20 different types of animation techniques and styles. Animation is the

process of creating the illusion of motion and shape change by means of the rapid display of a

sequence of static images that minimally differ from each other. Animation is all around us, be it

your favourite tv commercials, music, movies or even videos you can see the stop motion

animation type. Movement creation techniques incorporate the conventional traditional

animation and stop motion animation techniques of two and three- dimensional figures, for

example, paper set patterns, puppets and clay figures. Keeping Stop motion as the base of all

animation, different styles of animation techniques can be used to create the animated

sequences. In this post we included 20 different types of animation and animation styles,
Types of Animation Techniques
1. Traditional animation
2. 2D animation
3. 3D animation
4. Typography Animation
5. Clay animation
6. Sand Animation
7. Flip book Animation
8. Stop-motion animation, etc..see below

1: Traditional animation or Classical 2D animation :

Traditional animation involved animators drawing by hand for each and every frame. If you love

the feel of pencils on paper, then the traditional approach is very fascinating. Traditional

animation is creating the drawings one by one on the frame. 2D animation involves creating

numerous drawings then feeding into a plastic cells, hand painting them and create the

animated sequence on a painted background image.

Traditional Animation Movies : Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Peter Pan, and

Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin

The Animation Process From 1938 - Traditional animation history - Video

Computer animation - 2D, 3D: The famous Mickey Mouse animation was created using the 2d

animation technique.The first 2D animation was called Fantasmagorie, it's a short cartoon made

by Emile Cohl. It's shot entirely in black and white, the cartoon is all about a simple stick man in

live action. The cartoon is 75 seconds long and it took about 700 different drawings to create.

This historic animation was released in 1908. During the 1960s many popular cartoons like the

Jetsons and the Flintstones were created using 2d animation.

2 : Digital 2D animation

Creating animations in the 2 dimensional space with the help of digital technologies is known as

digital 2d animation. You don’t need to create digital models, you just need to draw the frames.

Create 100s of drawing and animating them to show some kind of movement is technically

known as digital 2d animation. Using Adobe flash, animators can limit the number of drawings

used, which makes them easier to create digital 2d animation. Small variations like changing the

color or frame rate can be changed almost instantly, thus making it easier for the animators to

work on.
Simple 2D walk cyle : Watch Video

3 : Digital 3D animation

If you are interested in making the unreal characters into a realistic one, then it’s Digital 3d

animation. Digital 3d animation characters are much faster to create and they are quite popular

in the movie making industry. Using a computer software 3d animated images are used to

create many short films, full length movies and even tv commercials and a career in digital 3d

animation is highly rewarding. Compared to 2D animation and the traditional approach, 3d

animation models are highly realistic.

25 Realistic 3D Models and Character Designs for your inspiration

25 Best and Award Winning 3D Animated Short Films for your Inspiration
4 : Stop-motion animation

Have you ever wondered if a piece of stone can walk or talk, well anything is possible in

animation? Using frame by frame animation, physical static objects are moved around and

during the post production it is shown in a fluid movement. Stop motion animation has been

around ever since the evolution of puppets. There were many movies created using the stop

motion method, some of the finest examples are “Fun in a bakery shop” created in 1902.Edwin

Porter directed "The Teddy Bears," which was one of the earliest stop-motion animation films.

The movie is a short sequence of playing teddy bears, just over a minute in length, which took

over 50 hours to animate.

25 Best Stop Motion Short Films Videos

5 : Mechanical Animation

Instead of robotics, machines can be animated by using the mechanical animation technique.

Instead of creating the original machine, creating these mechanical animations, allows the

animator to understand how the machine works. Explaining the functionality of these machines

is quite easy through this kind of animation technique.

6 : Audio-Animatronics and Autonomatronics

Walt disney imagineering created the trademark audio animatronics which is fitted in its disney

theme parks. Otto is a robot which can easily sense a person in a room, converse with them and

can also tell if they are happy. Autonomatronics technology is different from Audio-Animatronics

technology. Audio-Animatronics technology repeats a pre-programmed show over and over

again. Autonomatronics technology is driven by sophisticated cameras and sensors giving Otto

the ability to make choices about what to say and do.

7: Chuckimation

Chuckimation is one of the most popular animation techniques created by "Action League Now!"

creators. It's a combination of stop frame animation and live shots, where characters are

dropped into a particular frame. It has some similarities to the famous puppet shows.

Watch Video
8 : Puppetry Animation

Puppetry animation is created using the life like puppets instead of objects. The film ‘The

Humpty Dumpty Circus’ (1908) created by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert smith receives credit as

the first stop-motion animation film that features puppets. Nowadays puppet animation is most

commonly used in children’s cartoons and films. An example of puppet animation used in

cinema is in the film King Kong (1933).The Nightmare before Christmas (1993) is an American

stop motion musical fantasy horror film directed by Henry Selick. It used 227 puppets to

represent the characters in the film and also 400 heads were used to allow the expression for

every possible emotion.

Puppet animation - Bommalattam India
Watch Video

Brian Henson's Evolution of Puppetry - Watch Video

9: Clay animation or Claymation

If you like to play with clay then this is of the best forms of stop motion created in Claymation. In

this Claymation, pieces of clay are moulded to create characters and based on the imagination

of the animator, a story is unfolded. There are oil based and water based clays available.

Sometimes the clay is moulded into free forms or filled up in a wire like structure called

armature. The animated characters are kept in a set and with only short movements, the whole

scene is film.

16 Funny Claymation TV Commercials Videos

10. Zoetrope Animation

The zoetrope is one of several animation toys which were invented in the 19th century, as

people experimented with ways to make moving pictures. It was invented in 1834 by William

George Horner, and is one of the early forms of animations. Some still images are drawn on a

drum and when turned in a circular way, you have an illusion of movement. The visual effect

created by a zoetrope is still used today to create animated GIFs.

11. Cut-out animation

Cut – Out animation is probably one of the oldest forms of stop motion animations in the history

of animation. The first cut-out animation was created by LotteReiniger in 1926 and it was named

“The Adventures of Prince Achmed”. She used quite detailed paper silhouettes to convey a

beautiful story. In this method paper cut outs are moved under the camera lens to say a story.

Ever since the evolution of computers, it was much easier to introduce the computerised cut

images in a queue.

25 Beautiful Cut out Animation Videos

12. Sand Animation

This technique is messy as you will have to get your hands dirty with sand. A lit glass table is

used as a canvas and the animator creates animation by moving the sand in certain directions

and yes you guessed it right, animators have to constantly erase their creations to create

another scene. The whole process is photographed and then during post production, they are

merged to show the sand animation. Even though it takes hours to complete the animation, the

end creation will truly blow your mind away.

20 Award winning Sand Art works and Sand Animation examples
13. Typography Animation

Typography is all about font faces and letters and animation is anything that is in motion, a

combination of text in motion is known as typography animation. Typography animation is

widely used during the titles part of a movie. If you have a love for the font faces and types, then

one must watch the stop motion typography animation created by Barrett Forest called the “The

Atlantic”. It’s so easy to create new kinds of font face by using software such as Fontlab.
25 Creative and Best Typography Animation Videos
14. Paint-on-glass animation

In this technique, slow drying paints are used on a glass canvas, which allows the animator to

manipulate the art and photograph them simultaneously. Sometimes turpentine is used in the

paints, which makes it easier for the animator to work on the paintings. It’s tough and laborious

task as you have to paint on glass, take photographs and then create another scene which is

then blended together in the post production, to give an animated version of the painting.
20 Paint on Glass animation Videos and Animation Techniques

15. Drawn-on-film animation

Drawn-on-film animation has been around since 1916, but most of the animations are lost from

that period. This technique involves scratching, etching directly on an exposed film reel or

alternatively can also be created in a dark room introducing the light in variations to create

shadows which are permanently embedded on the film. Sometimes animators can just stick the

black film reel on to a workboard and punch holes into them or stick just about anything on the

film reel. This animation was one of the earliest forms of animation technique and probably one

of the cheapest, since you just need a role of film, etching tools and a projector.

