Create 2D Animation
Creating 2-Dimensional animation can be a painstaking but magical process. Some of the greatest films of all time were done by hand with frame-by-frame drawings. You can create your own 2-Dimensional animation as well at home.
You can draw over each previous illustration by laying a piece of paper over it, being sure to get the correct proportions. In this article, you will learn make a very basic cartoon human figure jog. Once you have learned these basic principles, try applying them to other animation ideas.
Instructions
1. Draw a human figure with the left leg stepping forward. Do this by drawing a circle for the head, a rectangle for the torso, two cylinders for each arm and two cylinders for the legs. Add the feet with small, football-shaped ovals. Add the hands with small circles. You can add in details like eyes, eyebrows, a mouth, hair and clothes, but keep the details simple. In traditional animation, you will be drawing everything over and over again.
2. Lay a piece of paper over the first illustration, and draw over it. Copy the head and torso, but redraw the left arm so that it is bent and moving backwards. Draw the left arm bent and moving forward. Bend the knees on the legs, and draw the left leg moving forward and to the left.
3. Lay another piece of paper over the previous sheet. This time you will have to redraw most of the picture, as the pose is changing. Lower the head down and to the left. Bend the torso to indicate effort in the jogging motion. Draw the left arm sweeping forward, and move the right arm back. Pull the left leg back with the knee bent. Draw the right leg forward of the previous drawing.
4. Draw the left arm raised so that the hand is almost over the top of the head. Draw the right arm going all the way back. Keep the torso the same, but raise the head slightly. Draw the left leg with a bent knee so that the upper leg and shin are perpendicular to each other. Bend the knee of the right leg, and draw the upper leg slightly raised from the previous position.
5. Keep the head and torso the same. Redraw the left arm with the upper arm and forearm perpendicular to one another and raised high. Draw the left leg sticking out straight to the right side of the page. Redraw the right leg lifted high above the ground with the upper leg and shin perpendicular to one another.
6. Film your animation by setting up a digital camera on a tripod. Place one sheet of paper at a time on a cork board, and pin in place. Snap a photo and move on to the next picture. Import the files as jpegs. Use software like iMovie or Movie Maker to string these images together as an animation.
