The wonderful world of 2D animation
Here at JNPcreative animation is in everything we do and it also surrounds you every day wether you know it or not. 2D animation is a traditional art form that you’ll be used to seeing in the media such as children’s TV shows, social media and films. 2D stands for the 2nd dimension which is flat unlike 3D or 3rd dimension where you can see around an object much like you would see an object in real life.
2D animation is a fantastic way to get to grips with the world of animation and every animator would have dabbled in it at some point. Learning 2D animation gives an understanding of how things in life move and interact with their surroundings, for example when throwing a bouncy ball at a wall did you realise it travels in arcs and when it comes into contact with a surface it slightly squashes and rebounds? It’s this understanding of basic movements and how to draw them that makes 2D animation so special. If you want to develop your understanding of 2D animation then scroll to the end of this article where we have provided links to some of the best books in the market on animation.
A still from the Treehouse animation, JNPcreative
Being able to draw movement then allows an animator to add extreme features and characteristics to their animation to take a sequence from being something basic to something that is full of flair and excitement which will grip and entice an audience. A few techniques that we use to achieve this next level of animation are squash and stretch, arcs, overlap, ease in and ease out, anticipation and secondary action. These are key principles in animation and we are going to show you how and why.
Squash and stretch
One of the key animation principles, “squash and stretch” gives a sense of weight and volume to drawn objects. Here our example is of a bouncing ball. You will notice the squash and stretch when the ball comes into contact with a surface, we also slightly exaggerate the shortening and widening of the ball giving it a realistic feel.
Wondering what the numbers on the screen are? These are the numbers of each frame, this video was rendered at 24fps (24 frames per second) which is an animation standard frame rate. Each drawing is a frame and so this video is made of 24 drawings that have been looped.
Anticipation
Making the audience anticipate what is going to happen next adds another sense of realism to the final animation. For example if a character were to throw a ball our ‘anticipation zone’ would be the arm coming backward in preparation for it to be propelled forward. The more fluid these motions the more realistic the animation will feel, the less fluid the stiffer it will become.
Follow through and overlap
This technique is the continuation of movement at different speeds after a character or object has come to a halt. Again it’s a great way of enhancing the overall animation as it gives another sense of life and realism.
Easing in and out
This technique allows for an animation to speed up or slow down in a natural way. Animators achieve this principle by adding more drawings/frames per second to the beginning or end of an animation sequence with fewer frames in the middle of these additional frames. This allows for a much smoother transition and is softer on the eye.
Secondary action
This is when more animated elements are added to a sequence, for example a character is walking down the road and the secondary action would be from other passers by walking past the main character or a car driving by in the foreground. We have to make sure that the secondary actions in a scene don’t impose on the main focal point (in this case the character walking down the road) otherwise it can distract the viewers attention from what they are meant to be focusing on and ruin the sequence.
Arcs
To prevent an animation looking too rigid and stiff we have to make sure that arcs are used when drawing each frame in a sequence. Arcs prevent animations moving in straight lines and looking unnatural. Walk cycles are one of the first things animators are taught and this is where you can really get your head around why arcs are so important. You can see arcs in every day life too so this technique also allows your final animation to look realistic and believable.
There are some more principles in animation like timing and exaggeration which are all key and when combined with the above principles it allows animators to create scenes that an audience can really engage with and get across a sense of reality as well as enhancing the unreal.
If you’ve enjoyed reading this article and want to learn more about the fundamentals of 2D animation then there are a few amazing books you can read to give you even more insight into this magical art form. Below are some of the industries best selling books on 2D animation and are a fantastic investment that will make sure you know the complete inside and outs of the art form.
The animators survival guide
This is a must have guide for any aspiring animator or university student to allow them to get to grips with how animation works. It’s also a fantastic piece of reference material for any animator looking to develop and refine their skills as it is full of tips and tricks from the true masters of animation. This book will explain the basics as well as in depth knowledge of advanced animation techniques.
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Drawn to Life, The Walt Stanchfield Lectures - Volume 1
Another must have book from the masters. The legendary lectures from Disney animator Walt Stanchfield. For over twenty years, Walt helped create the new golden age of animation that we all love and know. His lectures and teachings influenced renowned artists such as Tim Burton, Brad Bird, Glen Keane, and John Lasseter. Again this book is full of amazing information that you will benefit from weather a beginner or professional so be sure to get your hands on this book.
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Drawn to Life, The Walt Stanchfield Lectures - Volume 2
A follow on from Volume 1, this edition delves deeper into the world of animation looking at more of Walt’s lectures. These writings represent the quintessential refresher for fine artists and film professionals, and are a vital tutorial for aspiring students and enthusiasts who are going to become the new generation of modern animators. Be sure to get this volume as well as volume 1 to make sure you really get the most out of these volumes.
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