Animation with Procreate
This is the first post in a new blog series where I will share my experiments with illustration. The goal of this series is to find an idea for my master’s thesis, develop and discover my personal style, and learn more about different illustration methods. I might also include some writing. I’m especially interested in the combination of experimentel animation and editorial illustration – maybe I’ll find a way to connect both in future projects.
For my first experiment, I tried out the animation feature in Procreate. I already have experience using Procreate for digital illustration, but I had never used the animation tool before. To get used to the interface, I started with an old illustration I had already made – a magic potion bottle. I added small bubbles to it and made them move.
How does animation work in Procreate?
Procreate uses something called “Animation Assist.” You create a new frame for every movement. These frames appear in a timeline at the bottom of the screen. Each frame is like a new drawing layer. There’s also a helpful tool called “Onion Skin,” which shows you a faded version of the previous and next frames – this helps you see how your animation flows from one drawing to the next.
Animating the bubbles was a fun and simple way to begin. I learned how movement timing works, how fast or slow things feel, and how repeating frames can change the overall look. It gave me a first idea of how the animation process works.
Next, I created a brand new illustration and tried to make a more advanced animation. But I quickly noticed that animation in Procreate takes a lot of time. Since you have to draw each frame by hand, it’s very slow, especially if you want smooth motion or longer animations.
Conclusion:
My conclusion from this first try: Animation in Procreate is great for artistic, short animations. It works well for small projects or illustrations that need a little movement. But it’s not ideal for longer animations or complicated actions, because the interface isn’t super easy to use, and you have to draw everything frame by frame. Still, I learned a lot from this experiment. I now understand more about timing, movement, and how difficult frame-by-frame animation can be.
