Online Journal of Art and Design

volume 3, issue 1, 2015

Animation Use as an Educational Material and Animation

Techniques

Ayşe Derya Kahraman

KTO Karatay University, Graphics Design Department

ABSTRACT
The developments in technology affect the learning-teaching processes as it has been in
every fields of life. Increase in the quantity of the information, complexity of the content,
increase in the request of education, increase in the number of the students and
requesting to benefit from the educational situations can be accepted as the basic
reasons of using educational technologies at school. Educational technology provides
meaningful learning by using more than one sense organ of the students. One of the
most technological systems used in educational technology is computer which has been
used as one of the most effective and individual communication device in education. The
students can intensify the subjects they learnt by the help of computer supported
education and can learn more effectively. The most important part of learning is provided
by the lives gained by visual and audio ways. Only technology using has not been
enough to increase the quality of the technology in education, the methods used in
computer supported education are differentiated. Because of this reason, graphics,
sound, shapes, PowerPoint, presentation and animation in education have been accepted
as beneficial with the increase of sense organs participating in educational process. When
the developments in educational technology and graphics design products have been
mixed up, they serve for the development of potential learning and teaching. In other
words, knowledge integration between the disciplines is provided by combining education
and new Technologies. Animation production techniques have been explained in the
frame of sustainability of animation usage in education in this research. It has been
thought that this study will be beneficial for the researchers and appliers in the context of
educational material and animation techniques.

*This research is a section from doctoral thesis of Ayşe Derya Kahraman prepared under
the consultancy of Prof. Dr. Canan Deliduman and Asist. Prof. Dr. Gülgün Alpan at Gazi
University Arts and Design Faculty Graphics Education Department .

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ANIMATION TECHNIQUES
We know that when animation techniques have been examined, there are several
varieties technologically with the increase in technical opportunities in the historical
process. The artists who understood the nature of the movement have been in effort of
explaining movement with different methods. Because of this reason, free animation
techniques have been born out both free from each other and which have been extension
of each other.

1. TRADITIONAL ANIMATION
The technique known as traditional animation (classic animation, cel animation) or the
one drawn with hand is a technique developed by drawing every square one by one by
hand. This technique has been used actively since the development of computer
animation. The reason for recognizing it as cell animation is that its basis equipment has
been acetate leaves. Acetate can be used more than once in cell animation as it can be
cleanable(Benice, 2000, s.25).

1.1. Character Animation

Character animation is a technique born out at the result of using statement, physical
movement in addition to artistic worries generally in feature length films. The
movements are smooth, realistic and perfect in this kind of animation. The best
examples of character animation are Walt Disney’s feature length films. Animator should
dominate the instrument to be used during character animation. These can be paper,
pencil, mud, fabric, metal or computer. The difference between character animation and
animation can be thought as the difference between stage play and ballet. A stage play
focuses on play, lines and performance and the audience enjoys from form, movement
and music relationship. (Wellins, 2005, s.348).

Figure 1. Character Animation

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1.2. Limited Animation

It is a common used technique and made by using short ways relevant to classic
animation techniques in low budget productions. The cost of the feature length films of
Walt Disney in 1930 and 1940’s with elegant details in every square of it has been very
high. In limited animations, the aim is to create the same effect with less drawing and
with low costs
(http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Limited_animation.html).

1. 3. Rotoscoping
Rotoscope is an animation form where the lively movement has been monitored and the
movement has been transferred from 2D view frame to the frame. (Wellins, 2005,
s.352). In other words, it is a film technique where movement references have been
taken from real filming views (Kaba, 2001).

Rotoscope is one of the traditional animation methods invented by Max Fleischerin 1915
Max Fleischer increased the visual aesthetics of cinema with the invention he has made
in early period animation cinema. Rotoscope is drawn on actors and current film length in
animation. Traditionally the lively movement will be printed on the frame and it will be
recorded. In another part, it will be located over lively movement prints later and the
movement will be drawn as frame by using a light box, The result seems like hand
drawing but movement is as lively as taking too much attention.
(http://vfxhelper.blogspot.com/2008/02/history-of-rotoscoping.html).