10 Drawn-on-Film Animation Videos, History and Techniques

16. Experimental animation

Experimental animation is the art of combining two or more illogical paintings or art to create an

animated scene. Different kinds of animation paintings are introduced at odd points which are

totally irrelevant to each other. So the randomly introduced paintings create a different frame

altogether in the animation process. Some animators have used a magnifying glass on paintings

and multiple frames are captured to create an animation.

17. Erasure animation

Erasure animation uses 2d animation for motion graphics. Many popular charcoal erasure films

have been created using this technique and one famous animator is William Kentridge.

Photography and animation has to be done at every change to create a fluid motion in the

animation film.
18. Pinscreen animation

A screen being pricked by thousands of headless pins is used to create pin screen animation.

Alexandre Alexeieff and Claire Parker invented the pin screen animation technique in the 1930s.

The two people used the pin screen to create Night on Bald Mountain. Once the pins are

pricked, the screen is lit on one side, which casts shadows, based on the depth of the prick, the

deeper the shadow. Night was the first animated film to use their pin screen, a 3×4 foot

rectangle containing around 240,000 pins that move laterally in order to create different shadow

lengths.
19. Flip book Animation

Even before the time of computers, animation was very much in practice. Artists used to carry a

small flip book or flick book and draw a series of images, with little variation to the
pictures, so when the book is flicked rapidly, you can see the series of images in a fluid motion,

trying to show a scene. Flipbook animation is one of the oldest but fascinating kinds of

animation.
 SELF-CHECK
1

A. Identification

1. All visual animation media uses a series of still image

shown very rapidly to simulate motion or change.

2. It is a visual technique that provides the illusion of motion by displaying

a collection of images in rapid sequence.

3. It is an animation focused on the display of expressions, emotions and

behaviors normally associated with intelligent life forms.

4. It is a technique for producing animations whereby important positions,

sizes and orientations of objects at particular points in time are identified and everything

else in-between is filled in by interpolation.

5. In animation it uses frames per second.

 B. Site at least 3 examples of the following

 Computer Games:

 Internet:

 Advertising

 Science:

 Military Simulation:

 Transport:

C. Do the following

1. Find a story that migrated from a less visual medium (like a book or play) to animation.

Compare the story in both mediums. How did it change?

2. What do you think the animation industry will be like in twenty years? In fifty? What

influences might change it? Discuss

References

Website

http://webneel.com/different-types-of-animation-styles

http://www.animationbrain.com/how-animation-works.html
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/explore-animation/0/steps/12222
http://www.animationbrain.com/how-animation-works.html

O GAME DESIGN
oper.

 Education

 Career

 Tutorials
 Animation
The Different Types of Animation
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When it comes to jobs that require a combination of skill, boundless creativity, and passion, few
can compare to animation.

Animators are the ones who bring ideas to life so that others may enjoy stories and characters not
possible in real life.

Animation has been around for a while now and many new types of techniques have been
introduced, which means animation studios and companies all over the world are looking for
talented individuals who have what it takes to master them.

Below you’ll find information on the two main types of animation techniques as well as a few less
relevant methods.

Whether you end up making digital 2D animations for movies and TV shows or environments for
games, we hope this helps guide you down the animation path that’s perfect for you.
 2D Animation Styles

What is 2D Animation?
2D animation is when scenes and characters are animated in a 2D space instead of a 3D
environment.

Today, artists use computer software to create everything in a 2D animation, including

environments, characters, visual effects, and more.

For most of the 20th century, animation was done by taking photographs of drawings on paper
and then placing them on transparent acetate sheets called cels.

This process was abandoned with the introducing of computers, which allows artists to create
digital animations and then use techniques to manipulate the image. Compared to drawing
multiple images, using computers is far less time-consuming and effective.

Although drawing skills are still required to be a 2D animator today, most of the work is done with
the use of computer software.
These programs often have a huge toolbox of features that help the artists manipulate the
animation in a number of ways, including making it look smoother by fine-tuning important
elements such as timing.

Other advantages of 2D animation over the traditional way include being able to save and load
work. Being able to do so proves very handy if something didn’t work and you need to revert back
to an earlier version of the animation.

Being skilled in a particular 2D animation program also allows you to make good use of a vast
library of visual effects.

Of course, every 2D animation software comes with its own learning curves, which only get
steeper the better the program is.

Knowing what each tool does and how to use it effectively is essential if you want to be a good 2D
animator that isn’t limited to a few techniques.

Notable 2D Animation Programs

 Toon Boom Studio

 Autodesk’s SketchBook Pro
 Anime Studio Debut
 DrawPlus
 FlipBook Lite
 Adobe Photoshop
 The TAB Pro
 CrazyTalk Animator
 MotionArtist
 Flip Boom Cartoon

Where is 2D animation used?

2D animation is widely used in a number of creative industries and is still widely used despite the
rise of 3D animation.

Everything from cartoon series and Japanese anime to video games and full feature films are
done in 2D. The fact that 2D animation is flexible enough to be done on a wide range of platforms
it what makes it such a popular form for anything from entertainment and multimedia to broadcast
video.

Television is where 2D animation is still used the most.

The number of shows that have been made with 2D animation is near-endless, with some of the
more well-known ones being The Simpsons, SpongeBob Squarepants, South Park, and Avatar:
The Last Airbender.
Anime, a style of Japanese animation inspired by their manga comics, also makes use of 2D
animation.

Some of the biggest anime hits are:

 Dragonball Z
 Naruto
 One Piece
 Attack On Titan

Plenty of influential and critically-acclaimed films have also used 2D animation, including The Lion
King, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, and The Iron Giant. Disney has always been at the
top when it comes to companies that produce well-received animated feature films.

Another notable company is Studio Ghibli, a Japanese film studio who has produced classics like:

 Spirited Away
 Kiki’s Delivery Service
 Castle in the Sky

2D animation was also once the dominant art form for most of video game’s history. Beloved titles
like Super Mario Bros, Mega Man, Super Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda all employ 2D visuals.

Despite 3D being the most popular style for games, indie developers are making 2D games
popular again with hit titles like Shovel Knight, Braid, Limbo, and more.

Typical 2D Animation Career Path

While some companies are more than willing to hire you if they see that you have a talent for 2D
animation, most are only looking for artists with college degrees.

This is because someone who went through a two or four-year program in animation, computer
graphics, or other related field usually has knowledge of the programs they’ll be expected to use.

Animation college graduates also normally have a portfolio to showcase their technical and artistic
skills to the places they apply to.

So if you’re an aspiring 2D animator, it is possible to break into any industry by learning software
programs yourself and refining your skills.

However, your path will likely involve some kind of college or university program if you want
the best chance of getting hired at a company that does 2D animation.
These can include game developers, animated film studios, television companies, and most other
multimedia fields.

3D Animation Styles

3D animation is the manipulation of three dimensional objects and virtual environments with

the use of a computer program.

1. Animators first create a 3D polygon mesh with various connected vertices to give it form.
2. The mesh is then rigged by giving it an armature, a skeletal structure that can be manipulated to
make the object appear in specific poses.
3. After making other objects and environments, the artist then uses the software to create scenes
that are much more lifelike than 2D animation.

This form, which is also called computer-generated imagery (CGI), is a fairly recent technique

that only came into use during the 1990s.

Before that, the closest thing to 3D animation was stop-motion and Claymation, which involved
using real-life objects and taking pictures to give the illusion of motion. Now it is arguably the most
popular form of animation and is used in anything from TV shows, video games, and feature films.

