Animation Techniques

There are many different animation techniques that an animator can use to bring ideas to life. Animation can be created using very simple tools such as a pencil and paper, advanced computer systems, or with many options in between. This article is an introduction to the various techniques available when it comes to creating an animated production.

Traditional Animation

Traditional animation usually refers to animation hand-drawn on paper. It was the process used for most of the productions throughout the 20th century. An animator draws the characters, layout and backgrounds on paper. Each drawing in the animation would be slightly different from the one before it and the one following it, creating the illusion of movement when everything is put onto film.

Once all the animation has been drawn on paper, it is then photocopied or retraced onto transparent acetate sheets, called cels. After the line art is transferred onto the cels, paint is applied to the images, using a colour chart that is pre-determined for each character or element of the movie. Cels were essential to hand-drawn animation since it freed up the animator from having to draw every element in the film on one single layer of paper. Instead, by using cels, each element had its own layer and could be animated separately.

With today's technology, this traditional animation technique of using cels to colour animation drawings is outdated. It is now possible to hand-draw animation, then scan the drawings to colour them digitally using computer software such as Harmony. So, contemporary animation has become a mix of traditional and digital techniques.

Digital Animation

Digital animation encompasses all the animation techniques that are done exclusively with the use of computers. With digital animation, it is possible to do both 2D (two-dimensional) and 3D (three-dimensional) animation.

Here are some digital animation techniques.

Digital Cut-out Animation

Digital cut-out animation is done using cut-out puppets for character animation.  Characters are created by using a separate drawing for each part of its body (head, neck, torso, arms, legs, etc.) which are then rigged together, via the computer software, like a traditional puppet.  Once the puppet is created, it can be added to the scene to be animated frame-by-frame.

Paperless Animation

With paperless animation, the animator will often need to hand-draw characters, frames, backgrounds and layouts directly on the computer using an electronic pressure-sensitive drawing tablet.  This technique is very similar to traditional animation in its process, the main difference being that it's all done on the computer.

3D Animation

Three-dimensional animation requires that, before animating it, a character must be built and modelled in the 3D animation software. They are then rigged with a virtual skeleton.  From there, a character can be integrated into a scene and animated like a digital puppet, frame-by-frame.

Motion Capture

The motion capture technique consists of recording the movement of a person, often the performance of an actor, and using the recorded information to animate a digital 2D or 3D character.

Stop-Motion Animation

Stop-motion animation is made by moving and photographing real-world objects frame-by-frame to create the illusion of movement. We can divide stop-motion animation into the following categories.

Puppet Animation

Puppet animation is a type of stop-motion animation involving puppet figures that are animated frame-by-frame. The animators create a physical three-dimensional scene, like a small theatre, where the action takes place.  The puppets have an armature (flexible skeleton) inside of them so they can be positioned and animated. This also prevents the puppet from moving and allows it to stay steady when the animator has to photograph a frame of the scene.

Claymation

Clay animation is sometimes similar to puppet animation. The figures and characters are made of clay, but they can also have an armature or a wireframe inside of them to help maintain their pose while shooting a scene. However, when animating with clay, it is also possible that the figure be made entirely of clay, without an inner armature. This allows the animator the freedom to animate the figure smoothly, manipulating it from one shape to the next, without the slightly jerky movement typically associated with puppet animation.

Traditional Cut-out and Silhouette Animation

Traditional cut-out animation is an animation made from two-dimensional physical pieces. Often, it is paper that is cut into different shapes, but fabric can also be used for the same purpose. The characters are usually divided into different parts (head, neck, arm, leg, torso, etc) and moved piece by piece to create the animation. Silhouette animation uses the very same technique, except that characters and items in the scene are completely black and only the background contains colour, so that it looks like a scene in silhouette. The silhouette technique was invented by German animator Lotte Reiniger.

Object Animation

Object animation is a type of animation that uses regular inanimate objects as props, characters, and layout elements.

Sand Animation

Sand animation is typically done with the use of a lightbox. In a darkened room, the lightbox is turned on and sand is poured over it to completely block the light. Then, using a brush or a stick, the animator traces a drawing in the sand, allowing the light to shine through, creating one frame of animation. A picture is taken, and the animator moves the sand around a little bit to create the next frame, followed by another picture, and so on, creating movement.