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5 tipps for better 2D animations
Art
Objective
This article deals with workflows of 2D animations. It highlights ways to improve and how to reduce disruptions caused by issues.
1 - The preparation of the animation
Before animation can begin, the character or the object to be animated must first be created. In 2D animation, it is important to ensure that the layers of the drawing are organized cleanly and in the correct order. Equally important is the proper naming of the individual layers. This has the advantage of requiring less time for sorting or editing later on. In 3D animation, it is additionally important to work cleanly during modeling and to name individual objects correctly. This way, fewer complications will arise later on, or ideally, none at all, which could disrupt the workflow. The better the source material is prepared, the easier the next steps will be.
2 - References for better animation
To get a feel for the animation, it is advisable to look at a suitable reference before starting to animate. It is important that the reference also matches the character in question. The reference must match both the movement and the general style of the planned animation. This should create a coherent image in the end. Pro tip: As the basic animations of characters are quite similar, it is important to give the character its own, matching ‘flavour’.
3 - The right keyframes for the right timing
Before the details of an animation are dealt with, the rough animation is first ‘marked out’ with the correct key poses. The ‘key poses’ help to maintain an overview within the animation. They can also be used to recognise whether the timing is right or whether something needs to be changed. Individual, well-placed keyframes are clearer at this point than many randomly distributed ones. As a rule of thumb, a keyframe should be set every time the character changes direction. In the case of a jump, for example, the character gets one at the beginning, one at the highest point of the jump and one at the end. Keyframe interpolation, which is included in most animation programmes, creates a rough animation. In the best case, the first and last keyframe are identical. This allows the animation to be looped and played repeatedly.
4 - Make animations more lively by adding details
Once the timing of the rough animation is right, the details can be worked out. For more dynamics, for example, you can experiment with offsets for the individual keyframes or adjust the movement in the curve editor to make the animation livelier. This step is by far the most time-consuming, as many small details are worked out here. At this point, you should weigh up whether the time required is justified.
5 - Final touches to the animation
At the end of the animation process, the animation should be viewed at different speeds. This makes it easier to find and improve any inconsistencies within the animation.
With keyframe animations, tunnel vision often occurs, which makes it difficult to find small errors within the animation. This step helps to get out of this tunnel vision and maintain the workflow.
Conclusion
Good preparation is essential for better 2D animation. It also helps to reduce the time required. Before starting the animation, suitable references should be viewed. This will give you an idea and a feel for the final animation.
The key poses are then determined and a keyframe is set at the respective position. With the help of keyframe interpolation, a rough animation is created to determine the timing.
The details are then worked out and the dynamics within the animation are changed with the help of keyframe offsets or the curve editor. Finally, the animation is played back at different speeds to get out of the tunnel vision and recognise any errors. These tips ensure that the workflow is much simpler, as all work steps are designed to be as efficient as possible. Interruptions caused by changes to assets (or keyframes) are minimised. By minimising interruptions, the workflow and therefore the quality of the work is improved.
Questions & Wishes
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