A computer and 3D software program is required to create 3D animations, which usually

comes with a ton of features that let you do anything from modeling and simulation to rendering.
Tools for adding lighting, visual effects, physics, and other elements are also normally included.

The reason 3D animation has become popular is because it can be used to create realistic
objects and scenes.

Live-action films like Transformers, Avatar, and The Avengers would not be as impressive if you
removed all the 3D elements, which often include entire characters and settings. 3D has also
become the standard visual style for video games because it lets players do much more than a
2D game.

But like other forms of animation, 3D has its own learning curve that involves gaining a firm
understanding of 3D software programs.

These programs also tend to be pretty expensive, which means they can be hard to learn as a
student who doesn’t have a few hundred bucks to spend on one.

Notable 3D Animation Programs

 Autodesk Maya
 Autodesk 3ds Max
 Unity
 CINEMA 4D
 Houdini
 Autodesk Softimage
 LightWave
 Modo
 TurboCAD Deluxe
 SketchUp Pro

Where is 3D animation used?

Today, 3D animation is used in more industries than ever before.

Common examples include:

 games
 movies
 television shows
 interior designing
 business
 architecture
 medicine
 many other multimedia fields

Without 3D animation, beloved movies like Toy Story, Frozen, How To Train Your Dragon, and
Big Hero 6 would not have been possible.
When it comes to games, 3D animation is everywhere.

Some of today’s most successful titles are in 3D, including Super Mario 3D World, Bloodborne,
Halo, Call of Duty, and many more.

Television has also finally started seeing a number of well-received 3D shows such as Star Wars
Rebels, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, and the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
series.

Typical 3D Animation Career Path

Just like with 2D animation, most places will want to see a bachelor’s degree in a related field.
This is because 3D animation is a very technical specialty that requires a solid understanding
of different programs and how to use them effectively.

Since studios that make 3D games and movies are demanding, fast-paced environments, they
want to hire people who have already mastered the 3D software programs they use for their
projects.

That is why a self-taught 3D animator isn’t as likely to get hired as someone who went through an
animation program at a college or university.

We’re not saying it’s impossible to get a job by teaching yourself how to animate in 3D, but
the average company has more confidence hiring someone who can prove they’ve spent a
number of years learning how to be a 3D animator and receiving instruction from trained
professionals.

Other Popular Animation Techniques

The following is a list of other animation techniques that are still used today but are not as
relevant.

In other words, there aren’t very many positions out in the world for a claymation animator.

Stop Motion
This technique involves setting an object or character in a specific pose against a background and
taking a picture.

The involved elements are then slightly modified before taking another frame. This is similar to
traditional 2D animation in that having various frames gives the impression of movement.

Claymation

Clay animation is a form of stop-motion that is popular enough to be seen as its own technique.
This involves the same process but clay (plasticine) is used for almost all the characters, objects,
and backdrops.
Tim Burton has popularized this technique by using it in a number of his films, including
Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, and James and the Giant Peach.

Cel Animation

This was the traditional method used to create 2D animations before the introduction of
computers.

Cel animation involves drawing various images that are slightly different and then tracing them
onto transparent sheets called a cel.

This method is mostly obsolete since it is far more time-consuming and costly to produce.

Paint-On-Glass Animation
 This rare but attractive technique requires the manipulation of slow-drying oil paints on sheets of
glass to create the illusion of motion.

Even though it is uncommon and difficult to do, paint-on-glass animation is usually well-received.

A Russian animator by the name of Aleksandr Petrov has used this technique to create seven
films, and all of them been award winners.

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The 5 Types of Animation

 A Beginner’s Guide

What is this guide about?

The purpose of this guide is to take you through the intricacies of the different types of animation
styles and techniques.

It also shows you what path you should take, and what does that path entails, in order to become
an animator based on the type you choose.

This guide is not about leaning how to animate, but instead it breaks down the five different types
(or genres) of animation available to you, and what you’ll need to start animating. Best software,
best schools, and more.

Styles covered:
1. Traditional animation

2. 2D Vector-based animation

3. 3D computer animation

4. Motion graphics

5. Stop motion

I hope that reading this will push you to take your first step to pursuing your dream of making
animation.

No more excuses. All you need to know is right here.

Traditional Animation
(2D, Cel, Hand Drawn)
Traditional animation, sometimes referred to as cel animation, is one of the older forms of
animation, in it the animator draws every frame to create the animation sequence. Just like they
used to do in the old days of Disney. If you’ve ever had one of those flip-books when you were a
kid, you’ll know what I mean. Sequential drawings screened quickly one after another create the
illusion of movement.
 There’s always room out there for the hand-drawn image. I personally like the imperfection
of hand drawing as opposed to the slick look of computer animation.

Matt Groening

About traditional animation

In traditional animation, animators draw images on a transparent piece of paper fitted on a peg
using a colored pencil, one frame at the time. Animators usually test animations with very rough
drawings to see how many frames they would need for the action to work. The animation process
of traditional animation can be lengthy and costly. Once the clean-up and the in-between
drawings are complete, the production would move on to photographing each individual frame.
Today, though, traditional animation can be done on a computer using a tablet, and does not
require actual photography of individual frames. 

History
The history of animation can be stretched as far back as 5000 BC, if you are lenient on the
techniques of the art form, found on a pottery bowl in Iran depicting a goat leaping.

The techniques of animation that we are more familiar with, however, first appeared in 1650
as The Magic Lantern, by the Venetian inventor Giovanni Fontana (whether or not he truly is the
inventor is still highly debated). A simple lantern with a strip of animation sliding past a crude lens,
illuminated by a single candle, was humankind’s first introduction to projection. It was primarily
used to scare people with images of devilish creatures running on the wall, and generally play on
people’s superstitions.

Many more inventions came along, such as the Phenakistoscope and Zoetrope, but the first
projection of animation on a screen came in 1877 with the Praxinoscope, invented by the French
science teacher Charles-Émile Reynaud. He then later invented the Théâtre Optique in 1888,
which he used to stage the first public screening of animation at the Musée Grévin in Paris in
1892.

There he screened the animated short Pauvre Pierrot, which is notable for being the first time film
perforations was used, and also for having the animation drawn directly on the frames instead of
being photographed.

The first film recorded on a filmstrip was made in 1900, which included animated sequences
where J. Stuart Blackton draws a man on an aisle holding a bottle of wine, and the man grabbing
the bottle. Blackton followed it up five years later with the Humorous Phases of Funny Faces,
which cemented J.Stuart Blackton as the forefather of American animation.
Stepping to France in 1908, we saw the world’s first fully animated film, made by the French
artist Émile Cohl. The film was called Fantasmagorie, which contained stick figures encountering
various inanimate objects.

As the 1910’s rolled around, studio produced animations came into fruition with the newspaper
cartoonist Winsor McCay, who directed several animated shorts. During the 1910’s, animations
we’re called ‘Cartoons’. They we’re mainly produced for cinemas as pre-show attractions, to be
screened before the feature film. John Randolph Bray and  Earl Hurd were the most successful
animation producers of the decade, and were responsible for patenting the cell animation
process, which would later dominate the animation industry for most of the century.

Nowadays, traditional animation is being done mostly on computers by using a tablet (such as
the Wacom Cintiq.) It is usually animated on 12 frames per second, with occasional faster actions
animated on 24 frames per second.

Software

TVPaint
A french animation software, TVPaint is the all-in-one 2D animation software you’ll ever
need. It’s definitely more robust and complex than Photoshop, but it’s also much pricier. This
software is for professional animators and studios.

