Previously, the question of how to create a cartoon, could only worry people who studied at the artist-multiplier. And nothing surprising in this is not: for this work required certain skills, as well as a fairly sophisticated equipment, which “ordinary mortals” simply was to take nowhere.
But with the development of digital technology, the situation has changed. Today, “remove” the cartoon is available to every more or less experienced user. All it takes is patience, some creativity and ability to work with specific programs. Although here, of course, I will have to make some effort.
The Basic Principle of Animation
Many of us grew up with drawn Soviet cartoons and most probably some of us have wondered how the magic of bringing fairytale characters like Carlson, Matroskin the Cat or Winnie the Pooh to life works. Everyone knows that if you draw a character in a notebook many times on different pages and quickly turn over those pages, you can see the effect of movement. In fact, this is the main principle of animation. At its core are just animated pictures, which over time have been improved by animators around the world.
The technology of frame animation emerged around the second half of the 19th century. Images were placed on a disk and projected onto a screen using a system of mirrors and a flashlight, and by rotating the disk, the picture became dynamic. This device was called a phenakistoscope.
Of course, animated pictures, as well as the way of their demonstration, were constantly being improved. Over a period of a century, the path has been traversed from the classic drawn and transposed animation to xerography and modern technological 3D-animation.
Modern cartoons are very realistic, the detail of images and the naturalness of the mimics and movements of the characters strikes the imagination, but at the heart of animation is still the same principle – a constant change of frames with pictures. Despite the complexity of the modern approach to creating animated films, to make your own simple animated picture can be any person interested in it, using improvised means.
Creative Approaches To Work
How to create a cartoon if you have no special education and expensive computer software? First, you must choose a technique in which to create a cartoon: it can be made from paper, lego, clay, and of course it can just be drawn on paper and animated. Consider each technique separately. To create a cartoon that does not burn out at the half-way point, you should choose the option that causes genuine interest and will be exciting to the finale.
Making A Cartoon From Paper
A great creative activity that you can share with children, having a great time together. If you have skills in origami, and children love to do applique, glue, cut out, then both the activity itself and the cartoon will be even more interesting.
The process of creating animated paintings consists of playing out scenes using paper figures on the photostable, which you can create right at home. A well-lit surface and a camera mounted on a tripod are enough for this. It is not necessary to use professional equipment – a smartphone is enough. A stationary position of the camera and unchanging light is a prerequisite for shooting when it comes to creating a certain scene.
The algorithm is as follows: after selecting the angle and place of action, you need to set the camera, light, lay out the figures of paper in the frame and take a photo. Then the position of figures gradually changes, each time photographing them. At the end of the resulting frame is collected animation. This can be done in an application for editing on your smartphone or in a program on a PC. In this way you can create a cartoon for free.
The Lego Cartoon
Lego figurines themselves are very versatile and give great scope for imagination. It is possible to create a variety of decorations and even entire cities from the constructor, placing their cartoon characters. By the way, Lego cartoons are popular on YouTube and they can even earn money.
The algorithm in this case is similar to the previous one: you need to build a frame and take a photo. Of course, the process of assembling the final set of pictures into a full cartoon is long and laborious. It is better to use a good program that has numerous possibilities and effects to make smooth transitions between frames and various ways to improve the picture.
Plasticine Cartoon
“Plasticine Crow” and “Last Year’s Snow Falls” are timeless classics of plasticine Soviet cartoons. Making something similar with your own hands today is not a problem.
After molding the heroes of the future masterpiece, they need to be placed in the frame and photographed. The principle of creating a cartoon is the same as in the previous two techniques. To make the final picture natural and smooth, you need to take hundreds or even thousands of photos. However, in amateur shooting this rule can be neglected – the result will be more clumsy, but it even gives a homemade work some charm.
How To Do Cartoon Animation
To create a cartoon, you need to know how to draw. The most convenient way to draw is on a special graphics tablet, but you can also use a computer mouse. In special editors for animation for drawing frames for the future cartoon built-in graphics editor.
In this case, the work algorithm is as follows. It is necessary to create a project in a program for drawing cartoons, draw the background and characters, create scenes and frames, and then save the result in video format. Of course, the work depends on the complexity of the characters and the world around them. For a simple home cartoon is enough simple graphics without too much detail.
