Blog · page 38
More posts
Page 38 of 41 · 481 posts
May 6, 2026·WorkflowAnimating 2D characters without an artist on the team
You can ship animated characters without an animator. The pipeline is: stock art for the source, mocap for the motion, light retouching for the polish.
May 6, 2026·WorkflowFastest way to prototype 2D character animation
Prototyping isn't production. The bar is "does this character idea read?" — not "is this animation finished?". The fastest path is one most teams overlook.
May 6, 2026·TutorialHow to export a 2D character animation as a GIF
GIFs aren't dead — they're just smaller now. Here's how to ship a character animation as a GIF that loops cleanly and stays under 1MB.
May 6, 2026·TutorialHow to animate a character in the browser
Desktop animation tools have great features and terrible install friction. Browser tools are catching up, fast — and for 2D, they're already there.
May 6, 2026·ConceptForward vs inverse kinematics for 2D characters
FK and IK are the two ways a rig can move. Most 2D pipelines use FK exclusively — and that's usually the right call.
May 6, 2026·ComparisonBrowser-based vs desktop 2D animation tools
Browser tools used to be toys. They aren't anymore — and the install-friction gap is starting to matter as much as the feature gap.
May 6, 2026·IndustryThe hidden cost of frame-by-frame animation
Frame-by-frame animation looks great. The cost shows up in places you didn't budget for.
May 6, 2026·Use caseAnimating a Twitch overlay character on a budget
Streamers want an avatar that reacts. Full VTuber rigs cost weeks. A simple animated mascot for an overlay costs an afternoon.
May 6, 2026·TutorialHow to use Mixamo animations on 2D sprites
Mixamo's library is the biggest free mocap source on the web — and yes, it works for 2D. Here's the path from FBX download to a walking sprite.
May 6, 2026·TutorialHow to attach PNG layers to a skeleton rig
Each PNG layer needs to know which bone it follows. Get the parenting right and the rig animates itself; get it wrong and arms detach mid-walk.
May 6, 2026·TutorialHow to animate a 2D character without rigging software
You don't need Spine or DragonBones to ship a rigged character. Drop a few PNG layers into the canvas, snap them to a skeleton, and let mocap do the work.
May 6, 2026·WorkflowNaming conventions for 2D character bones
Bone names look trivial until you import a third-party mocap clip and realize "LeftFoot" and "L_Foot" aren't the same string. Conventions matter.