Supported platforms:

 Windows
 Mac OS
 Linux

Learn more…
Toon Boom Harmony
Toon Boom offers a user friendly set of animation programs that has
advanced rigging systems, effects and camera tools. It is vector based, but the more advanced
version also has the option for bitmap drawing.

They offer different packages for different prices. The packages are Harmony Essentials,
Harmony Advanced, and Harmony Premium. For hobbyists animators I would suggest the
Essentials package which is not very expensive.

Read: Toon Boom Harmony vs. Flash (Animate)

Supported platforms:

 Windows
 Mac OS

Learn more…
Photoshop
Photoshop is often overlooked when considering an animation software, but in reality its powerful
drawing capabilities makes it a great choices for frame by frame Disney-style animation.
Photoshop’s timeline functionality lets you animate by drawing frame by frame, using onion
skinning, and is incredibly robust.

Supported platforms:

 Windows
 Mac OS

Learn more…

Courses

TVPaint Animation course
Learn to animate with the industry leader in 2D frame-by-frame animation.

TVPaint is a high-end professional animation software, focused on traditional hand-drawn

animation style. We’re talking old-school Disney/Ghibli quality. I’ve brought in an amazing 2D
animator to take you through this sophisticated program, and I truly believe he created the best
TVpaint course out there.

Get the course

Toon Boom Animation course

I’ve designed this course to be tailored specifically for people who want to get into 2D animation in
the most professional way.

Toon Boom Harmony is an incredibly robust professional-level animation software, and can do
pretty much everything in the realm of 2D animation. Anything from stick figures to Disney-level
results. I’ve brought in an amazing 2D animator to take you through this amazing journey, and I
truly believe he created one of the best animation courses out there.

Get the course

Schools

Sheridan College
School information: Sheridan College was founded in 1967 as The School of Graphic Design at
a converted public school until it was eventually moved.

The Canadian animation industry was virtually non-existent during the 60’s and 70’s, but president
Porter decided to start a course in classical animation at the college in 1968 in hopes of getting
trained animators.

 Location: Toronto. Canada

 Courses: Animation, Computer Animation, Digital Creature Animation, Visual Effects

 Tuition cost: $9,356.05 (Canadian dollars) per semester

 Notable alumni: Dean DeBlois (Disney animator), Dan Lee (Pixar animator), John
Kricfalusi (Creator of Ren and Stimpy show), Dan Antonucci (Creator of Ed, Edd ‘n, Eddy)

 Start of Academic year: September

 Notable graduate film: Night Light (Qing Han, 2014)

Read more…
 Gobelins
School information: Founded by the Parisian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 1964, but
is best known for the Cinema Department of Animation, which was founded by Pierre Ayma in
1974 when the first Asterix and Obelix feature film was being produced by Studio Idefix.

The studio didn’t have enough animators for the project, so they asked Gobelins to start an
animation training program.

 Location: Paris. France

 Courses: Character Animation and Animated Film Making, 3D Character Animation

 Tuition cost: €6,350 First year, €6,450 Second year, €6,550 Third year
Notable alumni: Pierre Coffin (Director of Despicable Me), Bibo Bergeron (Director of A
Monster in Paris)
Start of Academic year: Beginning of September

 BA Animated Film Making: 80 students

 Notable graduate film: Oktapodi (Julien Bocabeille, Francois-Xavier Chanioux, Olivier

Delabarre, Thierry Marchand, Quentin Marmier, Emud Mokhberi, 2007)
Nominated for Academy Award, 2009

Read more…

CalArts
School information: CalArts was founded in 1961 by Walt Disney, when Chouinard Art Institute
and the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music merged together due to financial difficulties.
Nelbert Chouinard, founder of the Chouinard Art Institute, started a professional relationship with
Walt Disney in 1929, and agreed to train animators for him on a pay-later basis as Disney was
struggling financially.

 Location: Valencia, California. USA

 Courses: Film/Video (Includes animation)

 Tuition cost: $41,700 Full-time enrolment

 Notable alumni: Tim Burton (Disney animator and Director), Brad Bird (Director, Disney
and Pixar), John Lasseter (Pixar), Jennifer Lee & Chris Buck (Directors of Frozen)

 Start of Academic year: September

 Notable graduate film: Trust & Estates (Jeanette Bonds, 2013) Official Selection,
Melbourne International Animation Festival 2013

Read more…

Get our FREE course

Making an Animated Movie

How to make an animated short film from start to finish.

The course comes bundled with any of our other courses.

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 2D Animation
(Vector-Based)
This style has become very popular in the last decade due to the accessibility of the technology
and the growth of online video. Flash is cheap and easy to use, as are other vector-based
animation programs.

Animation is different from other parts. Its language is the language of caricature. Our
most difficult job was to develop the cartoon’s unnatural but seemingly natural anatomy for
humans and animals.

Walt Disney

About vector-based 2D animation

2D animation is the term often used when referring to traditional hand-drawn animation, but it can
also refer to computer vector animations that adopts the techniques of traditional animation.

Vector-based animations, meaning computer generated 2D animations, uses the exact same
techniques as traditional animation, but benefits from the lack of physical objects needed to make
traditional 2D animations, as well as the ability to use computer interpolation to same time.

History
In the late 90’s, due to bandwidth restrictions, many artists started using Flash to distribute short
(and very limited) animations on the web, which were usually very small in size.

That limitation gave Flash the mass appeal which made it such a huge success among
independent artists and animators.

Flash really skyrocketed in 2005 when it was purchased by Adobe. When YouTube started
growing, it completely exploded, and today you can find thousands of Flash animations there.

The reason 2D was put in a separate category is that in addition to the option of animating frame
by frame, an animator has the option of creating rigs for the characters and then move the body
parts individually instead of drawing the character over and over.
These flexibilities provides beginners with more options when approaching animation, especially if
drawing isn’t their strong suit. Traditional animation, on the other hand, requires very strong
drawing skills.

Software

Adobe Animate (Formerly known as Flash)

Probably the most popular 2D animation software out there. Animate has a long lineage of
animation making, dating back to the early days of internet video publishing. It is vector based,
very intuitive to use (as are most of Adobe’s programs) and relatively inexpensive. It’s great for
getting started with 2D animation, and though it’s not meant for professional animation production
(unlike Toon Boom Harmony) you can still get amazing results with it.

Read: Toon Boom Harmony vs. Flash (Animate)

Supported platforms:

 Windows
 Mac OS

Learn more…
Adobe After Effects
An interesting choice for 2D animation. After effects gives you great control when creating rigs for
2D, and using the puppet tool is very convenient and intuitive. I find it to be a great choice if
you’re already comfortable with the Adobe environment, but that’s a matter of preference. Since
it’s an editing software it’s great to be able to edit and color correct in the same place you
animate, and while it’s not the traditional way the pipeline works, it could save some time.

Supported platforms:

 Windows
 Mac OS

Learn more…

Courses
Animate CC Animation course (Flash)
There’s enough in this course for the person who wants to make cool short animations for
YouTube, as well as for the working professional who wants to get hired as a 2D animator.

Animate CC is a very easy software to learn, though it takes time to master. I’ve brought in an
amazing 2D animator to take you through the complete journey of making a full animated shot
using only Animate CC. We’ll show you how simple it is to get amazing results with Animate.

Get the course

After Effects Animation
There’s enough in this course for the person who wants to make cool short animations for
YouTube, as well as for someone who wants to get to know After Effects, and learn what amazing
things can be done in it.

After Effects is simple to learn, though hard to master. I’ve been using After Effects almost daily
for the past 7 years, and I’ve done anything from animated logos, animated web series, to
compositing and visual effects. This course is a great place to start your path to animation, as well
as learn a highly profitable skill.