Step By Step Algorithm To Create A Cartoon
How to create a cartoon at home? Consider the basic steps.
Decide On The Target Audience
Creating a cartoon, you need to understand who it is intended for: children, adolescents, adults. Depending on the age of the audience, choose the plot and characters.
Find The Main Idea
Ideas for works of art often come from the life experiences of the authors. If you want to create a cartoon, but you do not know what it will be about, think back to stories from your own life – perhaps one of them will form the basis of the script. This can be the events of recent years, and childhood memories. Well, no one canceled the fictional stories. If you have a good imagination, use it.
The mood of the cartoon can be fun and sad. It can have humor or an element of fantasy – just like in a normal movie.
Creating a story, it is important to think of details that are close to the audience – so the cartoon will be better perceived by the audience and will cause more interest.
Think Of A Main Character
For the audience to like an animated film, it must have an exciting story, and the characters must evoke emotions, and they can be both positive and negative. That is the main condition. Your cartoon can be very simple visually and still cause genuine public interest. But the lack of a coherent storyline and script is not forgiven by the audience.
The character of the characters must undergo change, if it is a long story. And if it’s a short cartoon, it’s better that the character has a clear purpose, clear character traits and understandable reactions.
Identify Resources
Getting to the creation of a cartoon, it is important to determine what you can do yourself, while obtaining excellent results, and what you at the moment can not do. After all, human potential is not limitless and to cope alone with the entire cartoon can be difficult. In this case, you need to either ask for help or use a simpler and more accessible method of work.
Determine The Duration Of The Cartoon
Obviously, the longer the cartoon, the more effort and time will have to invest in its creation. The duration affects the plot and the main message that the author wants to convey. But you can act on the reverse: if you understand that the forces will be enough only for a short video, you will have to invent it to match the scale of the plot.
If the plan is to create a whole animated series, each series must last either 11 or 20-25 minutes. The duration of full-length animated movies – from 60 to 120 minutes. One stand-alone cartoon can have a running time of 1 to 5 minutes, this is the time that the viewer is able to spend on the screen without getting bored.
Write A Script And Make A Storyboard
Any movie requires writing a script, especially if it has dialogues. In addition, the cartoon needs to be dubbed, which means you have to find voice actors and give them a script.
If the cartoon characters talk, and the cartoon itself is not quite primitive, the characters’ facial expressions should match the spoken text, which again speaks in favor of the pre-processed script.
Work without dialogue in principle does not require a detailed script, but the main line should still be defined and recorded somewhere – so it is easier to work.
It is useful to write several drafts of the script, and in the process of creating a cartoon to choose the most appropriate and consistent with the overall concept of the work.
The plot is more convenient to divide into main parts, especially if the cartoon is long and includes many scenes. Logical division into blocks will make the whole process more convenient and organized.
A storyboard is a sketch of a significant scene of a cartoon or film that traces its dynamics. Each significant change in the action should be placed on a separate frame. Small changes can not be drawn, but still worth describing. The artistic side of the issue does not matter: simple shapes, outline images and regular backgrounds are usually used for storyboarding.
It is convenient to draw sketches of the storyboard on separate cards, this allows you to swap them in places if necessary. In addition, it is possible to write small notes to the cards to describe what is happening and emphasize the important things.
Creating A Beautiful Animation
How to create a cartoon on your computer? You will need special software. With his help you can make it uncomplicated by today’s standards 2D-animation. All programs for 2D-animation work differently, which means that to master each you need to find special training materials.
The work algorithm is as follows:
- Create a project and add pictures. To do this, find the folder with the images in the file viewer. In the line “Show” there should be a tick next to the item “Photo”. Select the desired photos by holding down the CTRL key and click “Add”. After that, the photos must be placed in the correct order on the slide scale;
- Adjust the duration of the frames. The default display duration in the program is 10 seconds, but it is certainly too long for an animated movie. To reduce this figure, go to the “Edit” tab and there set the required time for each frame (for example, 1 second). Transitions are not needed, that is, in the boxes between all slides should be set duration of 0 seconds;
- Add a soundtrack. You can add music or voice recording to the project to sound out the characters. To do this, open the Music tab and select a file.
