Process and Principles of 2D Animation you Should Know

2D or two-dimensional animation is a conventional style of animation that dates back to the 1800s. It is distinguished for creating objects and characters with height and width in a 2D space.

Initially, the animation was done by bringing in frames wherein drawings followed each other in sequence. One thing to note is that there were 24 frames in each second.

Thanks to the development of technology, the entire process was digitized using various 2D animation software. They allowed creators to draw and animate the backgrounds along with characters on the computer. The process of creating a 2D animation includes three phases: pre-production, production, and post-production. As a 2D animation company in India, let us briefly explain each of them.

2D Animation: The Process

Pre-Production

The first stage of 2D animation includes:

• Creating the storyline
• Scripting
• Designing characters and storyboard
• Selecting a color palette
• Preparing background
• Recording voice-overs

The pre-production process should be done accurately and smoothly for the main animation video to have desirable outcomes.

Production

It refers to creating the final piece by combining all the materials and producing the scene; the activities in this phase include creating character activities and individual settings, painting backgrounds, animating roughly, tracing or cleaning up the animation, coloring, inbetweening, and painting drawing using software, compositing, and export.

To bring everything together and produce a masterpiece, animators in our video production agency in India use an exposure sheet with instructions on how to create every scene. The sheet has parts, namely:

• Dialogues and music
• Timing and actions
• View perspective
• Animation layers
• Backgrounds

Post-Production

In this phase, the final editing happens. The enhancement is done using additional recordings or sound effects that increase and improve the animation’s emotional impact.

Upon completion, the final version is rendered and exported to various formats.

This is it for the brief overview of the 2D animation-creating process; let us proceed toward tips/tricks/principles of the same.

2D Animation: Principles

• Stretch and Squash: Add volume and weight to the character’s movement.
• Anticipation: Give the audience a hint of an important action that will happen.
• Staging: Make sure to express the exact intention of the objects or characters through their actions and poses.
• Pose to Pose and Straight Ahead Action: Choose the most suitable technique of animation between drawing the most important poses, followed by transitional poses or creating each scene one after another.
• Slow Out and Slow In: It is best to draw maximum frames at the beginning and last and a few in the middle to make the animation realistic.
• Follow Through and Overlapping Action: Carefully observe the characters’ movements, as a few body parts will work faster in certain activities, and a few will keep on working even when the character stops.
• Arc: Adding moderate circular motions to the character’s or object’s action is good.
• Timing: Timing plays a crucial role in the action’s overall appeal; therefore, add slow or fast effects in the action/scene as required.
• Secondary Action: Make use of secondary actions to highlight the main motion by adding liveliness.
• Solid Drawing: In spite of characters or objects being drawn in the 2D space, their forms must have weight.
• Exaggeration: Exaggerating some movements helps in stressing certain ideas and points.
• Appeal: Create characters that appeal to the audience as it will help captivate their interest.

Do you Need a 2D Animation Video?

Animation, especially 2D animation, is not an uncommon word any longer. You can easily find it on billboards, the internet, and cinema. In this blog, we have shed light on the meaning, phases, and principles of 2D animation.

If you wish to have a 2D animated video for training, marketing, or any purpose, don’t forget to contact the best animation studio in Vadodara - Ayushmi Creation for desired results.