How do I animate on paper?

[jannar85]

Hi there,
I've actually started designing characters, and I want to know an easy way to animate on paper. If not on paper, then on the computer. I have 2ma2's handy tutorial about animating, but I want to know another method. What do you do? I'm having difficulity drawing the excact "stickman", because I usually do all the details on the first one, and you get the picture... Thank you.

[Evil_and_Buddy_@_skoo]

Well I draw stick people poses then make dull lines over a bit from the head, shoulders, feet, waist and then make a nev stick man in a different pose. This make sence? Then you add the detail...

[MrColossal]

buy Animator's Survival Kit if you're serious  by Richard Williams

get a light box or a peice of white plastic, design the character on a seperate sheet so you know what it looks like front and side and back

then do a stick figure animation and then build that stick figure up using shapes, like if his head is circular use a circle, or if it's a square with a triangle sticking out of the middle, do that

then start filling in details on all the drawings or get a new a peice of paper and with the lightbox put the roughs down and then draw a clean pencil drawing over that

then ink it with a pen, not a ball point unless that's a look your going for, a thin marker and then erase the lines

imporant things to need, a peg board which is a peice of metal or plastic or wood with 2 pegs sticking out that you put paper with holes punched in. the holes keep each peice of paper steady so that each image will always line up no matter what.

ability and desire to draw a lot lot lot

lightbox helps SO and is probably the most essential thing ever ever

the desire to draw a lot

but get a book on it and the one i mentioned is the best i've seen so far

eric

[Igor]

Yep as Eric said, don't even try to animate on paper without light table/box. If you don't want to buy it, you can still make it yourself (i think i even got a link with tutorials on how to make your own light-table... i'll try to find it).

As about stick figures- it's all about preferences, but i find it easier to draw simple circles and ellipses for body and head right away, as this gives me much stronger 3d feeling and (at least for me) makes it easier to visualize the end animation & poses.

Just be aware, it's very slow and precise procedure. If you want instant&fast results is the animation on computer better solution (animation doesn't look as cool though ).

[Ali]

i think i even got a link with tutorials on how to make your own light-table... i'll try to find it

Please, please, please do!

I've been planning to make one but I don't know how, and I'm too cheap to (Ali does quote marks with fingers) 'buy one'.

[Eggie]

You can always press the paper against a window...

...

...I READ IT IN A BOOK!

[Igor]

You can always press the paper against a window...

True, true However it will become *very* uncomfortable after a few frames...

Here's some website about constructing your own animation light table http://www.animationbureau.com/pages/builddisk.html
It's not the best though, as it doesn't precisely describe every step. I know i saw some better site, but can't find it at the moment...