You can work with these files: increase or decrease the volume, change the sequence of their playback, etc.
In principle, that’s all, the cartoon is almost ready. Now the project should be saved in the right format. If you have the material, the whole process of assembling the work takes only a few minutes and does not cause any difficulties.
Perhaps you want to create a 3D cartoon. Of course, for this you need a separate program. There are many of them: from simpler ones with rather primitive graphics and noticeable pixelation to professional ones that allow drawing complex and realistic images. As with programs for 2D animation this software requires a different approach, as each program is designed differently.
Sound Effects in Video Animation
If you want to create a really good cartoon, you need to buy a good microphone and create conditions to prevent echo and background noise. The more ambitious your plans for the work, the more sophisticated and functional equipment for filming and editing software should be.
When using a small microphone, it is necessary to put on a foam or fur cover, which will minimize extraneous noise.
To make the cartoon more realistic, you should use different sound effects from real life, such as wind noise, the sound of the alarm clock, the flow of water, rustling fabric, noise of the city, the roar of thunder, etc. You can record different versions of the same sound so you can use the most appropriate one later. Interestingly, many sounds can be imitated by using improvised objects. For example:
- The crackle of a fire is created by rustling a thick cellophane;
- You can clap your hands for a slap;
- If you shake a piece of Plexiglas or thick cardboard, the sound will be like thunder;
- The bubbling of water can be reproduced with a glass of water and a tube;
- To create the sound of a baseball bat hitting a ball, you can simply break a match.
You can find ready-made sound effects on the web, there are free collections with a huge number of different recordings. However, it is important to find out beforehand if you can use them for personal purposes and commercial videos to avoid problems with copyrights. The mere fact that sounds are posted and available to all comers does not mean that they can be taken without asking and inserted into the cartoon.
The voicing of the characters is also an important element of the work on an animated cartoon. Dialogues should be realistic, preferably using both male and female and children’s voices, if the concept of the work does not provide another approach. The image and the words of the characters (the movement of their lips and facial expressions) must match, which means that they must be thought out in advance.
Of course, not every novice cartoonist can boast a large team and all the heroes cartoon voice actors may not be enough. Then you can voice them with the same voice, and then in a special program to change the timbre and its other characteristics, add overtones (eg, “metallic” distortion) to the voices.
Top-10 Popular Programs For Animation
If you are fascinated by animation and decided to create an animated cartoon, programs for the production should be considered for the beginning of the amateur. They won’t take long to learn, and using such software will allow you to master basic animation skills.
Adobe Character Animator
Adobe Character Animator is a fairly powerful and easy-to-use animation program that can be used by beginners. With its help, you can animate characters quickly and in real time.
The algorithm of the software is simple. To begin with, you need to connect a microphone and a camera to your computer, and import a puppet from a pre-installed collection. The program is able to detect your facial expression and voice. The character moves and performs different actions thanks to pre-set triggers. In fact, Adobe Character Animator makes a cartoon by itself according to the parameters you set. This is the best program for creating animated cartoons in Russian and the perfect option for those who are just starting to dive into the world of animation.
Advantages
- Attention to detail: automatic adjustment of movements of lips, eyebrows, eyes;
- Ready-made puppets that allow you to start mastering the program right away;
- Streaming live on-air capabilities.
The main drawback of the program is that it takes a long time to create an original character.
Blender
With the Blender animation program, you can create a cartoon for free. It is equipped with advanced tools such as simulation, modeling, video editing, motion tracking, compositing and tooling to create 3D animation. In addition, you can create panoramas by rotating the camera 360 degrees, and there is a feature for object tracking. It can also be used to create 2D cartoons.
Advantages
- Fast rendering without noticeable hiccups;
- The ability to connect third-party plug-ins (they can be easily found on the forums of animators);
- The presence of the game engine allows you to create computer games.
The disadvantage of this program stems from its merits: it is too advanced in terms of functionality, which can cause a lot of questions from fans.
Cartoon Animation 4
Cartoon Animator 4, formerly known as CrazyTalk Animator, is an excellent 2D animation program suitable for users of all levels.
The software allows you to make your own characters in 2D, choose characters from a huge database and import PSDs. There are ready-made motion patterns that can be used to animate any static image.
