Steve George

Why Illustrators Should Start Learning Animations Today

Illustrations and animation are two widely used visual mediums for communicating a message. Both are considered effective art forms and sometimes even confused to be the same. However, there’s an increasing demand for the latter’s skill sets for the illustrators today. That is why we have come up with this article to help you understand the benefits of learning to animate and why it has become more crucial than ever. Now, you might be wondering is it even possible for an illustrator to become an animator? Then yes, it is.  

In this article, we are going to talk about the different responsibilities of illustrators and animators and how learning animations will be beneficial to illustrators in the long run. In addition to that, you will also get to know the different tips that will help you to learn animation faster. 

Now, let’s get started with learning the difference between the two.

 

Animation vs. Illustration

There’s only a minor difference between them. Animations are a series of pictures or images used for stimulating a movement, while illustrations are static images that are either drawn or painted digitally or by hands. The digital art form can be further prepped up to become moving parts in the animation. So, in short, illustrators can easily become animators if they learn how to induce motion in their static pictures.

Earlier, animations were used in movies. But, over time, business started using it to showcase their products, services, and personality of their brands. With its help, they were able to convey different messages to the audience while entertaining them in the process. 

Similarly, illustrations can be also used for different purposes, be it creating a character or mascot, logo designs, website wireframes, product illustrations, quirky posters, etc. It will have more of a thought-provoking side and depend on the imagination of the audience. Coming to the strategy of combining illustration in animation, it will be more beneficial when you want to display something more abstract. To understand better, let’s have a look at each of their responsibilities. 

Role of an Illustrator

The still images or drawings created by illustrators are often used for newspapers, books, greeting cards, advertisements, magazines, brochures, packaging, etc. The main job is to persuade, entertain, or offer information to the targeted prospects of clients. The different roles associated with it are as follows:

Understanding and interpreting the business needs of clientsImaginative and creative things to craft new ideasHand drawing and painting skills to create designs and imagesKnowledge of appropriate styles according to the requirementAbility to use computer-aided design packages for scanning the developed image.

 

Role of an Animator

We are often acquainted with 2D and 3D animators. But, there are other jobs for them as well. For example, 3D hand-drawn, computer-generated, stop-motion animation, etc. The process of creating animation involves various steps. However, the three main ones are idea generation, model making, and light rigging. Following are the different responsibilities of animators:

Knowledge of 2D drawing to create sketch, artwork, or illustrationUnderstanding of technical software like Maya, Softimage, Flash, Cinema 4D, LightWave, 3ds Max, etc.Compositing different layers of animation such as special effects, graphics, backgrounds, or charactersUnderstanding the right time and pace for creating character movementsAnimating detailed and accurate visuals

 

Now that you have a proper understanding of their role, we can move to the next step of creating animations. 

The Illustrator’s Guide to Learn Animation

If you are an illustrator with no knowledge or experience of animating, then this guide will surely come in handy. Of course, there are two options, one is to outsource your needs to an animation service provider or learn it yourself. If you want to go for the former option, then choose the one who is capable of doing the task. In case you are more of a learner, then you have just reached the right place.

To learn animating illustrations, understand that it will require dedication, time, and a bit of research. You will also have to go through a number of trials and errors to reach perfection. However, there’s nothing to worry about as everyone makes mistakes in the learning stages. Indeed, you would have experienced that while illustrating too. So, just be patient, and with a bit of practice, you will start noticing good results.

Start with GIFS

This step is effective if you haven’t animated before. Try animating a hair strand or moving something in the background. You can use After Effects for this task. The software is widely used by animators for adding subtle movements in the pictures.

Learn the art of layering

You need to use different layers for each move you make. That is why you first need to create separate layers by using Photoshop or Illustrator and then, move it to After Effects.  It is a good trick to save time.

Craft a traditional animation

To create traditional animations, you need to draw each frame. It can be done using Photoshop, TV Paint, Illustrator, or Adobe Animate.

Reach out to animators

Gather as much information as possible about creating animation with the help of different software like Photoshop, TV Paint, After Effects, etc. One of the best medium to find information is YouTube. Apart from that, you can also ask for tips from the animators. 

Plan thoroughly

Before you start to animate, have a plan so that you don’t have to think later and save your time. Regardless of whether the story is long or short, planning a storyboard will help you to carry out your work effectively.

Look out for sizes

It is important to create assets with the right size. If you start animating larger images, there’s a possibility that it will slow down your program. So, try not to animating something that is having a resolution of more than 1920px x 1080px in HD and 300dpi in print. 

Learn to render a GIF

Rendering GIFs is much easier than you think. Just open your video in the Photoshop software. Now, click on Export > Save to Web > GIF > Looping options > Forever > Save. 

To summarize why illustrators should learning animation is because of the benefits they can receive. The first reason is that it will help illustrators to stay ahead in the competition. It is something that everyone is explicitly looking for nowadays, whether it is a business or even an illustration service providing company. Besides, with the growing age of digitization, moving images are more likely to grab attention than still ones. That is why these skills are more in demand at the moment. So, the more skills you possess, the more are your chances to stay competitive. It will also help you get more jobs, thereby boosting your career in the long run.  

There is nothing wrong with going for either animation or illustration or even choosing both. The only thing that is important is what you like. Pursuing animation will enable you to work for yourself as well as on the company projects. Whereas, illustration is more like an individual thing, which will enable you to work from home and take control of your own work as well as the company you are working for. However, by combining both, you can get the best of both worlds. So, know what motivates or intrigues you the most and decide.