Figure 2. Rotoscope Animation

2. STOP-MOTION ANIMATION
Stop-motion animation is the procedure of photographing everyobject in squares
following each other and fictionalization it as completing each other. In this technique,
many object views are set up as digitally or opposite to the camera as analogue. The
views taken have been montage and then the view has been formed. Stop motion

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animation is formed of streaming puppet and many similar Picture squares. (Yıldız, 2005,
s.1).

2. 1. Puppet Animation
Puppets are used puppet animation as it can be understood from its name. The puppets
are designed to stand on their own feet and to shoot on location from every angle. The
puppets should have loose joints to sustain their motion and to stand in the location they
have been on. (Hünerli, 2002, s. 937)

2. 2.Clay Animation
It is one of the several animation kinds whose basic logic has been stop motion. The
characters are created with clay or plastic paste named as plastilin. The basic principle is
to change the place of the objects which can be given shape easily . In this technique,
the most lived problem is whether there has been a problem from the light source
coming from the equipment during filming (Tezcan, 1990, s.15; Benice, 2000, s.26).

Figure 3. Clay Animation

2.3. Silhouette Animation

Silhouette Animation is again a type of working used by the puppets, but instead of
puppets the silhouettes are moved. The puppets are made of metal plaques or black
cartoons. Everypart is connected with strings to be moved by cutting separately. As the
figures of the puppets have been small, the movement of the object can be given in the
form of natural movement. After the puppets have been prepared in silhouette
animation, the decors and location arrangements are drawn where puppets will be
moved. The background is cut from transparent paper to give a component style to the

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location in this animation method based on movement of puppet silhouettes formed of

black cartoon or metal plaques. (Şenler, 1995, s. 106).

2.4. Object Animation

Object animation is a kind of stop animation including animation movements of unshaped
objects as toys and blocks. In this technique, objects in the form of solid are used, a
human or animal charactercannot be used. If we concrete that object animation in an
animation technique that does not need drawing, it can be told that you can make an
animation like this by moving the objects of the room you have been living. (Kaba,
2001).

2.5. Brickfilm Animation

Brickfilmis a stop motion animation kind used by LEGO toys or similar plastic production
toys (Kaba, 2001).CGI traditional animation and live action films carrying the properties
of plastic production toys are taken as brickfilm. Brickfilm term has been found by Jason
Rowoldt , founder of Brickfilms.com. It is a stop motion animation kind made by using
Legotoys.

Figure 4. Brickfilm LEGO

The first known brickfilm is The Magic Portal’ in 1980 and 1989. It is known the leader of
modern brickfilms and mixes stop motion animation and live action. It is recorded in 16
mm films and shows animation LEGO , plastic, card characters and objects .

2.6. Pixilation Animation

Pixilation is a stop motion technique where lively actors have been used as a frame,
while filming a frame one pose is reviewed again and the pose is changed slowly while
passing to another frame. The actor becomes a kind of lively stop motion puppet. This
technique is used to mix the actors with animation figures in a film.

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Figure 5. Pixilation animation

3. COMPUTER ANIMATION
Computer animation means to form action series of static views formed as square by
square by the way of programs in the computer. It is applied on the screen with stylus,
mouse, and keyboard different from the classical animation. (Ursavaş, 1997, s.15).
Computer animation formed by the way of two dimension and three dimension different
graphics programs is relevant to making creative studies.

