Animation Basics

Inspiration & Exploration

Animation is the art of making still images feel alive through the illusion of motion. Start by watching "The Illusion of Life" documentary on YouTube, which explains the 12 principles of animation developed by Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas. Browse the free video essays by filmmaker Tony Zhou on the Vimeo channel "Every Frame a Painting" — his piece on animated movement is excellent. Watch a short film on the Cartoon Brew YouTube channel and pause it every few seconds to study how movement is broken into frames. Notice how characters ease in and out of poses rather than moving at constant speed. You're ready for the next step when you can name three of the 12 animation principles and describe what each one does.

Tools & Techniques

The best free tool for beginner 2D animation is OpenToonz (used by Studio Ghibli) or Pencil2D — both are completely free and run on Mac and Windows. Download one and watch the official beginner tutorials on their YouTube channels. Also try the free web app Animaker for simple character animation without a learning curve. If you prefer drawing by hand first, get a flipbook pad and practice the classic "bouncing ball" exercise: draw a ball dropping and squashing on each page. Watch "Animation Basics: The Bouncing Ball" on the Animator's Survival Kit YouTube channel. You're ready for the next step when you've downloaded a free animation tool and completed one bouncing ball cycle of at least 12 frames.

First Creations

Create your first animation: a 3–5 second loop of something simple. Great beginner subjects include a blinking eye, a waving hand, a walking stick figure, or leaves blowing. In Pencil2D or OpenToonz, set your frame rate to 12 fps (frames per second) — the standard for smooth hand-drawn animation. Draw your key poses first (the most important positions), then add in-between frames. Use onion skinning (a feature in both apps) to see your previous frame ghosted behind your current one. Watch "How to Animate in Pencil2D" on YouTube for a step-by-step walkthrough. You're ready for the next step when you have a looping animation of at least 12 frames that plays back smoothly.

Style Development

Now explore what makes animation feel expressive rather than mechanical. Study the principle of "anticipation" — characters wind up before a big action. Study "squash and stretch" — objects compress when they hit something and stretch when they move fast. Pick one of these principles and animate a short scene that deliberately uses it. Watch the free course "Animation Basics" on Khan Academy, which uses examples from classic films. If you have a drawing tablet, try using Krita (free) with its animation timeline for smoother results. You're ready for the next step when you can animate a single action — like a character jumping — that uses at least two named principles and looks intentional, not stiff.

Refine Your Craft

Go deeper by studying timing and spacing — the two things that separate beginner animation from professional work. Read "The Animator's Survival Kit" by Richard Williams; even the first three chapters will transform how you think about movement. Study walk cycles specifically: watch the free "Walk Cycle Tutorial" by Aaron Blaise on YouTube — he animated "The Lion King" and "Brother Bear." Practice animating a walk cycle for a simple character. Join the community at Animation Career Review's Discord or the r/animation subreddit and post your work for feedback. You're ready for the next step when you've completed a full 8-frame walk cycle that loops smoothly and shows weight.

Portfolio Piece

Create a finished short animation of 5–15 seconds with a clear beginning, middle, and end. It doesn't need dialogue or a complex story — a character waking up, noticing something surprising, and reacting is plenty. Plan it with a simple storyboard (thumbnail sketches showing each key moment) before you animate a single frame. Use sound if your software allows it — even a simple music loop from YouTube Audio Library (free, royalty-free) changes how animation feels. Export your finished piece as an MP4 and share it on SLCTrips or post it to r/animation with a note that it's your first short. You're ready for the next step when you have a complete exported animation with at least three distinct scenes or actions that tells a tiny story.