LESSON 4
FRAMEBURST ACADEMY
Too Long; Drew Rabbits (TL;DR)
Animation might look like thousands of drawings moving on the screen, but the truth is simpler and far more interesting.
Making cartoons (animations) work because many images are shown very quickly, one after another. Each image is called a frame. When enough frames play in sequence, your brain stops seeing separate drawings and starts seeing motion.
Surprisingly, animators often reuse frames or draw fewer images than you might expect. That is one of the secrets that makes animation possible without drawing infinitely.
In this lesson, you’ll learn:
- What frames basically are?
- Why do animations need multiple drawings?
- How many images (frames) are typically used in animation?
- Why don’t you need hundreds of thousands of pictures to start animating?
And by the end, you will understand one of the most important concepts in the animation world.
How does this actually work, though? And how many drawings do you actually need?
Let’s break it down.
What Are ‘Frames’ Everybody Keep Talking About? How Many of Them Do You Need? (Understanding Frames)
Quick Answer First:
Short answer: more than one drawing… but usually fewer than you think.
Making cartoon (animation) works by showing many drawings very quickly, one after another: like I said in the previous lesson. Each of those pictures is called a frame.
When those frames play fast enough, your brain stops seeing separate drawings and starts seeing movement.
That’s animation.
Imagine a Flipbook:
Before computers, people used to make small books where each page had a slightly different photo.
When you flipped the pages quickly, the drawing appeared to move.
If you have ever seen or made one of those at school, congratulations.
You’ve already experienced making cartoon.
Each page of that flipbook is basically one frame.
So What Exactly Is a Frame?
A frame is simply one photo in an animation sequence.
Think of making cartoon like a slideshow playing extremely fast.
For example:
Drawing 1 -> Drawing 2 -> Drawing 3 -> Drawing 4 -> Drawing 5
if these drawings are shown swiftly, the character or the object appears to have motion.
Your brain fills in the gaps between them.
That illusion of movement is what makes animation possible. So it’s all a trickery, you see.
How Fast Do Frames Play?
Most animations play around 24 frames per second.
That means the viewer sees 24 drawings in a span of a second.
But here’s the fun fact. Many animators don’t actually draw 24 images every second.
Instead, they often draw 12 drawings in one second, and this means each drawing is held for 2 frames.
This technique is mainly known as animating ‘on 2s‘.
So instead of:
24 pictures every second
you might only need:
12 drawings per seconds
That alone already makes animation feel much more achievable.
Let‘s Visualize It:
Imagine a bouncing ball.
Frame 1: Ball at the top
Frame 2: Ball slightly lower
Frame 3: Ball halfway down
Frame 4: Ball near the ground
Frame 5: Ball hits the ground
Frame 6: Ball slightly upper
Frame 7: Ball hits the ground again
Those small changes between drawings create the motion.
Even a simple movement can feel alive once multiple frames play in sequence.
A Common Beginner Misunderstanding:
Many starters assume making cartoon requires thousands of drawings immediately.
The idea scares beginners away before they even grab a pencil and an eraser.
The truth is much friendlier.
You can animate something simple with just a handful of frames.
Even 7 to 12 images can create movement.
Animation is less about the number of drawings and more about how those drawings change over time.
Small Activity: Your First Frame Experiment
Try this quick experiment at home.
- Draw a simple circle on a peice of paper.
- On the next page, draw the circle slightly lower.
- On the next page, move it lower again.
- Repeat for a few page.
Now flip the pages quickly.
Done? Wala, you’ve just created a tiny animation.
That’s the power of frames.
Why Frames Matter So Much?
Understanding frames unlocks the fundamental of animation.
Every cartoon, animated movie, Anime, show, or animation you see on YouTube is built from frames.
Whether it’s simple stick people or complex characters, the core principle remains the same:
Small changes between photos create motion.
Once you get the concept clear, animation starts to feel much less mysterious.
Your Next Step
Now that you understand frames, the next question becomes even more exciting and interesting:
How did aniamtion even start?
In the next tutorial, we will explore the fascinating early inventions that made moving drawings possible long before cameras and computers existed.
And some of them are surprisingly clever. See you until the next relive. ✨🎬
I just wanted to share how much I appreciated your latest blog post on the timeline in Adobe Animate. The comprehensive breakdown of layers and their uses was incredibly insightful. The step-by-step approach made it easy to follow, even for someone like me who’s still getting the hang of the software.
Your detailed explanations on the different types of layers—like normal, mask, and guide layers—helped me understand how to organize my animations more effectively. I particularly found the sections on mask layers and their practical applications in animation quite illuminating. The tips on creating and managing layers and folders were also very practical and will undoubtedly improve my workflow.
The inclusion of practical examples and the summary at the beginning were particularly helpful in setting the stage for the rest of the post. I also appreciated the emphasis on the importance of locking layers to prevent accidental edits, which is something I’ve struggled with in the past.
Thank you for making complex concepts accessible and engaging. Your blog is a fantastic resource, and I look forward to more of your insightful tutorials to help take my animation skills to the next level.
Thank you so much for your detailed and kind feedback! I’m thrilled to hear that the breakdown of layers and practical tips resonated with you and helped clarify some of the more complex aspects of Adobe Animate. Mask layers can be tricky at first, so I’m glad the examples made them easier to understand. Your encouragement truly means a lot and motivates me to keep creating tutorials that make learning animation both accessible and enjoyable. I can’t wait to share more insights to help take your skills even further!
Hey there takzicution. Thank you so much and I will keep thanking you because no blogger or literally no one makes it this easy to explain adobe animate I mean u have created alot of new keyboard shortcuts which u know so well. You are helping many fellow students, and also people who are currently in the industry to grasp and really get the grip of animate which was called flash!
Hey! Thank you so much for your amazing words! I’m really glad to hear that the shortcuts and tips are helping both students and professionals get a solid grip on Adobe Animate (Flash will always have a special place in our hearts). Your encouragement truly means a lot and motivates me to keep making learning as easy and fun as possible!
Your creativity and attention to detail shine through in each of the types you’ve shared. The way you’ve meticulously laid out each pattern, accompanied by clear instructions, makes it incredibly easy for readers to follow along and implement these types of animation themselves.
What I find particularly impressive is your introduction, which immediately captivates the reader’s attention by addressing a common problem many face with types selection. By offering a solution in the form of ten unique and virtually unguessable animations, you provide immense value to your audience.
Furthermore, the inclusion of a surprise with more types adds an extra layer of excitement to the post, ensuring that readers are engaged until the very end of time. Your thoughtful gesture demonstrates a genuine desire to go above and beyond for your audience, which is truly commendable.
Overall, your blog post is not only informative but also engaging and entertaining. It is evident that you have put a great deal of effort into crafting this piece, and it certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and encouraging words!
I’m truly glad you noticed the care that went into both the structure and flow of the post — especially the balance between clarity and creativity. My goal was to make animation feel approachable while keeping it exciting for readers who love to experiment.
Your feedback about the introduction and the surprise addition means a lot. those were deliberate choices to keep readers engaged and inspired from start to finish. It’s wonderful to hear that it resonated with you!
I really appreciate you taking the time to share such detailed feedback. it motivates me to keep pushing the boundaries of what I create next.