Animation styles and their techniques

Being familiar with all the available animation styles and their techniques will help you figure out the best fit for your business. The term “animation style” refers to the overall look and feel of an animated work. It is often used to describe the aesthetic choices made by the animators, such as the use of bright colours, simple shapes, or limited motion. The animation style can also be influenced by the culture and traditions of the country where the animation was created. For example, Japanese anime has a very distinctive style that is different from American cartoons.

Animation Styles

The term “animation style” refers to the overall look and feel of an animated work. This style is useful to describe the aesthetic choices made by the animators, such as the use of bright colours, simple shapes, or limited motion. It can also be influenced by the culture and traditions of the country where the animation was created. For example, Japanese anime has a very distinctive style that is different from American cartoons.

There are many different types of animation techniques, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The most common techniques are traditional hand-drawn animation, stop-motion animation, 2D computer animation, and 3D computer animation.

Old school animation – Tradition hand-drawn animation

Traditional hand-drawn animation is the oldest form of animation and was used for early cartoons such as Steamboat Willie and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This technique involves drawing each frame of film by hand on paper or cell (a clear plastic sheet). The advantage of this technique is that it allows for a great deal of creative control over the final product. The disadvantage is that it is very time-consuming and requires a large team of artists to produce even a short film. Visit our article ‘traditional animation’ to know more about this technique of animation. 

Stop-Motion animation

Stop-motion animation is another old animation technique which involves physically moving objects around frame by frame to create the illusion of movement when the movie is played back at normal speed. 

This kind of technique was famously used for films like King Kong(1933)and Wallace & Gromit: Curse of The Were Rabbit (2005). One big advantage stop motion has over hand drawn techniques is that it allows for real world objects to easily be included in the final film. However, the main disadvantage of this method is that it can be extremely time consuming depending on how complex the movements need to be. For example, something like Claymation which requires molding and shaping clay for every single frame could take days or weeks just for a few seconds worth of footage! 

Computer Generated Images [CGI]

Another popular form of Animation is CGI or Computer Generated Images which have become increasingly realistic over recent years due to advances in technology. This type off animation does not require any physical drawings but it’s completely done digitally using computers. While traditional methods tend to give more artistic control over the look of final product since everything will be drawn by hand, Computer Generated Images animation provides for much smoother animations and greater detail because you’re working with virtual three dimensional models that can be moved and altered easily on screen.  

One big downside to CGI compared to traditional animation is that it can be quite expensive to create since it needs powerful computers with expensive software just too render all those digital images.

Motion Graphics

Motion graphics animation is a digital filmmaking technique that combines graphics and animation to create visually stunning films. For the creation of music videos, explainer videos, and other shorts this technique is the best option. It works by combining graphics and animation to create a visually arresting final product. How is this done? By first creating the graphics, which can be either static or animated.

Once the graphics are created, the animator then works to bring them to life by adding movement and other effects. Motion graphics animation is a great way to create visually stunning films. This technique can be used to create a wide variety of films, from music videos to explainer videos. Additionally, motion graphics animation is a great way to communicate ideas and messages in a creative and engaging way.