Before you dive headfirst into animation, it is important to understand what 2D animation actually looks like. It was obvious to us children that animation goes beyond just images being viewed in a sequence, but how much more exactly? Animation is, at its most basic, nothing but a sequence of pictures called frames that are quickly played along with a reel or timeline.
Why does 2D animation explainer work? Why can't we see just a few still photos? The phenomenon that allows us to perceive animation is called Persistence of Vision. This theory states that an afterimage exists on the retina for one twenty-fifth of a second before escaping the present consciousness, allowing for frames to bleed into one another and create the perception of motion.
2D animation is a type of animation that is created in a two-dimensional context rather than a three-dimensional one. Modern animation studios use 3D animation tools to create their characters and environments. They sculpt them from thousands of tiny digital polygons and then animate them with computer code such as puppets on strings.
2D animation does not use any fancy digital models, virtual spaces, and instead uses a simpler approach. We draw the frames for each scene and let our brains fill in all the details. Modern 2D animators use more than paper and pencils to create animated scenes. Digital 2D animation is now fully digital. It uses cutting-edge technology to produce the stunning detail and artistic fidelity that we have come to expect in modern films.