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How to approach the animation process
When it comes to animating there are a few different methods you can use. The most common ones are:
- Straight Ahead Animation
- Pose to Pose Animation
- A Combination of Both
Each animation method has its own pros and cons and depending on you’re style and preferences you might want to use one over the other.
Straight Ahead Animation
Straight Ahead Animation is the most intuitive way of animating. You start at the beginning of the animation and draw each frame in sequence, one after the other. No breakdowns or inbetweens. This method is great for animating things that are unpredictable or chaotic. It’s also great for animating things that are very fluid and organic. The downside of this method is that it’s hard to keep track of the overall timing and the consistency of the animation. It’s also hard to keep the volume of the object you’re animating the same throughout the animation. This last part is especially important for me personally as it happens to me a lot.
Pose to Pose Animation
Pose to Pose Animation is the method of animating where you draw the keyframes (the most important drawings) first and then fill in the inbetweens (the second most important drawings). This method is great if you need quick clarity on the timing and the overall feel of the animation. It’s also great for animating things that are predictable and have a clear start and end. The downside of this method is that you might loose the flow and the natural feel of the animation.
A Combination of Both
The combination of both methods is probably the best way to approach your animation. You start by making a small thumbnail sketch of the animation. Then you fill out the most important key drawings. Afterwards, you put in the other drawings that really have to be there like anticipation poses. Then you use the keys and other drawings as a guide to fill in the rest of the animation with straight ahead animation. This way you get the best of both worlds. You have the clarity and the predictability of the pose to pose animation and the natural feel and the flow of the straight ahead animation.
Table of Pros and Cons
This is the TL;DR of the methods:
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Straight Ahead Animation | Natural, fluid action. It’s fun and can provide a lot of creative output. | Hard to keep track of the overall timing, hard to keep the volume of the object the same throughout the animation. Also cleaning up afterwards if you mess something up is really hard. |
| Pose to Pose Animation | Quick clarity on the timing and the overall feel of the animation, great for predictable things. | Might loose the flow and the natural feel of the animation. |
| A Combination of Both | You get the best of both worlds | Apparently, none |
Up Next
Up Next we’ll talk about advanced spacing, arcs and elongated inbetweens. Stay tuned!