Learn about Simple Animation Ideas and Inspiration

This post originally appeared on One Design Pro.

Creating an animation is a no-brainer. The animation industry today is replete with examples of successful and incredible animations being put out almost every other day. However, even the best animators and artists can run out of animation ideas and inspiration sometimes.

While animation is not that difficult to master, it can be tricky to learn, especially if you are just starting out. This is the time when you do not just need to get up to speed on your animation skills and techniques but it is also when you need simple animation ideas to breathe life into your project.

If you are new to animation, then you need a few short animation ideas and tricks to understand how it all works. Though animation might seem intimidating at a first glance, once you have the basics under your belt, you can create just about anything you want to.

Table of Contents

• Where to Start?
• Animation Ideas and Inspiration for Beginners
• Make it Squishy, Stretchy, and Avoid Stiffness
• Create Anticipation
• Following Through with Movement
• Create Arcs in Motion
• Ease the Animations
• Note the Timing between Animations
• Insert a Secondary Action
• Exaggerate Motion
• Rules of Highlighting in Animation
• Strategize Your Animation
• Make it Appealing
• The Final Word

Where to Start?

Starting in animation is overwhelming, especially when you consider the different elements that have to work together to create a successful animation. You need to have excellent illustration skills, and be able to create movements that look realistic, all while adapting to new programs and software.

The journey might be lengthy, but it is rewarding, and in time you will be able to create your own animation ideas without a hitch. This blog lists a few simple animation ideas that you can incorporate into your work to better understand how it works. Since these are easy designs, they act as a stepping stone for young animators looking for illustration and animation ideas for beginners.

Animation Ideas and Inspiration for Beginners

As a beginner, the best way to start implementing your animation ideas is to master the basic rules of drawing and animating. If you ever see bad or laggy animation, there is a great chance that these basics have not been followed. If you are looking to successfully create your short animation ideas, this blog presents some of the handiest tips and tricks to help you master beginner’s animation.

Make it Squishy, Stretchy, and Avoid Stiffness

A great suggestion for novice animators is to create movement within their objects through stretching and squashing. It creates a feeling of flexibility and life in your animation.

It also works well if you intend to show the object as hard or small, as softer objects tend to be more pliant and stretchable. If the animation you create seems rigid, then try this useful little technique and see if it improves your project.

Create Anticipation

If you have ever noticed, animated objects seldom have a sudden movement. There is always a preparatory action that is usually in the opposite direction. A great but simple example is the action of throwing a ball.

To throw a ball, you always pull your arm back before thrusting forward. Adding the anticipation of action helps prepare the audience for what to expect and doesn’t make the action seem sudden. Simple animation ideas like these are a great way for beginners to understand and implement successful motions in their animation.

Following Through with Movement

When it comes to animation ideas for beginners, it is usually a great concept to follow through with a motion. Anticipation concerns the beginning of a movement, but since it doesn’t stop immediately as doing so will give the animation a stilted look, adding an ending motion is vital here.

This motion will be called the ‘Follow Through’ and is one of the most basic animation ideas used today. It refers to the small movements of the object after the main action has stopped, which creates a more realistic result.

Create Arcs in Motion

Nothing in nature truly moves in a straight line or motion. Even if you wave your hand or lift your arm, you will notice the arc in that movement. Taking animation ideas from real life is a great way to make your creations more realistic and true to life.

Softening the paths of motions with arcs instead of straight lines is another great addition to the list of successful short animation ideas. If you put this in your portfolio, then you can show off your skills and a potential employer will notice this little detail.

Ease the Animations

When you are animating, keep in mind that an object neither moves at lightning speeds nor does it maintain high velocity in its animation. This is something that is seen only in poor illustrations or simulations.

The rules of animation dictate that all moving objects must have a natural acceleration and deceleration speed. You can use this in your animation ideas by having more frames when the movement starts, then reducing their number in the middle and increasing them again, to give the object in question an accurate and fluid motion.

Note the Timing between Animations

If you’re wondering how to create a smooth-running simulation, then one of the most simple animation ideas is to follow the principle of animation timing. This refers to how many frames it will take for the action you are drawing to be completed, and how they are placed together. Once you edit the number of frames, you can fix the speed, fluidity, and weight of your animation.

One of the key animation ideas for beginners is to put a mix of timings together in animation so that it looks more interesting.

Insert a Secondary Action

As a beginner, you might have great animation ideas of your own, but you might find them a bit lackluster when you create them. This can easily be solved by adding a secondary action. These actions are the best ways to support the primary movement of the scene you have created and give it a bit more dimension.

An example would be a character flying towards the audience. Have the character interact with a smaller flying object like a bird, or a ball that’s been thrown towards them. Fixing a flat animation is easier when you add a secondary action to it.

Exaggerate Motion

Though the rules of simulation and animation require a sense of realism in movements, don’t be afraid to expand them a bit. Creating exaggerated animations often leads to surprising results.

Some actions are too subtle, so highlighting various movements with a dramatic effect can be your cue, such as an overstated warm-up for a run, as seen in popular cartoons. By pushing your animations outside the bounds of reality, you can get a better idea of what works and what doesn’t.

Rules of Highlighting in Animation

When you create or get simple animation ideas, you have a clear focus in mind in terms of the subject. Portraying the same and getting the reaction you want from your audience requires highlighting the important parts of a scene. This will direct the eye of your viewers towards a certain area of your animation.

Adding small visual highlights, or bolder ones like drawing a spotlight on your character, is a great way to successfully pull off your project.

Strategize Your Animation

There are multiple strategies that you can use to create your animation. You can choose a frame-by-frame approach or you can start at the very beginning and go through it according to the scene. You can also illustrate the various poses and animate them from start to finish, then edit and fill in any gap where needed.

This will require a bit of practice. It will also help you determine which style will eventually suit your animation. Different styles complement different animations, depending on whether you want them to be subtle or more dynamic.

Make it Appealing

When you are a beginner, you start to focus on various elements of animation, so it is easy to lose yourself in the technicalities. The most important tip is to create something that inspires you and that makes you feel good about your art.

An illustration is about creating something interesting and unique by adding beauty and variety to your work. Your animation might be successful but without a beautiful, inspired design, it cannot be fully appreciated.

The Final Word

Animation isn’t easy but you can always learn. As Joe Jordan, the creative director at JK design, said, “To make the most out of your animation, give them a purpose.”

At One Design Pro, we understand that animation is rarely only about its entertainment value. Many companies use animations today in their marketing communications to draw attention to their brand and provide a better user experience on their websites, visual presentations, and advertisements.

Are you looking for some inspiration for your next animation? Do you have a project you would like to discuss?

Please contact us by calling +1 (800) 764-7513 or email: [email protected]