An Exploration of Modern 2D Animation

 An Exploration of Modern 2D Animation



https://preview.redd.it/eusp57ctzng11.jpg?width=1024&auto=webp&s=d986cb6dffb7e15e6d883615820ef2904be928f3


    Unsure of where to really start my initial research last week so I decided that I would take a deeper dive into the styles of 2D animation that are currently still prominent in the industry today to pick a style and attempt to learn those techniques to better improve myself and my abilities. Most modern 2D animation these days can be broken down into two larger categories Traditional Animation and Digital 2D animation with several different approaches to each. 

    Traditional Animation or Cel Animation where animation cels are each individually drawn by hand and then placed on a peg board with backgrounds to be changed out each frame to create the illusion of motion in the scene. This style dates back to the earliest days of animation from the earliest Bugs Bunny cartoons to even more modern uses like in the creation of Spirited Away (2001) and the Secret of Kells (2009). Traditional animation itself has fallen mostly to the wayside unfortunately with programs that are capable of mimicking and improving the process of animation to the point that Cel animation is too cost ineffective when creating new projects.




With the coming of the digital age 2D animation was able to shift and change with it becoming more cost effective and even easier to produce. Using programs like Adobe Animate and Toon Boom Harmony animators are able to take traditional skills and improve upon them. With the ability to use layers and record directly from the software animation became less time consuming and now most animation is done digitally because even digitally you can replicate tradition forms of animation as well as new forms such as Flash Animation. Flash animation named after the original platform it was created on (Adobe Flash Professional now Adobe Animate) was known for its smooth appearance but jerky movements but with its use over the years has become much smoother and is now even used in high profile shows like Bojack Horseman (2014-2020).





There is definitely a lot more to be covered with this and I am only scratching the surface truly. I think that for the most of this class I will explore the processes of creating 2D animated content to learn new skills and bring myself closer to my goal of creating my own animated content.


Sources

  • http://coldhardflash.com/2007/04/john-ks-guide-to-surviving-end-of.html
  • https://blog.indiefolio.com/techniques-and-methods-used-in-2d-animation/#:~:text=Emile%20Cohl%20created%20the%20very,the%2070%2Dsecond%20long%20animation.
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Flash_animated_television_series#2020s
  • https://www.adobe.com/products/animate.html
  • https://www.toonboom.com/
  • Selby, A. (2013). Animation. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy2.library.drexel.edu
  • Phillips, A. (2015). Animate to Harmony : the Independent Animator’s Guide to Toon Boom. Focal Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315889849 
  • https://drexel.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01DRXU_INST/1c1pabm/alma991012170125804721




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