Get the course

Schools

Full Sail University

School information: Founded in 1979 by Jon Phelps in Ohio, before the University was moved to
Orlando in 1980, under the name of Full Sail Recording Workshop. Focused on video and film
production, but added in animation when the University moved to Orange County in 1989.

The University started offering online degree programs in 2007.

 Location: Orange County, Florida. USA

 Courses: Computer animation

 Tuition cost: $14,762 per semester

 Notable alumni: Culley Bunker (Lead visual effects artist), Chance Glasco (Senior
animator)

 Start of Academic year: Second week of November

Read more…

Digital Tutors
School information: Founded in 2000 as an online tutoring program, focusing on giving lessons
via streaming. Currently has 18 tutors from around the world.

 Location: Oklahoma. USA

 Courses: 3D animation, Visual Effects

 Tuition cost: $499 (American dollars) for a 12 month subscription

Read more…

3D Animation
(CGI, Computer Animation)
3D animation works in a completely different way than traditional animation. They both require an
understanding of the same principles of movement and composition, but the technical skill set is
very different for each task. while traditional animation requires you to be an amazing draftsman,
computer animation doesn’t. 3D animation is more similar to playing with puppets rather than
drawing.

Computers don’t create computer animation any more than a pencil creates pencil
animation. What creates computer animation is the artist.

John Lasseter
About 3D animation
3D animation, also referred to as CGI, or just CG, is made by generating images using computers.
That series of images are the frames of an animated shot.

The animation techniques of 3D animation has a lot of similarities with stop-motion animation, as
they both deal with animating and posing models, and still conforms to the frame-by-frame
approach of 2D animation, but it is a lot more controllable since it’s in a digital work-space.

Instead of drawn or constructed with clay, characters in 3D animation are digitally modeled in the
program, and then fitted with a ‘skeleton’ that allows animators to move the models.

Animation is done by posing the models on certain key frames, after which the computer will
calculate and perform an interpolation between those frames to create movement.

When the modeling and/or animation is complete, the computer will render each frame
individually, which can be very time-consuming, depending on the quality of the images and the
quantity of polygons in the scene.

a 3D animator will spend most of their time looking at curves that represent the movement of
different body parts over time.

Another big difference with 3D animation is that unlike traditional animation, the character’s body
parts are always present and should be taken to consideration.

I’ll explain:

When animating in 2D, the character has to be drawn again every frame. When the character is
viewed from the side, half of its body isn’t shown and thus isn’t drawn. It technically doesn’t exist.
It’s drawn on a flat page and there isn’t really more of the character other than what the animator
draws.

With 3D though, the character’s body parts always exist in the shot. Even when one hand isn’t
visible, it’s still there. That adds some work for the animator, since we need to be aware of the
entire character at all times.

The last major difference with 3D animation is the frame rate. Traditional animators usually work
on 2’s which means they draw a new drawing every 2 frames, and thus having one drawing last
for 2 frames. With 3D animation, however, the motion is always smooth (animated on 1’s), except
for stylized pieces which intentionally try to look different.

Even when the character is standing still there should always be some sign of life or gentle
movement to keep the illusion of life, this is something 2D animation can get away with much
more easily than 3D animation.
History
3D animation has definitely revolutionized how the animation industry looks today, and it all
started in 1995 with Toy Story, directed by John Lassetter.

Computer generated animation wasn’t completely new at the time, since it had already been used
in TV commercials, movies and computer games, but Toy Story set the bar by being the first
feature-length computer animated film, re-imagining the animation industry.

3D animation also lead to studios trying to achieve photo-realistic animations by combining high-
level computer processing with advance motion-capture. This has led to films such as The Lord of
the Rings trilogy and Planet of the Apes.

Software

Autodesk Maya
Maya is the industry standard 3D software, used in most studios. Maya, Softimage (which was
discontinued) and 3D Max all belong to Autodesk and work quite similarly. Choosing one is a
matter of personal preference.
Supported platforms:

 Windows
 Mac OS
 Linux

Learn more…

Autodesk 3DS Max
From Autodesk: 3DS Max provides a comprehensive 3D modeling, animation, rendering, and
compositing solution for games, film, and motion graphics artists. Create massive worlds and
stunning scenes more quickly and efficiently with some of the most robust animation and
rendering tools in the industry

Supported platforms:

 Windows

Learn more…
Cinema 4D
Cinema 4D is a motion graphics artist’s best friend. It is a 3D program for the After Effects
user. Very intuitive, and after a the release of Cineware it works directly with After Effects without
the need to render first. This would not be my first choice for serious 3D film production, since it is
designed from the ground up with motion graphics in mind, but it is an amazing and quite versatile
program.

Supported platforms:

 Windows
 Mac OS

Learn more…

Blender
Blender is an open source, free 3D software.

From Blender: Blender provides a broad spectrum of modeling, texturing, lighting, animation and
video post-processing functionality in one package. Through its open architecture, Blender
provides cross-platform interoperability, extensibility, an incredibly small footprint, and a tightly
integrated workflow.
Supported platforms:

 Windows
 Mac OS
 Linux
 FreeBSD

Learn more…

Courses

Blender Animation
Whether this is your first time animating with a 3D software, or if you are transitioning from a
different one (like Maya or Softimage), this course will take you through all the necessary tools so
you can start animating with the best free 3D program straight away.

Get the course

Maya Animation
Maya is the industry standard for 3D animation, so if you’re planning on getting into the animation
industry you need to be familiar with it.

While Maya is extremely complex and can do many different things, I’ve structured this course to
only focus on what you need to know to get straight into animation. Even if you’re intimidated by it,
Maya can be really fun to use, and this course could be a great way to fast-track your animation
career.

Get the course

Schools

School of Visual Arts (SVA)

School information: Founded in 1947 by Silas H. Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonist
and Illustrators School, and then renamed in 1956. Part of the Association of Independent
Colleges of Art and Design as one of 36 leading art colleges in the United States.

The school offered its first degree in 1972, and it’s first master’s degree in 1983 in Fine Arts for
painting, drawing and sculpture.

 Location: New York, NY. USA

 Courses: Animation, Computer Animation and Visual Effects

 Tuition cost: $16,780 per semester + Department fees (Animation: $900, Computer

Animation and visual effects:$1,340)

 Notable alumni: Bill Plympton (Academy nominated animator), John.R.Dilworth (creator of

Courage the Cowardly Dog), Pres Antonio Romanillos (supervising animator at Disney and
Dreamworks animation)

 Start of Academic year: September

 BFA Animation: 270 students

 BFA Computer Art, Computer Animation & Visual Effects: 325 students

 Notable graduate film: Kiwi! (Dony Permedi, 2006)

Read more…
 Ringling College of Art and Design
School information: Founded in Sarasota, Florida, by Dr. Ludd M. Spivey as an art school in
1931, and as a branch of the Southern College in Orlando. Became an independent college in
1933.

Qualified as a full degree-granting institution in 1971. Ringling College is named after John
Ringling, a circus magnate, who was interested in funding an art college, but wasn’t interested in
Southern College as he wanted to establish his own at his wife’s museum.

However, he lost his museum and residence in bankruptcy, and it was all given to the state just
before he died. Ringling’s nephew made a deal with Southern College to open an art college in
Sarasota, and it was named School of Fine and Applied Art of the John and Mable Ringling Art
Museum.

 Location: Sarasota, Florida. USA

 Courses: Computer Animation

 Tuition cost: $18,400 per semester

 Notable alumni: Aaron Blaise (Director of Disney’s Brother Bear)

 Start of Academic year: August

 Notable graduate film: Dia De Los Muertos (Ashley Graham, Kate Reynolds, and Lindsey
St. Pierre, 2013) Won Student Academy Award, 2013

Read more…
 University of California (UCLA)
School information: UCLA is a public University that was founded in 1919 as part of the
University of California system, comprised of three universities in the state.