3.1. 2d Animation
These are the designs formed in the computer by using 2D Animation, 2d vector
graphicsand 2d bitmap graphics. There are many application areas as 2D animation,
analog computer animation, flash animation. The objects moving horizontally and
vertically in 2dimensional animations have been developed with Cartesian coordinate
system. There is not depth in two dimensional animations. The movement of the objects
realizes in a field including width and length. It includes computer version of traditional
computer techniques. 2 dimensional animations is an animation kind formed by drawing
in squares, providing animation without drawing of a drawing, realizing the given
commands by the computer automatically, orienting from one transition to another and
following the writing and colors each other. (Demircioğlu, 1994, s.44). 2d animation
kindsAnalog computer animation, Flash animation, Onion Skinning,

3.2. 3d Animation
It is important to design the physical and skeleton structure of the movement in 3D
animation. The movement mechanism of the character should be designed as realizing
every kind of movement that the movement makes. The characters should be supported
by using mimics in emotional transfer (Çalışkan, 2011, s.10). 3D animation is a system

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of digital modeling and manipulation system. 3D animation forms an external network to

be processed, a skeleton form is given inside of it and the design forms views processing
it with mathematical calculations in this form. Three dimensional animation is creating
three dimensional models in spatial location on the computer with the principle of making
a series of two dimensional drawings creating depth illusion provided by painting the
acted models. (Doyle, 1992, s.16). 3D Animation techniques, Cel-shaded/Toon Shading
animation, Morph target animation, Motion Capture Animation, Skeletal animation.

4. OTHER ANIMATION TECHNIQUES

Other animation techniques are Paint-on-glass animation, Pinscreen Animation, Drawn
On Film Animation, Sand Animation.

Figure 6. Flash Animation

Figure 7. Onion Skinning

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Figure 8. 2Dimension effect Animation

Figure 9. Morpha Target Animation

Figure 10. Motion Capture Animation

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Figure 11. Skeletal Animation

Figure 12. Paint-on-glass animation

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Figure 13. Pinscreen Animation

Figure 14. Drawn On Film Animation

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Figure 15. Sand Animation

CONCLUSION
New methods related to increasing the quality of education started to be used by the
quantity of and complexity of the knowledge learned. Only technology using is not
enough to increase the quality of education with the structuring in education, the
methods differentiate with computer supported education. Animation production methods
and their kinds which have been one of the methods making visual and audible learning
effective are being explained in this research. We are confronted with a new structure as
an education material as the animation becomes an instrument of vacation which has
been its first definition. On the contrary that it has been known, animation has many
kinds except cell animation or computer animation. There are different animation designs
in every animation technique. It has been thought that educators and the ones interested
with animation will have information about animation methods and techniques and
provide increase about awareness on this subject with this research.

REFERENCES
Benice Ateş. (2000). Animation Tecnique, Anadolu Üniversitesi Art Mag dergisi. 16, 25-29.
Çalışkan Sabahattin(2011). Canlandırma Sanatında Oyunculuk, Türk Sanatları Araştırma
Dergisi, 2(1), 1-13.
Demircioğlu, Nurşen (1994). Multimedia kapsamında animasyon. Yayınlanmamış Yüksek
Lisans Tezi. Anadolu Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Eskişehir.
Doyle, Claire. (1992). Getting Started İn Computer Graphics. Goverment Military Video,
vol:2 No:10, 1992, s.16.
Hünerli ,s. (2002). Developmet Of Animation in Turkey. Selçuk Üniveristesi İletişim
Fakültesi Dergisi: Web:

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http://www.iletisim.selcuk.edu.tr/dergi/gs/cilt2_sayi3_temmuz2002.pdf.
Adresinden 10 Kasım 2012 Tarihinde alınmıştır.
Kaba, Fethi, (2001) Çizgi Film Teknikleri, Ppt Sunu.
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Üniversitesi Türkiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi. 3; 99-114.
Tezcan, Gülçin.( 1990). Animasyon Üretim Tekniklerinin Deneysel Analizi Üzerine Bir
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Ursavaş, Abdullah (1997). Bilgisayar Animasyon ve Uygulama Alanları. Yayınlanmamış
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Wellins Mike( 2005). Story telling through animation. Newyork, America: Charles River
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Yıldız M. (2005), Animasyon Amaçlı Kukla, Yayınlanmamış
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