Non-digital animation has been done primarily through frame-by-frame animation for over a century. While not as popular nowadays, it’s a method that’s nonetheless beneficial for animators to know. Below, you will find a brief breakdown of frame-by-frame animation. What Is Frame-by-Frame Animation? Frame-by-frame animation is a method of creating the illusion of movement by making minor adjustments between each keyframe. It is a detailed process, as artists need to craft each frame individually. This method can generate video animation with hundreds or even thousands of frames. Brief History Ph ..read more

Illustrating is all about being able to draw exactly what you see in your mind. The best way to ensure you can do so is to improve your technical skills with lots of practice. Here are some different exercises to help better your linework in illustration. Start With Dashes It can be tough to draw the perfect line when you’re just starting. Try sketching dashes instead of a single line. Since dashes are shorter, they’re much easier to keep straight the first time. They’re also perfect for giving you a guide on where your lines will go. All you need to do is fill in the empty spaces, and you’ve ..read more

A company’s brand identity is critical for communicating the representation they want to project to others. Having the right visual components in place can go a long way toward building a memorable, long-lasting image in the minds of consumers across many platforms. Read on to learn more about creating a brand’s identity through design. What Is Brand Identity? Brand identity is the sum of all the visual components that help pick out and clearly distinguish the brand in the eyes of consumers. These tangible assets are rooted in the foundational strategies you implement for your brand. These ass ..read more

People’s nostalgia for old-school graphics has brought the pixel art style back to popularity in a big way. Working with After Effects is the perfect way to get pixelization into your animations. Continue reading to learn tips for pixel art stylization in After Effects. What Is Pixel Art? Pixel art is a type of art in which individual pixels act as the image’s building blocks. The result is a visual style that resembles mosaic art, cross-stitch, and other needlework techniques. The style for this type of visuals stems from games born out of the 8-bit and 16-bit eras, like Super Mario World whe ..read more

Taking classes and workshops is an excellent way to advance your career as a graphic designer. The projects you work on in these courses help you understand the fundamentals, and you can also showcase them to potential clients and employers. Read below to learn more about the reasons to turn your design homework into your portfolio. Show Experience Without Experience Prospective employers want to know that you have experience before employing you, yet you may not have genuine professional experience when you first start. The graphics you generate in class can demonstrate that you’re mastering ..read more

A cause and effect relationship is an action followed by a reaction. When attempting to convey a narrative in animation, nailing down your cause and effect signals can help take your storytelling to new levels. Read on to learn how cause and effect cues can heighten visual storytelling. Match or Twist People’s Expectations Imagine you’re watching an animated film about a baseball team and one of the characters gets up to bat. When this character hits the ball, we anticipate the ball to go in the same direction as the bat, which is the cause and effect we’ve observed in real life. You can, howe ..read more

Getting your artwork out into the public sphere is just as challenging as creating it in the first place, if not more. Luckily, there are more ways than ever before to try and get people to see the work you’re putting out into the world. Look below to discover some tips and tricks for promoting your artwork. Create Your Portfolio Before you can start to market yourself, whether you’re networking or submitting to competitions, you need something to show people. That’s why it’s essential to craft an exceptional portfolio that highlights your best work, and you make it as accessible as possible f ..read more

Behind every fantastic piece of animation are relatively essential elements that come together to become artwork. Understanding the fundamentals of all great animations can help you create great, eye-catching content for people to enjoy. Look below to help with understanding the twelve basic principles of animation that you can use when working on your craft. What Are the 12 Basic Principles of Animation? How do you bring the essence of realism to a medium so fundamentally otherworldly as animation? That has been a dilemma for animators since the medium’s beginning, with some opting to go far ..read more

Becoming an animator allows you to use your creative abilities to bring a limitless amount of stories to life. While it can take time and dedication, the hard work you put into learning how to animate to the best of your abilities can pay off tremendously for your career and your happiness with your work. Read on to find the essential steps to becoming a successful animator for anyone interested in learning more about what it takes to thrive in animation. Start Taking Animation Courses While it may seem obvious, one of the best things you can do to become a successful animator is to learn as m ..read more

Many animators struggle to bring their creations to life when attempting to instill realism in their work. If you’d like to make your animations appear more lifelike and authentic, there are several measures you can take. Continue reading to find tips on how to make your animations more realistic. Follow Through and Overlapping Action According to Newton’s laws of motion, specific appendages and parts of the body may keep moving even after an action has finished. For example, when a volleyball player goes to spike the ball, their hand doesn’t immediately stop once it makes contact with the bal ..read more