What is 2D Animation?

2D animation involves the manipulation of flat images or drawings along a horizontal and vertical plane to create an illusion of depth, whereas 3D animation has an additional axis for depth and volume where characters can be rotated, light can be applied from any angle, and environments can be rendered with realistic textures.

While both forms of animation share the common goal of storytelling through movement, the skill sets and the creative approaches differ significantly. Even in 2D animation alone, it's important for new animators to try different styles to understand which ones resonate with them:

• Computer Animation: Animators use digital tools to create characters, props, and environments. For example, using software like Adobe Animate allows for the creation of frame-by-frame animations and the manipulation of 2D assets in a timeline.

• Stop Motion - In this technique, the animator photographs physical objects and characters in incremental movements to create a seamless motion when played in sequence. Classic examples are the beloved characters Wallace and Gromit or films like Coraline. The tactile nature of stop motion provides a unique aesthetic.

• Motion Graphics - Motion graphics blend graphic design and animation in commercial settings for advertisements, title sequences, or explainer videos. They include animated text, logos, and icons to emphasize brand identity.

• Whiteboard Animation - This style mimics the effect of a marker drawing on a whiteboard, usually paired with a voiceover for explanatory purposes. It's often used for educational content because it keeps the viewer engaged through visual storytelling.

• Rotoscope - Animators trace live-action footage frame by frame to create realistic animations. It has historical relevance, with early examples found in films by Max Fleischer and more contemporary applications in productions like "A Scanner Darkly."

Though all these 2D animation styles are different, they go through a similar creative process. Each phase requires specialized expertise, and thus a new animator will strive to understand the differences in picking a vocation.

1. Concept Development

Concept development is about brainstorming and refining ideas to establish a clear vision for an animation production―the themes, character designs, and overall visual style. It requires a deep understanding of storytelling and visual communication.

Understanding the target audience during concept development allows animators to craft narratives that resonate, and a solid concept helps streamline the production process by reducing reworks later in the pipeline.

• Brainstorming Sessions - The director gathers the team for collaborative sessions to encourage free thinking and idea generation using techniques like mind mapping or word association to explore potential themes and characters.
• Research - A deep dive into relevant topics to identify trends, gather inspiration, and understand audience preferences. Producers might, for example, analyze successful animations for insights into storytelling and character dynamics, while illustrators might work on mood boards for concept designs.
• Scriptwriting - Writers prepare a preliminary script to convey the story's dialogue, action, and important milestones. This script is a reference point for animators and voice actors alike, so it usually takes a long time to get right.

2. Character Design

Character design is the process of creating the visual appearance, personality, and unique traits of a character for animation―translating concepts and narrative intentions into a distinctive visual form, including everything from the character's shape, color palette, and clothing to the details of their facial expressions and body language.

Characters drive the narrative, so effective design helps communicate the story's themes, motivations, and emotional arcs. A character with exaggerated features may represent innocence or comedy, while a more refined design could convey sophistication or seriousness.

• Research and Concept Development - Character designers begin by understanding the context and purpose of their character: researching the character's background, role in the story, and the project's themes. They also consider the character's age, environment, and relationships to contextualize the design.
• Sketching - They then start with rough sketches to explore different possibilities, experimenting with shapes, sizes, and different poses through multiple iterations to refine ideas. The key is to explore and be creative.
• Character Profiles - A character profile outlines personality traits, likes and dislikes, fears, and aspirations. This document guides design choices and ensures consistency in portrayal.
• Color and Style Exploration - A color palette reflects the character's personality and the overall tone of the animation. Warm colors may evoke friendliness, for example.
• Refinement and Finalization - Once a design is selected, we refine the character by paying attention to small details that can enhance the design, like textures in clothing or unique features like scars or accessories. The designer creates a final turn-around sheet to guide animators on how the character looks from different angles.

Pencils, sketchbooks, and markers are timeless tools for concept artists because they allow freehand experimentation. But it's now common to use software tools like Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter, or Krita to manipulate colors, shapes, and layers easily.

3. Storyboarding

Storyboarding creates a series of images displayed in sequence to previsualize a scene. Each frame in a storyboard represents a specific moment in the narrative and serves as a blueprint for the animation to define essential elements like composition, movement, and timing.

A storyboard allows animators to see how their story unfolds visually before investing time in the animation process. It provides a clear picture of the narrative flow and helps identify potential issues early.

It's a vital communication tool among team members to make sure everyone has a unified understanding of the project.

• Script Analysis - Storyboard artists analyze the script to identify key scenes, actions, and dialogues. They consider the emotional tone and target audience to ensure the storyboard aligns with the intended message.
• Thumbnail Sketches - Before diving into detailed drawings, they create small thumbnail sketches that outline each major scene to focus on composition, camera angles, and the arrangement of characters and backgrounds. Sketches are kept simple to make quick changes.
• Scene Breakdown - Artists determine the sequence of events within each scene: transitions, character movements, and key actions that drive the narrative.
• Adding Dialogue and Annotations - The team often includes dialogue text, sound cues, and any essential notes regarding the action in each frame for the animators to understand character intentions and emotional delivery.
• Revisions and Feedback - Storyboarding is an iterative process, like most animation phases, so it's important to share the storyboard with team members to gather feedback and make revisions to enhance the clarity of the storyboard.

Many animators still prefer using pen and paper for storyboarding.

4. Animatic

An animatic is a preliminary version of an animation that combines artwork and audio to create a moving storyboard. It's a draft that showcases how the animation unfolds visually with rough animations.