The animation program was established in 1948 by William Shull, a Disney animator, as just a
group of various animation classes. When Dan MacLaughlin became head of the department in
1971, he started the MFA program for animation where he worked as the sole faculty member for
years.

 Location: Los Angeles, California. USA

 Courses: Animation

 Tuition cost: $33,193 per academic year

 Notable alumni: David Silverman (Animator, Producer on The Simpsons), Hoyt Yeatman

(VFX supervisor, won Academy Award for The Abyss)

 Start of Academic year: February

 MFA Animation Notable graduate film: Her Lion’s Jump (Régis Camargo, 2013)

Read more…

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)

School information: RISD was founded by the group The Centennial Women in 1877. The
Centennial Women was a group formed to exhibit creations made by women from design schools,
patents from female entrepreneurs, and books written exclusively by women, at the 1876
Centennial Exposition.

The group raised $10,000, and by the end of the expo had over $1,675 left, which they decided to
invest into founding Rhode Island School of Design.

 Location: Providence, Rhode Island. USA

 Courses: Film/Animation/Video

 Tuition cost: $44,284 per academic year

 Notable alumni: Seth MacFarlane (Creator of Family Guy) Bryan Konietzko & Michael
Dante DiMartino (Creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender), Lance Wilder (Animator, The
Simpsons)

 Start of Academic year: Second week of September

 Film/Animation/Video: 50 students per year

 Notable graduate film: Inner Tubes (Tim Beckhardt, 2009) Screened at Ottawa

International Animation Festival and Boston Underground Festival

Read more…

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)

School information: Founded in 1978 by Paula S. Wallace with her husband and parents, taking
out a $200,000 loan to build the first educational building, by renovating the Savannah Volunteer
Guard Armory.

The university first opened in 1979 with only 71 students. Currently the University has over 11,000
students.

 Location: Savannah, Georgia, USA. Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Hong Kong, Guangdong,

China. Lacoste, Vaucluse, France.
 Courses: Animation, Visual Effects

 Tuition cost: (In order of locations) $33,795 (American dollars), $261,911 (Hong Kong
dollars), $10,983 (American dollars)

 Notable alumni: Mir Zafar Ali (Visual effects specialist, The Day After Tomorrow)

 Start of Academic year: September

 Notable graduate film: Legacy (Adam Floeck, 2013)

Read more…

University of Southern California (USC)

School information: USC was founded in 1880 by judge Robert M. Widney, who managed to
acquire donations from Ozro Childs, John Gately Downey, and Isaias W. Hellman; three very
influential figures at the time.

Originally operated in affiliation with the Methodist Church, but became officially secular in 1952. It
has the largest amount of international students in the United States, and enrolls over 18,000
domestic/international students each year.

Has its own IMAX theater and research lab, which opened this year.

 Location: Los Angeles, California. USA

 Courses: Animation and Digital Arts

 Tuition cost: $48,347 for two semesters

 Notable alumni: George Lucas (Creator of Lucas Arts, Industrial Light and Magic, Star
Wars), Eric Hanson (Digital Designer/Lead VFX artist, The Fifth Element), Ray Harryhausen
(Stop-motion and Special Effects animator, Jason and the Argonauts)

 Start of Academic year: Last week of August

 BA Animation and Digital Arts: 75 students

 MFA Animation and Digital Arts: 45 students

 Notable graduate film: Ladies Knight (Joe Rothenberg, 2012) Nominated Best Animated
Student Short at Annie Awards.

Read more…

Animation Mentor
School information: Founded in 2005 by Bobby Beck, Shawn Kelly, and Carlos Baena, the last
two employed as animators at Industrial Light and Magic.

 Location: Emeryville, California. USA

 Courses: Classic animation, Character animation, Creature animation

 Tuition cost: $18,928 for Full 18 Month Program.

 Notable alumni: Siggurdur Orri Thorhannesson (Animator, Guardians of the Galaxy), Jude

Brownbill (Animator, Pixar)

 Start of Academic year: Every Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter

 Animation Mentor courses: 5,000 students (Total)

 Notable graduate film: Greed (Alli Sadegiani, 2011)

Read more…

Motion Graphics
 (Typography, Animated Logos)
While still considered a form of animation, motion graphics is quite different from the other types
of animation. Unlike the other types on our list it is not character or story driven. It’s the art of
creatively moving graphic elements or texts, usually for commercial or promotional purposes.

I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people.

Isaac Newton

About motion graphics

Think animated logos, explainer videos, app commercials, television promos or even film opening
titles.

The skills for motion graphics don’t necessarily translate to the other types of animation, since
they don’t require knowledge of body mechanics or acting, but they do have some attributes in
common such as understanding good composition and the all important camera motion.

The process of creating Motion Graphics depends on the programs used, since video editing
softwares often have different UI or settings, but the idea is the same. Motion Graphics usually
involves animating images, texts or video clips using key framing that are tweened to make a
smooth motion between frames.

History
The term Motion Graphics came along computer based video editing, as programs like Adobe
After Effects and Apple Motion made editing images a lot easier and faster. Previously, before the
advent of computer editing, it was a very time-consuming process, which limited it to high-budget
productions only. Today, it is highly popular in ommercials, news shows, sporting event and online
videos.

Software
Adobe After Effects
After effects is the most common software for motion graphics. It is the software that streamlined
motion graphics and made it so much easier to create.

Its integration with Cinema4D made it the ultimate tool to make the best looking videos (with or
without 3D) for any commercial use.

Supported platforms:

 Windows
 Mac OS

Learn more…

Cinema 4D
Cinema 4D is a motion graphics artist’s best friend. It is a 3D program for the After Effects
user. Very intuitive, and after a the release of Cineware it works directly with After Effects without
the need to render first. This would not be my first choice for serious 3D film production, since it is
designed from the ground up with motion graphics in mind, but it is an amazing and quite versatile
program.

Supported platforms:
 Windows
 Mac OS

Learn more…

Courses

After Effects Animation
There’s enough in this course for the person who wants to make cool short animations for
YouTube, as well as for someone who wants to get to know After Effects, and learn what amazing
things can be done in it.

After Effects is simple to learn, though hard to master. I’ve been using After Effects almost daily
for the past 7 years, and I’ve done anything from animated logos, animated web series, to
compositing and visual effects. This course is a great place to start your path to animation, as well
as learn a highly profitable skill.

Get the course

Schools

School of Visual Arts (SVA)

School information: Founded in 1947 by Silas H. Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonist
and Illustrators School, and then renamed in 1956. Part of the Association of Independent
Colleges of Art and Design as one of 36 leading art colleges in the United States.

The school offered its first degree in 1972, and it’s first master’s degree in 1983 in Fine Arts for
painting, drawing and sculpture.

 Location: New York, NY. USA

 Courses: Animation, Computer Animation and Visual Effects

 Tuition cost: $16,780 per semester + Department fees (Animation: $900, Computer

Animation and visual effects:$1,340)
 Notable alumni: Bill Plympton (Academy nominated animator), John.R.Dilworth (creator of
Courage the Cowardly Dog), Pres Antonio Romanillos (supervising animator at Disney and
Dreamworks animation)

 Start of Academic year: September

 BFA Animation: 270 students

 BFA Computer Art, Computer Animation & Visual Effects: 325 students

 Notable graduate film: Kiwi! (Dony Permedi, 2006)

Read more…

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)

School information: Founded in 1978 by Paula S. Wallace with her husband and parents, taking
out a $200,000 loan to build the first educational building, by renovating the Savannah Volunteer
Guard Armory.

The university first opened in 1979 with only 71 students. Currently the University has over 11,000
students.