Benefits
- Large library of ready-made objects;
- Layout can be saved as a PSD and then refined in a graphics editor;
- There is a function of live capture facial expressions and head rotation at any angle.
The disadvantages of the program include the inability to draw by hand.
Powtoon
You can create a cartoon online with Powtoon. It is a web platform for producing animations and presentations. With its help it is convenient to make online advertisements, informative videos, video tutorials, training manuals.
The editor has a user-friendly interface, making it easy for a beginner to get the hang of it. Powtoon has clips, images, voice-over, soundtracks and sound effects.
Advantages
- The program makes it possible to create simple cartoons as well as professional-level clips;
- A library of animated elements is available to users free of charge;
- You can use it commercially.
Disadvantages
- No support for the Russian language;
- There are limitations in functionality for the free version.
Toon Boom Harmony
A program that will suit both beginners and advanced users. In Toon Boom Harmony you can create animations of any type and complexity: simple drawn cartoons, 3D, 2D and their combination.
If you want to create a cartoon, the application will offer you a collection of ready-made puppets, a hand-drawn function, an advanced color palette and a variety of textures, frame composition control and more. The program is suitable for making small cartoons at home as well as for serious projects.
Benefits
- Large toolbox for character creation;
- Easy export to game engines;
- Support for layouts created in graphics editors.
The disadvantages include the high difficulty of mastering the program because of the large number of functions.
Synfig Studio
Synfig Studio is based on vector graphics, like many animation applications for cartoons. With this program you can have full control over your puppets, work freely with two-dimensional images, layers, and draw puppets yourself in a graphics tablet connected to a PC. Synfig Studio has support for cut-out animation. When voicing a project, you can enable automatic synchronization with video.
Advantages
- You can animate the character in several ways;
- Vector objects are transformed automatically;
- You can add up to 50 layers.
Disadvantages
- Working with the sound in this program is not too convenient.
Pencil 2D
Ideal for beginner animators who are just trying their hand at this business. It is also suitable for those who like classic cartoons. In Pencil 2D you can work with raster and vector images and quickly switch between processing modes. The program allows manual rendering of characters and scenes using built-in brushes, stylus and graphics tablet.
Familiarity with many timelines and layers allow most people to work in the editor without problems.
Benefits
- You can export the finished project in a variety of formats, including as a GIF;
- Convenient tools, high speed.
Disadvantages
- The program has a large weight of the final file and difficulties with realistic color mixing.
Open Toonz
Free software for creating animated movies. In the program you can combine and mix layers, draw characters and scenes yourself, use filters to transform images, create characters from scanned files, there is free deformation and motion tracking. OpenToonz uses skeleton and frame-by-frame animation and can be configured so that frame changes are not noticeable.
Advantages
- You can draw with a stylus or cursor;
- Good compatibility with touch screens;
- A tool that allows you to convert an image into a vector.
Disadvantages
- It crashes sometimes, so you should save your project more often.
TupiTube
This program is characterized by ease of use, so even children can work in it. Visually, it is similar to the graphic editors. A virtual assistant is available to help you understand how the tools work. This software is a good solution for creating short cartoons, drawn intros for YouTube, and small educational videos for children.
Advantages
- Ideal for beginners;
- Works on Android;
- You can work as a team in the program.
Disadvantages
- Needs registration.
CelAction2D
A high performance program for creating 2D animation, suitable for both novice creators and illustrators with experience. It is a handy software with a lot of tools and the presence of automated functions.
CelAction2D allows to work with both vector and raster images, set up user-friendly workspace and draw manually. The program is suitable for creating projects of different complexity.
Advantages
- The ability to create layers in large numbers;
- High performance and low CPU load;
- Quality technical support and user-friendly instructions.
Disadvantages
- Only 64-bit systems are supported.
How to create a cartoon on your phone? To do this, you need to download a video editing application to your smartphone, it will allow you to “glue” photos and animate drawn (plasticine or any other) characters.
In conclusion, a word of advice. Don’t get upset if something doesn’t work the first time. Still, even with the help of digital technology to create your own cartoon – not such a simple task. The main thing – do not stop there and continue to improve your skills.