Cartoon animation is unique in that it requires a unique set of design techniques and skills. The simple stylistic choices and limited choices in the medium make it a challenging field. Let’s look at how you can design animation in Sketch and use some creative techniques to create appealing characters and scenes.
Sketch is one of the most popular and powerful vector-based graphics design applications. It’s easy to learn and use and comes with an impressive set of features, including support for vector graphics, mobile layouts, and more. This article will cover the key design techniques for creating an appealing cartoon animation. Let’s get started.
Color is one of the most important design principles when creating cartoons. Color is the visual language of cartoons, and it ties together the composition, emotion, and tone of the whole scene. There are a few color principles you should keep in mind when designing cartoons:
Keeping the color palette limited and consistent can help keep the design cohesive. Using a limited color palette helps create a consistent feeling in your design and helps the eyes focus on the important elements in the scene. Using the same color for an object twice in a frame has a shadow effect and creates tension. Using a different color for the same object,
on the other hand, creates more emphasis on the object. The visual distance between objects in a scene can be increased by using cool colors for the objects, and warm colors for the background. Decreasing the visual distance between two objects can create a sense of surprise or urgency in the scene by making the viewer pause and pay attention to the characters.
Create Strong Characters
Strong characters are the beating heart of any cartoon. They communicate the story, emotion, and tone of the scene. Your characters can take many forms and styles. What are your characters trying to tell the viewer? How do they look and behave? These are the questions you need to answer.
Choose a design style for your characters. In modern cartoons, you can go with realistic and hyper-realistic styles. You can also incorporate simple cartoon styles to create a more whimsical and lighthearted feel. What are your character’s shapes and how do they interact with each other? How do they look when they’re in motion? These are the things you need to consider.
Use Visual Proximity
The objects in a scene should be placed close to each other when possible to create a sense of proximity between the objects in the scene. Visual proximity helps the viewer understand the structure of the scene and the relationships between the objects.
Visual proximity can be created by using a limited color palette and lining objects up next to each other. For example, you can place two characters that are facing the same direction and are both looking at an object. Visual proximity can also be used to convey a message or emotion in a scene.
Using the same color for two similar objects creates a visual distance between the two. Using a different color creates a proximity effect.
Repetition can be used to create familiarity and warmth in a design. Repeating an element in a scene or design, however, can look tacky and make the design look cheap. Repetition can be used to make characters more emotive and engaging. Repetition is best used in moderation and only
for defining elements in a design. Repetition can also help create a level of urgency or surprise in a scene by using the same elements in a different order or in a different color.
The visual delay is the time between when one object is placed in front of another object. It’s often referred to as the “shadow effect” and is used to create tension in a scene. This is often used in horror movies, where the characters are shown walking toward the viewer. You can also use it in a comedic scene, where the characters are walking away from the viewer.
These are just some of the key design techniques you can use to create an appealing cartoon animation. It’s important to keep in mind the color principles, the visual delay, and visual proximity when designing characters and scenes. These techniques can help you create stronger characters,
define their shapes, make the environment feel more like a scene, and create visual tension between objects in the scene. Now it’s your turn. Let us know how you design cartoon characters in Sketch in the comments below! Do Not Forget To Read This Article The Ultimate Guide To Learn How to Draw Storyboards