Thread:DragonMind/@comment-37244224-20190421215025/@comment-37244224-20190422174352

I'mma go ahead and get started, if anybody else wishes to join, it's never too late! XD This is also going to be just an animatic, since I know not everybody has access to the full-blown expensive stuff.

Alright guys, so first things first, I'll start off saying you can also just use a regular drawing software (such as Photoshop, or even - *cringe* - MS Paint) and edit in Movie Maker (So you've no need to worry, Specter!). You can also use a regular animation software, which I find much easier, but for this little lesson, we can keep it pretty simple.

A common misconception is that an actual animation you plan on posting needs some story, audio, or both. This isn't really true! While it's nice to have a story so it makes more sense, there are plenty of random little animations out there that just feature a protagonist or two in some random situation. (I say protagonist, but you can really call them whatever. The character, the object, meh.)

So, let's start off by drawing one picture. What is is that you want to animate? A dog, a Deity, something from a fandom you're in? Start with a quick sketch of that to use as a reference. Once you know what you want the character to look like, you can draw your very first image, or ''frame! ''Frames are the pictures that shoot by in a video, whether it's a cartoon or even a video you took on your phone.

(Something I've noticed helps me a lot is to pause a video I'm watching, and just look at the still frame. Observe the way things blur when they move, or how they sit when they're still. What shape is the mouth in? What's the facial expression, and what's the character feeling?)

I'll let you guys have this sink in, let me know when you're ready for part 2! :) <3