How to make a flipbook

Animation is made from a series of still images that, when played quickly in succession, create the illusion of movement. This is best illustrated in the pages of a flipbook, especially a flipbook that you’ve drawn yourself. In the video above, Laika stop-motion animator Andy Bailey of Andymation demonstrates how to make a flipbook with a stick person, a bouncing ball, and a UFO.

In the Flipbook Challenge below, Bailey asks, “What can I do with just a line?” A simple line, he points out, is an excellent starter project for anyone who is just beginning to draw or animate.

First, he creates a squiggly line, then he creates a stiff stick flipbook, which is more of an animation challenge. His third flipbook zips around, bouncing off the edges of the page and changing speeds as it spins. He also has two valuable tips about creating reference videos and motion blurs.

Here’s another short example of his flipbook work/play, a one-hour flipbook challenge based on a wolf drawing that his son made.

He sees through each page with a LED light pad. Seeing the previous frame/drawing allows him to create the next one with visual context.

Watch more flipbook videos, including Rainbow in Your Hand and Juan Fontanive’s mechanical flip books of hummingbirds.

h/t @HahaioneES.