An animatic helps identify issues with composition and staging before more resources are committed to full animation. It provides a clear visual layout that can highlight potential problems in framing scenes. By previewing actions and transitions between scenes, creators can also tweak dialogue and visual gags for maximum impact.

• Storyboarding integration - The artists start with traditional storyboards that outline each scene in the animation and import them into video editing software for animation, like Toon Boom Harmony.
• Audio integration - Animators record basic voiceovers, dialogues, and sound effects to add life to the storyboard and help set the pacing for visual sequences.
• Timing setup - The animation team establishes the timing for each shot by assigning duration to each storyboard panel, syncing the visuals with the audio.
• Movement and transitions - Motion is key in animatics—even if it's just simple pan and zoom effects on still images. Visualizing how scenes will transition and create a dynamic viewing experience helps animators during the production phase.

5. Animation Production

Animation production is the core process of turning concepts into animated content.

This is where the bulk of the work occurs. Animators use traditional hand-drawn or 2D digital animation methods to create the actual frames that will animate the characters and scenes.

Toon Boom Harmony is one of the most widely used software programs for 2D animation.

It allows you to import your storyboard images or create animatics. It supports various formats, enabling you to work seamlessly with hand-drawn or digital artwork from graphic tablets.

Animators use different layers to separate elements like characters, backgrounds, and UI. This organization makes it easier to manipulate, colorize, and animate each component later in production.

You can set durations for each scene, adjust frame rates, and create smooth transitions that align with the audio tracks. You can change the audio timing directly on the timeline, like in any video editing software.

Alternatives include OpenToonz, Adobe Animate, and Moho, among others.

6. VFX

Visual Effects (VFX) encompass a wide range of techniques to create or enhance imagery that's less convenient to draw: motion blur, lighting, texture, fire, etc.

• Layering and compositing - Animators manipulate multiple layers of animation to create depth: animated characters with backgrounds but also VFX elements like smoke, fire, or magical sparks to increase detail levels.
• Creating particle effects - A common task is designing and animating particle effects like rain, snow, or explosions using physics engines.
• Animating special effects - Effects like glow, distortion, and transitions can also enhance the quality of movement animations.
• Rendering - Like 3D animation, VFX animations require a rendering step to adjust output settings for quality and delivery format. For resource-intensive rendering like crowd animation, animators can rely on rendering farms. It's a highly technical step that sometimes requires specialized expertise.

One of the most widely used tools for VFX in 2D animation is Adobe After Effects. You can use it to adjust opacity, blend modes, and layer styles to create compositions and take advantage of built-in effects like particles, lights, and camera motion. Using presets streamlines the animator's workflow.

7. Sound Design

Sound design is about creating, recording, editing, and generating audio elements. It encompasses everything from dialogue and sound effects to ambient sounds and musical scores.

The right music or sound effects can evoke laughter, fear, sadness, or excitement to impact how viewers connect with the animation directly.

• Foley - Foley artists find or create sound effects (SFX) and ambient sounds. They complement musicians creating musical scores to set the tone of a scene and make the animated universe come alive.
• Recording - When predetermined sounds aren't available, animators often record their audio, capturing voiceovers or unique sound effects. Voice artists play a key role there.
• Sound editing - When sounds are sourced or recorded, they must be edited for clarity, volume, and alignment with the animation―cutting, layering, and adjusting sound elements to ensure they sync perfectly with the visuals.
• Mixing - Mixing balances different audio tracks — dialogue, sound effects, and music to create a cohesive and engaging auditory experience. Proper mixing ensures that no single element overpowers another.
• Sound design implementation - The edited and mixed sounds are integrated into the animation software by adjusting levels, adding spatial effects, and fine-tuning the audio.

8. Supervision & Management

2D animation is a team effort. Supervision and management refer to the organizational and leadership processes that guide an animation project from inception to completion―overseeing various teams, ensuring that creative and production goals align, and maintaining a cohesive workflow.

Supervisors are responsible for various activities, from creative direction to administrative oversight, to ensure production meets deadlines, budgets, and quality standards. Because animation projects involve multiple specialists, they also help with cross-functional collaboration. A systematic approach to resource distribution provides each team member with what they need to succeed without unnecessary waste. Animation production often operates on tight schedules, so a supervisor keeps track of progress and facilitates adjustments to keep the project on track.

It's a full-time job:

• Project planning - Establishing a project timeline and setting milestones to divide tasks among various teams and determine how those tasks will fit together.
• Team management - Engaging with team members to motivate and inspire creative output with regular check-ins and feedback sessions to maintain team morale and create alignment.
• Creative oversight - Supervisors often review and approve storyboards, character designs, and animations.
• Problem-solving - As projects unfold, challenges arise. Supervisors must be adept at identifying issues early and implementing solutions, whether they are related to workload, creative discrepancies, or technical difficulties.
• Budget management - Keeping track of financial expenditures can make or break a production, so the project must remain within budget constraints while achieving high-quality outputs.

Pipeline trackers like Kitsu, which also help with asset management and reviews, keep the animation team agile while respecting project constraints.

Conclusion

There are countless opportunities in 2D animation, with various techniques, roles, and a vast array of unique projects to explore.

That’s why gaining experience across different areas can be incredibly valuable before choosing a specific path. With the rise of mainstream anime and the growing use of motion graphics in marketing, 2D animation is as relevant as ever—so dive in and explore!