Omg, I can't draw

True or false.. Animating depends primarily on drawing ability? This statement is of course false. While being able to draw is a handy skill to have it is not the most important part of animation. There are many different components necessary to creating an animation. Examples of this would be story, characters, etc. As long as there is a good story behind an animation it does not matter how complex or simple the animation may be. In many was a simple drawing may carry the story better then complicated drawing. When drawings are simple the viewer can easily distinguish what is going on in the scene and pay more attention to the story.

One example of simple technique can be seen in the animation, “Bendito Machine.” In this animation the drawing is very simple. The characters are black blob like figures and the color comes from the background. Along with the characters, the other elements in the animation were also simple. Mainly just squares, circles, etc. All black, as well. This animation is a perfect example of simple technique being carried by a story. There is no narration and the characters the story. Because the characters carry the story the brain has to really pay attention to what is happening. While the story is not that complex, it requires some thought. Yes, the characters are simple but there is still a lot that goes into an animation with simple technique. The story is told through film techniques.

Film techniques can be used to make up for the lack of detail to keep the viewer interested. Some of these techniques include; close up, wide, and medium shots, pans, changing screens, etc. These can be seen through to use of tweens. Tweens refer to the animation between key frames. Tweens are helpful because they cut out the in-between parts of an animation that the viewer might not need to see. This saves time and allows the story to flow more smoothly and rapidly. Through the use of different shot variations it helps the viewer know what to focus on and adds more interest.

While color is always great to see in an animation or drawing it is not a necessity. Many great flash animation are done in black and white; especially those that use simple techniques. Black and white works best with simple animation because most time the drawings are done with just lines so there is no use for color. Another great part about using black and white is the ability to use color as a metaphor. You can add color to one aspect of the story to draw attention or meaning to it, which makes a point to the viewer that it is an important aspect to the story.

Along with me, there are plenty other animators that cannot draw. No worries though, because there are other techniques that will make up for my lack of drawing abilities.