Making an artwork is one thing, but seeing them come to life is a whole other fantastical side to it! Animation used to be exclusive to computers due to performance and memory constraints but luckily for us, Procreate has found a way to bring this magic to us! Of course, we will still be under various limitations but Procreate animation is still a genuinely efficient way to do it on the go!
In this blog, we will be discussing the various oversights you might have especially when you’re just starting out. Animating in Procreate can seem daunting at first, but with a little bit of practice and patience, you'll be creating stunning animations in no time!
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If you’re new to animating with Procreate, you might want to check out our previous blog about Procreate Animation! This goes over all the must-know details about starting an animation in Procreate! We go over the very first thing you need to do- from animation assist, to how you can share your animation file!
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If you absolutely have zero idea and would like even more hands on teaching, fret not! We recommend our Procreate Masterclass where you would not only learn animating in no time, you’d also learn every ins and outs of the app to help back your Procreate crafts!
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Now that we’ve past the basics, it’s time to go ahead and look at the possible mistakes one can do when animating in Procreate! Don’t worry though, all of these are easily solved and you’ll be animating with peak efficiency in no time!
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It's important to have a strategy in place before you begin animating! Make rough sketches or storyboards to use as a guide while you consider the timing, movement, and composition of your animation. Sometimes it helps to design your animations' beginning and ending before deciding how it will get there!
This ties into the previous point about planning ahead—you can't just choose the largest canvas available when you open Procreate and create a new canvas for your animation. We're limited by the memory restrictions and must try to estimate how many layers we'll require, just as we discussed in our previous Procreate for Beginners blog post about setting up canvas. Using too large of a canvas will limit the number of layers you can use, and using too small will affect the pixel quality of your art, so plan ahead!
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Lighting and shading in Procreate animation are incredibly important elements that bring your illustrations to life and add depth to your animations! When you use proper lighting and shading techniques, your animations become more realistic, engaging, and visually appealing. With the help of lighting, you can create highlights and shadows, giving your animations an added sense of accuracy. On the other hand, shading adds volume to your illustrations and helps you create a sense of depth, making your animations look even more professional! By combining lighting and shading, you can create truly captivating animations that stand out and leave a lasting impression on your audience. So, make sure to pay close attention to these aspects of your animations, as they can make all the difference!
And there you have it! Those are the most common mistakes in Procreate Animation. Remember, animation is a process and takes time and practice. Don’t get discouraged if your first animation doesn't come out as you wanted, keep experimenting and learning, and you'll get better with time. Have fun and let us see what you bring to life!
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With all that said, follow along this tutorial so you can make your own animation!
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Courses and brushes by Freya Kotchakorn helped mored than 10.000 students excel in Procreate drawings.
