Frame by frame animation
Make frame by frame animation online: draw each frame with onion skin, layers and a pressure-sensitive pen, play it back and export a video. Free, in your browser.
Draw a frame, tap + for the next one, and change the drawing a little. The last frame shows faintly in red underneath (onion skin), so each drawing follows on from it.
How to make a frame by frame animation
- 01Start a new animation on this page and pick a canvas: wide, tall for Shorts and TikTok, square or classic.
- 02Draw the first frame. Put the background on its own layer so you don't redraw it every frame.
- 03Tap + for each new frame, or Duplicate when most of the drawing stays the same.
- 04Change the drawing a little each time, watching the red onion skin of the frame before.
- 05Play it, change the speed if it feels too fast or slow, and export an MP4.
What frame by frame animation is
Frame by frame animation means drawing every frame of the movement yourself, as opposed to moving a rigged puppet or letting software fill in the motion. It's how traditional hand-drawn cartoons were made, and it's why they feel alive: every frame is a new drawing.
It takes more drawings than other methods, but it can show anything you can draw, from a simple bouncing ball to a character turning around or a shape melting into another.
Working faster without losing the hand-drawn look
- Draw on twos: at 24 frames per second, show each drawing for two frames. Here, simply set the speed to 12.
- Keep things that don't move on their own layer and duplicate the frame; redraw only what moves.
- Loop it: a walk or a flag waving can repeat, so 8 to 12 frames make a clip of any length.
- Sketch rough first with the pencil, then draw clean lines on a new layer above it.
- Select several frames (tap a frame, then Select) to duplicate or delete a whole run at once.
Frame rates
- 8 fps: choppy but fast to draw; fine for jokes, memes and first tries.
- 12 fps: the classic hand-drawn look; the default here.
- 24 fps: smooth, film speed; twice the drawings.
- You can change the speed after drawing, so try a few and keep the one that feels right.
Questions
What is frame by frame animation?
Animation made by drawing every frame by hand. Played in sequence at 8 to 24 frames per second, the drawings look like movement.
What's a good frame by frame animation app?
One with onion skin, layers, a pressure pen and easy frame editing. This one has all of them, runs in your browser on phones, iPads and computers, and is free to use with 3 layers and 720p export.
How many frames do I need?
At 12 frames per second, 12 drawings make a second. A short loop can be 8 to 16 frames; a 10-second scene is about 120.
Can I export my animation as a video or GIF?
Yes. Every animation exports as an MP4 video for free (720p with a small mark). Lifetime adds 1080p without the mark, sound, GIFs and every frame as a PNG.
Are my drawings uploaded anywhere?
No. Your drawings, frames and the videos you make all stay in your browser on this device. Nothing is sent to us or stored on a server.