The Teachers' Animation Toolkit

Recommended Animators
p. 150.

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The Teachers’ Animation Toolkit
HANDOUT: THE EASIEST ANIMATION
Draw two images that can make a sequence, with the second 
drawing directly beneath the fi rst on the following page, for example, 
fl apping wings, bird pecking.
In your sketchbook, left or right corner, cut carefully one slit with 
scissors.
The top piece can be rolled around a pencil to create movement by 
moving the pencil up and down quickly. Now drawing one and two 
create a moving sequence!!!
1.2 BEGINNERS’ EXERCISES
Two images of a pecking bird that make a sequence
Two images of a blinking frog that make a sequence

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Getting Started
19
HANDOUT: CREATE A FLIP BOOK
Take a blank pad and on each corner create a stick fi gure that is 
performing a simple action such as walking. This fl ip book process is 
useful if you decide to create a fuller piece of hand-drawn animation 
later on. If you do not have a sketchbook, make your own book.
Materials:
A few sheets of paper, approx. 10cm x 10cm, and a stapler, or a 
small notebook as well as a pencil.
1. Staple the pages together 
at one edge to make a 
notebook. Sometimes a 
rubber band or string can 
work.
2. Draw a simple pin man 
on the last page of your 
notebook.
3. On the page before, trace 
the fi rst pin man, but this 
time make his arms or legs 
move a small amount.
4. Continue tracing your 
previous drawing on the 
page before. Each time 
make his arms or legs 
move a small amount.
Be clear how many pictures 
you will have in your sequence. 
Twenty-fi ve pictures is a good 
start as it demonstrates the 
amount of effort it takes to create 
1 second of animation.
It can help if you draw the fi rst 
picture, the middle picture and the last picture initially as ‘markers’ 
and then go back and draw the inbetweens. When you have used 
Drawing stick fi gures into the corner of a 
sketchbook
Flipping the sketchbook pages makes the 
animation move

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20
The Teachers’ Animation Toolkit
up all the pages, fl ick the book from back to front to see the man 
move!
Draw pin men that run across pages, turn cartwheels or dance with