 Location: Savannah, Georgia, USA. Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Hong Kong, Guangdong,

China. Lacoste, Vaucluse, France.

 Courses: Animation, Visual Effects

 Tuition cost: (In order of locations) $33,795 (American dollars), $261,911 (Hong Kong
dollars), $10,983 (American dollars)

 Notable alumni: Mir Zafar Ali (Visual effects specialist, The Day After Tomorrow)

 Start of Academic year: September

 Notable graduate film: Legacy (Adam Floeck, 2013)

Read more…

Full Sail University

School information: Founded in 1979 by Jon Phelps in Ohio, before the University was moved to
Orlando in 1980, under the name of Full Sail Recording Workshop. Focused on video and film
production, but added in animation when the University moved to Orange County in 1989.

The University started offering online degree programs in 2007.

 Location: Orange County, Florida. USA

 Courses: Computer animation

 Tuition cost: $14,762 per semester

 Notable alumni: Culley Bunker (Lead visual effects artist), Chance Glasco (Senior
animator)

 Start of Academic year: Second week of November

Read more…

Stop Motion
(Claymation, Cut-Outs)
Stop motion is done by taking a photo of an object, and then moving it just a little bit and taking
another photo. The process is repeated and when the photos are played back one after another
they give the illusion of movement. This is similar to traditional animation but it uses real life
materials instead of drawings.
 I love all forms of animation, but there is something unique and special to stop-motion: it’s
more real and the set is lit like a set. But I think it’s also a kind of lonely and dark thing to want to
do.

Tim Burton

About Stop Motion

Stop-Motion animation can be referred to any animation that uses objects that are photographed
in a sequence to create the illusion of movement.

The process of stop-motion animation is very long, as each object has to be carefully moved inch
by inch, while it’s being photographed every frame, to create a fluid sequence of animation.

Here are the different types of stop-motion animation:

Claymation
One of the most popular stop-motion form is Claymation. Working with clay or play-doh characters
that can easily be manipulated for animation. Advanced claymation (such as The Neverhood or
Armikrog) uses metal skeletons on which the clay is then molded for more sturdy rigs.

Puppets
Some animators use regular Puppets instead of clay ones, usually also built with some sort of
skeleton rig. The faces of the characters can be replaced based on the expression, or controlled
within the rig.

Cut-Out
Another popular form of stop-motion is cut-out. Using construction paper or cardboard characters
and placing them on paper while shooting the animation from above (that’s how South Park was
made before they switched to computers). The cardboard is then moved a little each frame to
create the illusion of movement.

Silhouette
Similar to cutout animation, silhouette animation uses cardboard or some kind of flat material, but
the objects are all black and the shot is depicted with silhouettes only. This is one of the oldest
forms of stop motion and is rarely used today.
Action Figures / Lego
Some use action figures or lego characters for animation. This genre is very popular on YouTube
with many channels dedicated to creating funny skits with Lego characters. Robot Chicken is a
great example of that. They use famous action figures to make fun of pop culture.

Pixelation
Pixelation is a form of stop motion that uses real people and real environments to create unreal
videos. It uses the stop motion method of taking a still photo, moving things around, and then
taking another photo, but the subject matter is usually real people instead of puppets.

History
Stop-Motion animation was very often used as special effects before the introduction of CGI
animation, and as such has a very long history in both the animation and film industry, starting
from The Humpty Dumpty Circus (1887, Blackton). One of the earliest of clay animations was
Modelling Extraordinary (1912), and the first female animator was a stop-motion artist
named Helena Smith Dayton, who made a clay animated short based on Romeo and Juliet in
1917.

Another technique, which came about in the 80’s, was Go Motion. This technique involved
programming a computer to move the models for the animators before each frame was
photographed. It was used when creating visual effects for RoboCop (1987, Verhoven) and The
Empire Strikes Back (1980, Kershner). It was a lot more complicated than doing it by hand, but
the result was a more realistic-looking animation.

Stop-motion set the standards fir visual effects with masters like Ray Harryhausen, who created
animations for Jason and the Argonauts (1963, Chaffey) and Clash of the Titans (1981, Davis), or
Nick Park who created the Wallace and Gromit franchise. However, stop-motion wasn’t always
made for shorts and visual effects. There have been many feature-length stop-motion animated
films, most notably The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993, Selick) and  Wallace and Gromit: The
Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005, Park.)

Software
Dragonframe
If you’re planning on making a professional stop motion video, Dragonframe is the best tool for the
job. Its comprehensive software can be used with many different attachments, such as a
device that controls the camera, lights and even pull focus.

It provides the user complete control over the lighting of the shot with an option to program the
dimming of the different lights over a period of time, and it comes with a keypad controller for easy
control of the photo taking process, as well as flipping between frames.

Dragonframe is the industry standard for stop-motion animation, and was used on films such
as Kubo and the Two Strings and Shaun the Sheep.

Supported platforms:

 Windows
 Mac OS

Learn more…

iStopMotion
If you’re looking to spend a bit less, and make stop motion more of a hobby, this software is just
for you. It’s not expensive and very user friendly. It does have some pro features though, such as
DSLR support, onion skinning, using an iPad or iPhone as a remote and even chroma keying
(using green screen).

Supported platforms:

 Mac OS
 Symbol
 These are objects that have been converted so that you can use the same image a number of
times through a movie. You can also use this to do fade effects, rotation effects and flip effects.
 True
 Clipping and dragging the playhead will "scrub" through the movie so you can see the animation.
 Symbol
 These are objects that have been converted so that you can use the same image a number
of times through a movie. You can also use this to do fade effects, rotation effects and flip
effects.
 True
 Clipping and dragging the playhead will "scrub" through the movie so you can see the
animation.
 Masking
 ______ is a way to partially hide an image in a layer immediately below another layer. The
two layers get locked together to produce the effect.
 Timeline
 The ______ shows the frames in the movie
 Curved Line
 Clicking and dragging with the PEN tool creates a
 True
 To reverse frames, you select them, control click to get the drop down menu and select
reverse frames.
 close a shape
 A pen tool with a small circle next to it means you can
 no color
 A white box with a diagonal red line (in the color panel) through it means:
 sound
 _______, when used appropriately, adds to the viewers experience, making for a much
richer and more enjoyable activity.
 True
 You can control the fluidity (smoothness) of the line with a pencil tool.
 Frame Rate
 Changing this can sometimes make the animation look smoother:
 Shape Tween
 This is used to change an object from a circle to a square:
 Fame-by-frame
 This is by far the most tedious way to create animations
 Onion Skinning
 If you want to see faint images of the keyframes before and after the current frame, turn on
your
 Background Color, Stage Size, Frame Rate
 When nothing is selected, you can adjust the ______ in the properties panel.
 Blank frames
 All animations need a starting and ending point. _____ are used to set these.
 False
 You cannot change the angle or length of the gradient.
 Button
 Designed to be an interactive object, you create these so that action scripts can be used to
control other objects or events in the movie.
 shift
 When drawing with the rectangle tool, if you want to make a perfect square, you would hold
down the ________ key while drawing.
 Guided Layer
 _______ allows you to make objects move in a more random or non-straight pattern.
 Fade effect
 Use this to make a symbol Disappear from view (great for changing pictures). You would
use motion tween for this method. You have to change the alpha setting of the symbol.
Alpha represents transparency.
 The point from which an object is rotated or scaled.
 The transformation point is:
 strokes
 The ink bottle changes the color of the:
 hold down option and drag them to the desired area.
 *To copy frames, you select the frames and
 The outline around a shape
 A stroke is:
 select the entire stroke
 Double-clicking on a stroke will:
 color menu, properties inspector, and swatches menu
 You can change a solid color into a gradient in the
 Black
 A keyframe that contains objects will be represented by a _______ circle.
 The right side of the square with bow in or out as a curve
 What would happen if you click and drag it now?
 Tools
 The __________ panel contains the basic tools to draw or modify objects.
 Motion tween
 Use this to move symbols from one point to another. All animations happen between
keyframes (Point a and point B). The timeline turns purple between keyframes when this
feature is being used. A dashed or dotted line in the colored area indicates a problem.
 Library
 The ________ is a holding place for all symbols and imported images and sounds within a
single file
 Open Eye
 *Empty keyframes are indicated by ___________ circle on the timeline.
 Create an anchor point
 When the pen tool has a small + sign next to it, it means
 Distribute to layers
 This is a way to take a word and animate each letter separately
 Properties
  The panel indicates what settings are being used for objects and allows you to change the
settings.
 Keyframe
 Which one is "A" (grey background with black dots)?


