Animation is the process of creating the illusion of movement by representing a rapid sequence of still images, each representing a specific moment of movement to be created. Although it is a technique that has evolved a lot thanks to the processing power of computers, basically it is still the same primitive animation technique of the flip book, where static images are drawn on a paper book and flipping the pages quickly produces the illusion of movement And it is that all these techniques are based on the same principle, the strobe effect, the optical effect that causes the human eye to perceive static images in succession as continuous movement.
2D or 3D animation
We can begin to classify animation techniques depending on whether we do it from 2D or 3D graphics. In other words, are those static images that are the origin of animation represented in two dimensions, like a drawing, or in three dimensions? Traditional cartoons are a good example of 2D animation, but nowadays cartoons are made in 3D as well. The main reasons for making a 3d animation They are the flexibility when it comes to changing scene parameters and the possibility of reaching very high levels of fidelity when we want to represent photorealistic scenes. In fact, when creating the scenes we can even combine 2D graphics, for example, for stage elements, backgrounds, etc. with 3D models for the characters, and all this in a three-dimensional composition.
digital animation techniques
Perhaps the oldest animation is that of the human figure or animals. Today 3D animation is widely used in cinematography and video games. To create movement, once the figures we want to animate have been created, whether in 2D or 3D, there are two main techniques. The first is a direct heir to the technique of stop motion, in which a doll or mannequin is photographed representing the figure to animate in the different postures of the movement. In this case, and using digital skeletal structures with specific ranges of movement depending on how the joints relate to each other, it is the animator who manually “animates” the figure, using specialized animation software. The other option is the so-called motion capture, in which an actor dressed in a special suit filled with sensors performs the necessary movements while a device captures the movement information from those sensors. This information can then be applied to a 3D model or even in real time as the actor performs. This last option is especially important when representing non-human creatures, such as aliens, monsters, etc. One of the best-known examples is that of the Gollum character in the Lord of the Rings trilogy or the creatures from the movie Avatar.
Another widely used animation technique is called motion graphics, and consists of creating animated graphics and texts that are later integrated in the form of bumpers, animated logos, credit titles, etc. It is a highly specialized and recurring technique, especially in advertising, infographics, audiovisual post-production, presentations, etc.
Any program for creating and processing 2D images or 3D modeling can be used to create animations, especially when it comes to creating the characters or objects used in the animation: 3ds Max, Maya, Blender, Illustrator, After Effects. Specialized software usually integrates these contents in a more direct way, being directly oriented to the task of animating. That is, we could make animations with Adobe After Effects perfectly, but there are less versatile alternatives, but whose workflow and interface is focused only on animation. It is the case of Cartoon Animator 4, Character Animator, Toon Boom Harmony, Synfig Studio, OpenToonz, or Synfig.
Animation is a technique that is more than 100 years old and thanks to computing it has developed as one of the most important industries for the audiovisual world. From cartoons to Hollywood blockbusters, digital animation techniques are present in almost all audiovisual products and are one of the most creative and innovative fields, even though they are based on the simple principle of the strobe effect.
What are your favorite animation techniques? What do you think are the best tools for creating animations?