Animation is expensive. 2D animation can require characters, backgrounds, rough drafts, line art, coloring, and effects, and that's even before you get to frame 2. Since the dawn of the medium, savvy animators have leaned heavily on the power of style, simplicity, good design, and motion hacks to turn these limitations into timeless beauty. By embracing these principles in Grease Pencil, even a single animator can complete an animated short from start to finish.
In the 40s, 50s, and 60s, UPA and Hanna-Barbara made animations exemplifying this philosophy, and the stylish graphic focus of their work still feels fresh decades later. Their influence can be felt in animation today in both 2D and 3D animation, where clean graphic shapes can inspire much more than realistic anatomy, rendering samples, or intricate details.
In this chapter...