 Oval primitive tool and adjust the inner radius

 To make a donut shape you would use the
 Group the shapes into an object or Draw the shape with the "object drawing" selected in
the tools Panel
 To keep the shape from taking a bite out of another shape when it is dragged over and
move later on, you can (2 correct answers)
 Object
 An item placed on a frame that has not been converted to a graphic, button, or movie clip.
This includes shapes you draw as well as shapes you import or insert. Use this to do a
shape tween or a mask effect.
 Properties inspector
 You can control the width, coloring, patterning and smoothing of a pencil stroke all in the
 Layers
 The stacking order of viewing objects is decided by the order of the
 Control + click that frame and select "remove frames" from the drop-down menu
 To delete the entire frame you:
 True
 With the brush tool selected, you can adjust your brush shape and size in the toolbar
 Blank frame
 Which one is D (White background no dots)
2-D animation
Animation occurring on the flat Cartesian x and y axes
2 1/2-D animation
Adds an illusion of depth (the z axis) to an image through shadowing and highlighting, but the
image itself still rests on the flat x and y axes in two dimensions
3-D animation
Animation occurring in three axes, x, y, and z
animated GIF
A collection of still images in a single file played back in a timed sequence to provide animation
animation
Collection of images rapidly displayed to provide visual change over time
cel
Clear celluloid sheet used for drawing each frame in an animation
cel animation
A method of overlaying layers of images and sequencing them into an animation
color cycling
Rapidly altering the colors of an image according to a formula
easing
An animation software tool that allows the user to choose the elasticity of an object, the amount of
gravity, and the length of the fall of an object
inks
In computer animation technology, special methods for computing color values, providing edge
detection, and layering so that images can blend or otherwise mix their colors to produce special
transparencies, inversions, and effects
inverse kinematics
Linking objects, such as hands to arms, and defining their relationships and limits (for example,
elbows cannot bend backward)
keyframes
The first and last frame of an action
kinematics
Study of the movement and motion of structures that have joints
morphing
Smoothly blending two images so that one image seems to melt into the next
path animation
Motion created by moving an object along a determined path
pencil test
Penciled frames are assembled and filmed to check smoothness, continuity, and timing for the
path an animated action takes
persistence of vision
The chemical mapping that remains on the eye's retina for a brief time after viewing
phi
The human mind's need to conceptually complete a perceived action
translate
Move from one location to another location
tweening
Drawing the series of frames in between the first and last frames in an action
persistence of vision
An object seen by the human eye remains chemically mapped on the retina for a brief time after
viewing. This phenomenon is called ____________________.
phi
The human mind needs to conceptually complete a perceived action. This phenomenon is called
____________________.
translate
To make an object travel across the screen while it changes its shape, just change the shape and
also move or ____________________ it a few pixels for each frame.
cel animation
The animation technique made famous by Disney involves showing a different image for each
frame. This technique is called _____________________.
keyframes
The first and last frames of an action is called ____________________.
tweening
The series of frames in between the first and last frames in an action are drawn in a process
called ____________________.
inks
In computer animation technology, ______________________ usually refers to special methods
that allow images to blend or otherwise mix their colors to produce special transparencies,
inversions, and effects.
kinematics
The study of the movement and motion of structure that have joints is called
____________________.
morphing
The effect in which one image transforms into another is known as ______________________.
b. wipes, fades, zooms, and dissolves
Most authoring packages include visual effects such as: (a. panning, zooming, and tilting; b.
wipes, fades, zooms, and dissolves; c. morphing; d. tweening; e. inverse kinematics)
e. clear celluloid sheets that were used for drawing each frame
The term cel derives from: (a. the concept of each action in a sequence being a separate element
or "cell," b. the fact that the inks used in early animations were based on extracts from celery
plants, c. an abbreviation of the phrase "composite element," d. the fact that the first animations
were the work of communist dissidents who were organized into cells, e. the clear celluloid sheets
that were used for drawing each frame)
c. The use of darker colors for moving objects is interpretd by the mind as motion
Which of these is NOT a reason why animation is perceived as motion? (a. An image remains in
the eye chemically for a brief time after viewing, b. Our mind tries to "connect the dots" by
completing perceived actions, c. The use of darker colors for moving objects is interpreted by the
mind as motion, d. A sequence of images is read as continuous motion, e. All of the above are
valid reasons)
b. 24 frames per second
Movies on film are typically shot at a shutter rate of: (a. 15 frames per second, b. 24 frames per
second, c. 29.97 frames per second, d. 30 frames per second, e. 48 frames per second)
a. acetate or plastic
The clear sheets that were used for drawing each frame of animation have been replaced today
by: (a. acetate or plastic, b. titanium, c. fiberglass, d. epoxy resin, e. digital paper)
d. traditional cel animation
Today's computer animation programs most closely resemble: (a. film "rotoscaping" techniques,
b. the " phi" phenomenon described by Carl Jung, c. neuro-kinetics techniques pioneered by
NASA, d. traditional cel animation, e. none of the above)
b. the computer's processing capability
The technical limitation you are likely to encounter in creating animations is: (a. the monitor's
refresh rate, b. the computer's processing capability, c. the ability to accurately calculate physical
action, d. the; d. the "persistence of vision" phenomena, e. the monitor's color grunt)
b. 1/15 of a second
In general, the animation may appear jerky and show is each frame is displayed for more than
about: (a. 1/30 of a second, b. 1/15 of a second, c. 1/4 of a second, d. 1/2 of a second)
e. inverse kinematics
The process in which you link objects such as hands to arms and define their relationships and
limits (for example, elbows cannot bend backward), then drag these parts around and let the
computer calculate the result is called: (a. rotoscoping, b. de-morphing, c. meta-articulation, d.
cyber-motion, e. inverse kinematics)
c. key points
To create a smooth transition between two images when morphing, it's important to set numerous:
(a. layers, b. keyframes, c. key points, d. anchor tags, e. splines)
e. There is no standard; it depends on the file's settings
The standard frame rate of computer animations is: (a. 10 frames per second, b. 15 frames per
second, c. 24 frames per second, d. 30 frames per second, e. There is no standard; it depends on
the file's settings)
a. Adobe's Flash
Today, the most widely used tool for creating vector-based animations is: (a. Adobe's Flash, b.
Adobe's GoLive, c. Corel's CorelDraw, d. Microsoft's KineMatix, e. Activa's InterStudio)
a. dae
A COLLADA file format has which extension? (a. .dae, b. .fli or .fle, c. .avi, d. .qt or .mov, e. .mpeg
or .mpg)
c. GIF89a
The file format that is most widely supported for web animations is: (a. PICT, b. .DCR, c. GIF89a,
d. JPEG, e. AIFF)
c. vector graphics
To keep the post-compression file size at absolute minimums, Flash makes extensive use of: (a.
inverse kinematics, b. cel-type animation, c. vector graphics, d. inks, e. NURBS)