Animation Exercises

aka "How to Set up KRITA for 2D Animation"

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FIRST: SET UP YOUR WORKSPACE

1) Launch Krita and start a new project.

• For exercises, make it 800x600 pixels & Resolution: 72

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2) go to Window (at the top) > Workspace > select Default

3) go to Settings (at the top) > Dockers

• ​> select Animation Timeline

• You should see a new panel appear across the bottom of your screen.

• Click the ONION icon in its upper-right, to add the Onion Skins docker.

4) To save your setup: go to Window > Workspace > select New Workspace

• name it "MY ANI" (or something to that effect).

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ANIMATION TIME

1. Create a new transparent layer above the background (press the + icon on the Layers Panel)

   • This is where you’ll draw your animation.

   • Make sure it is selected.

2. Set your Frames Per Second (FPS)

   • Look at the Timeline panel's upper-right corner. You should see an options icon​

   • Click it and change Frame Rate to 12.

3. Add your Frames

   • ​On your timeline, you should see your new layer listed above the Background. It likely called itself "Paint Layer 1".​

   • Right-Click on the FIRST rectangle in the timeline. Pick Keyframes > Insert Multiple

   • Set the number of frames to the number you want. You can always add/remove frames later.

   • Leave the Timing as 1.

   • Side = Right/After

   • Click OK.

4. Make sure your onion skin feature is on.

   • Click the lightbulb icon just left of your frames on the timeline to turn it on.

   • Onion skinning lets you see frames before and after your current frame—this helps keep your drawing smooth and consistent.

5. Start drawing frame by frame

   • Use the brush tool to draw the main shapes and movement in each frame.

     • Use Pencil-2 in blue for the initial pass

     • You can always use a different brush for the cleaned-up animation.

   • Focus on capturing motion, not every tiny detail.

     • Remember: make it exist first. You can make it look good later.​

6. Use keyframes and inbetweens

   • If you want, you can draw key poses first, then fill in the frames between to save time.

   • Straight-ahead animation (drawing frame-to-frame) can be more chaotic, but also lends itself to more organic movement.

     • Pick the approach that suits the motion you are going for.​

7. Play back your animation frequently

   • Use the timeline controls to watch your work and check the flow of motion.

   • Try watching your animation with the video layer hidden.

8. Make adjustments as needed

   • Tweak your drawings to improve smoothness and accuracy.