Traditional Animation | The Process of Traditional Animation (2D)

We are going to give insight on Traditional Animation in this article.

Traditional Animation is defined as the process of creating animation by drawing each image by hand , and using traditional 2D techniques .
That is, draw with pencil and paper each of the frames that take part in an animation sequence. Animators at Disney , who were actually responsible for laying the foundations and principles of animation (Disney Pixar) , established a method for their cartoon style . 24 frames or drawings for every second of animation.
Today I bring you a very complete article in which I explain the process of traditional animation in the cinema.
I also include 4 example videos of the phases of an animation sequence made for Tarzan (one of my favorite 2d animation films). Here I explain how to create a traditional 2d animation plane .

Table of Contents

Traditional Animation (2d)

When I started studying animation, there weren’t many alternatives. The few schools cost an arm and a leg. , so I started learning on my own.
Then there was no material on the Internet and I could only afford to buy some specialized animation books .
Since I didn’t know how to draw, I started to study 3d animation , I went to work and 20 years later I had the opportunity to fulfill my dream. Specifically, a specialized course in 2D animation and in THE SPA STUDIOS themselves . The technology is advancing day-by-day.
I have always said that someone who wants to develop in any discipline of digital art and CGI, should start by training in the traditional arts . Now that it is my turn to heed my own recommendations.
For this reason, I want to share, with those of you who have not had the opportunity, a series of resources to learn to animate , which will help you to see and plan your work with perspective.

Now there are dozens of techniques and types of 2d animation, we are going to focus on the golden age of Disney, in the era of pencil and paper.
But before continuing, do not miss the following video from Walt Disney himself explaining what animations are and the process of how cartoons were made in the past. We can also follow some related websites.

Types Of Traditional Animation

Depending on the quality or even the technique used, there are mainly two types of traditional animation; Limited and Complete .

This animation is performed with a maximum limit of between 8 and 12 frames per second. In the case of animating characters in a rapid sequence, the number may increase.
This reduction of frames normally responds to a budget decision and is usually combined with repetitions and cycles, and partial animations , in which some fixed drawings (characters) are left and only certain parts (mouths) are animated.
There are many examples in the second parts of Disney classics, in animated series and in the Anime world.
Traditional full animation: This type of animation is very fluid and refers to animation in which up to 24 frames per second (FPS) can be drawn .
It is the animation par excellence of Disney cinema, dreamworks, etc … in which the budget used to be much higher. It is also known as Full Animation.

How to create a traditional 2d animation plane? There are actually a multitude of preliminary tasks before starting an animation production. Animation Bible, script, storyboard, character design, model sheets , look development, color script, Matte painting, etc. All of them are included within the framework of Visual Development, and define the story and the visual aspect that the film will have. Once all the elements that are going to intervene in each shot have been defined, animation production begins.
There are trillions of examples of this, with different styles and types of animation. Next, I leave you the best I have found about the phases of the animation production of a plane in Tarzan . Disney’s animated film.