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2D Animation

2D animation is a type of animation where pictures are drawn on pieces of paper or on a computer program. These pictures are then played one after the other to make it look like they are moving. It's like making a flipbook, but with a lot more pictures! Some examples of 2D animation are cartoons and anime shows.

Check out the 2D Animation help pages to find out more about using "2D Animation" with Brush Ninja.

Getting Started with 2d Animation in Brush Ninja

About 2d Animation

2d Animation uses flat images, drawn by hand, or on a computer, to tell stories. It’s a popular form of animation because it’s easy to learn and can be used for a variety of purposes. 2d Animation is often used in cartoons, video games, and advertisements.

Animation has come a long way since the early days of hand-drawn characters and moving images. With the advent of digital technology, animators were introduced to a range of tools and techniques that make creating 2D animation faster and more efficient than ever before.

One of the key advantages of 2D animation is its ability to convey emotion and character development through subtle movements and expressions. Animators can use a range of techniques, such as squash and stretch, to exaggerate movements or create a sense of weight and gravity. This can help bring characters to life and make them feel more relatable to viewers.

Traditional hand-drawn animation involves drawing each frame by hand on paper (or acetate), which can be a time-consuming process. However, this method allows animators to have complete control over every aspect of the animation, from the character design to the Timing and pacing of each movement. With careful planning and attention to detail, hand-drawn animation can be highly effective in conveying complex stories and emotions.

Cut-out animation is another popular technique used in television shows or commercials where a quick turnaround time is necessary. This technique involves creating characters and items as individual pieces that can be moved around like puppets. While it may not have the same level of detail as hand-drawn animation, cut-out animation can still be highly effective in conveying movement and story. This technique was very popular in the early 2000’s with the popularity of Adobe Flash (now called Adobe Animate).

Digital animation using software like Brush Ninja, or Toon Boom Harmony has revolutionized the world of 2D animation. Animators can create images directly in the software using a variety of tools and techniques, such as vector graphics or bitmap images.

Regardless of the technique used, 2D Animation requires careful planning and attention to detail. Animators must consider factors such as timing, pacing, camera angles, and sound design in order to create a cohesive story that engages viewers. Sound design plays a crucial role in bringing an animated world to life, as it helps to create an immersive environment that draws viewers into the story.

2D Animation remains a popular form of storytelling due to its unique visual style and ability to convey complex emotions and character development. With a range of techniques available, from hand-drawn animation to digital software, animators have the tools they need to bring their stories to life in exciting and innovative ways. As technology continues to evolve, it will be exciting to see what new forms of animation emerge in the years to come.

Animation Terms

2

2D Animation

3

3D Animation

A

Alpha Channel

Ambient sound

Animation

Anti-Aliasing

Anticipation

Aspect Ratio

B

Bezier Curve

Bitmap

Blue Screen

Bone Animation

Bounce

Broadcast Standards

C

Camera Angle

Camera Shake

Casting

Cel Animation

Character Animation

Character Design Sheets

Cinematic lighting

Claymation

Clean-up

Close-up

Color Correction

Color Grading

Compositing

Composition

Concept Art

Continuity editing

Cross-cutting

Cut

Cutout nimation

D

Depth of Field

Dialogue

Dissolve

Distributed Rendering

Dolby Atmos

Dope Sheet

Dutch Angle

E

Easing

Emitter

Exaggeration

Eyedropper

F

Foley

Follow through

Forward Kinematics

Frame Rate

Frame

Framing

Freeze Frame

G

Ghosting

GIF File Format

Golden Ratio

Graph Editor

H

High key lighting

Hue and Saturation

I

Inertia

Infographic Animation

Inverse Kinematics

J

Joint

JPEG File Format

Jump cut

K

Keyframe Interpolation

Keyframe

Kinetic typography

L

Layers

Lens distortion

Level of Detail

Lighting

Line of action

Lip syncing

Low key lighting

M

Match cut

Matte painting

Montage

Morphing

Motion blur

Motion capture

Motion graphics

Motion path

Motion trail

Mouth shapes

MP3 File Format

MP4 File Format

N

Network rendering

Non-linear editing

O

Occlusion culling

Onion skinning

Overlapping action

P

Pan

Parallel rendering

Particle system

Persistance of Vision

Phonemes

Playback speed

Plot

PNG File Format

Pose-to-pose animation

Props

Puppet animation

R

Render farm

Rendering

Resolution

Rigging

Rotoscoping

Rule of thirds

Run cycle

S

Safe zone

Scene

Score

Screenplay

Script

Shot

Silhouette

Skeletal animation

Slow Motion

Smears

Sound Design

Sound effects

Soundtrack

Special Effects

Split screen

Squash and Stretch

Staging

Stop Motion Animation

Storyboard

Straight-ahead Animation

T

Time Remapping

Timeline

Timing

Title Card

Title Sequence

Tracking shot

Tweening

V

Vector graphics

Visemes

Voice acting

Voice-over Narration

W

Walk cycle

WebM File Format

Weighting

Wide shot

Z

Z-depth

Zoom

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