| Stop Motion Animation is a very creative hobby. | | | | don’t have any of these materials you can |
| It is also very inexpensive to start out in; and you | | | | easily make some out of flour, salt and water. |
| can probably do it for no cost at all. All you need | | | | Another very simply yet very expressive |
| is a typical digital camera, some basic software, | | | | technique is to use wire. You can easily shape it |
| and a few ideas. Here are some thoughts and tips | | | | into figures and objects. It holds its shape well yet |
| to get your creativity flowing in this hobby. | | | | is easy to manipulate into simulations of motion. |
| When thinking about doing some kind of animation | | | | Wire is so effective that it is often the frame |
| you have to think outside the box and realize that | | | | over which many modern figures are made. This |
| just about anything at all will make a good | | | | technique is called using a wire armature. |
| subject. And you have to think about the fact | | | | Action figures and dolls make great animation |
| that just about any medium will work well also. | | | | subjects as long as they have movable joints and |
| Two Dimensional Ideas | | | | body parts so you can articulate them. But you |
| Working in two dimensions gives you a lot of | | | | don’t have to stick with that. Just about any |
| creative and inexpensive options. You can simply | | | | three-dimensional object can be used in interesting |
| draw pictures on paper and erase then redraw | | | | ways. You can draw small eyes, noses, and |
| them to show the motions you want to make. | | | | mouths then attach them to any object and |
| An alternative to erasing is to draw series of | | | | come up with an interesting anthropomorphic little |
| pictures on separate sheets of paper and | | | | project. You can even carve potatoes or apples |
| photograph them individually. This can give you | | | | and get some great videos. And just moving |
| extraordinary results but is very challenging to | | | | objects around can be the source of some |
| make sure the images stay cleanly tracked | | | | interesting videos. Watching furniture move |
| without slippage which would make it very jerky | | | | around a room can be a good idea or watching |
| and shaky. | | | | items move around a desk can also be interesting. |
| An excellent way to draw pictures is to use some | | | | Animating yourself and the real world is also a fun |
| kind of an erasable surface. This tends to be | | | | way to approach the hobby. If you stand at |
| much easier than drawing pictures on paper and | | | | attention and take a picture then move forward |
| two excellent mediums for this are the dry erase | | | | six inches, stand at attention and take another |
| board and the chalkboard. These make it very | | | | picture you can come up with a great series of |
| easy to erase potions of your drawing and | | | | pictures that show you magically sliding around |
| redraw the motions. I highly recommend using a | | | | without moving your feet. You can also do the |
| dry erase board if you want to get some great | | | | same thing by jumping into the air and snapping a |
| looking animations and if you have some skill in | | | | picture of yourself. Move forward six inches, |
| drawing. | | | | jump, and snap another picture. With this |
| Drawing images of figures and objects then | | | | technique you can create an animation that shows |
| cutting them out and using them in animations is | | | | you floating around. |
| an excellent way to get very creative and very | | | | Some final tips |
| expressive animations. There are two important | | | | Don’t forget the camera. If you really want |
| additions you can make to this style of animation. | | | | to make your animations special you should move |
| You can cut the drawing into segments to show | | | | the camera as you take your series of pictures. |
| motion. An example of this would be to draw a | | | | You can do this by either zooming in or out or |
| human form then cut it into its different parts like | | | | panning from side to side. This moving of the |
| arms, legs, head and torso. This way you can | | | | camera is the single best way to make your |
| move them individually much as a human moves. | | | | animations stand out. |
| Another way to enhance cut out drawings is to | | | | While the medium you use for your animation is |
| make multiple drawings of the same object to | | | | very important and can turn a plain animation into |
| show motion or rotation. A good example of this | | | | something special to look at you should put some |
| would be a face. You would draw multiple faces | | | | time and thought into the story of the animation. |
| such as one with the mouth closed and one with | | | | This is what can turn it into something truly |
| the mouth open. This way you can alternate | | | | remarkable. Surprise your viewers and keep them |
| between the drawings and simulate talking. | | | | guessing as to what will happen next. |
| Three Dimensional Animation | | | | Just about anything in your every day world can |
| There are some exciting possibilities available to | | | | be transformed into something extraordinary with |
| you when you start to think about doing | | | | a little bit of animation magic and a little bit of |
| animation in three dimensions. And the first place | | | | creativity. Just look around your house and you |
| you could start is with clay or play-doh. If you | | | | will discover lots of great ideas. |