There are more chances than ever before for aspiring 2D and 3D Animators, with film, TV, and video game enthusiasts all over the world yearning for new material. But what is the difference between 2D and 3D animation, and which style should you pursue?
The primary distinction between 2D and 3D animation is that 2D is more creative, and 3D is more mechanical/technical. Because each frame must be produced, either on a digital tablet or by hand, 2D demands a significant quantity of artwork.
The Process of 2D Animation
Individual drawings are put together in fast succession to give the appearance of movement. One second is commonly split into 24 frames, and one second of animation might include as many as 24 distinct drawings or as little as two.
With computer tools such as Adobe After Effects, popular 2D production has replaced these conventional hand-drawn procedures with pencil and paper with considerably faster and less expensive digital techniques.
Tweening animation, in which static portions of the model are moved about to produce motion rather than being repainted, has also become rather widespread in the 2D animation process.
Similarly, if sections of the scene remain static, there is no need to redraw them every frame; instead, utilize the same picture. This approach has the benefit of being significantly faster but the disadvantage is that it is far more difficult to generate natural-looking motion.
The Process of 3D Animation
3D is charged with producing movement using rigs, in which a 3D model is given a skeleton that can be modified in a virtual 3D world.
The first step in developing 3D animation is usually sketching out how you want your scene and characters to appear. Then you make a 3D model of your animated thing. After that, the model is textured where color and details are added.
Rigging is also required for the model. A 3D model rig is similar to a skeleton that aids in the movement of a 3D character, object, or vehicle. The rig somewhat resembles the fundamental structure of a genuine skeleton but not exactly.
After this, your model is ready to be animated. The rigged 3D model is placed in the scene for posing. It is not necessarily required to posture each frame in the same manner as you would for a 2D animation.
Using keyframes to indicate the location of a specific portion of the model and enabling the animation program to interpolate the frames in between may save a significant amount of time.
Making the Choice
First and foremost, neither 2D nor 3D is objectively better than the other. The style you choose will be determined mostly by your creative preferences. If you’re making a new visual product, you can determine that one style is better suited to the idea.
There are instances when more practical considerations, such as budget and time constraints, come into play. Hence, less detailed pieces will be easier, faster, and cheaper to make.
The Bottom Line
2D animation is more difficult than 3D animation since there are around 24 drawings every second, commonly known as frame by frame. To transmit through the pencil, the animator must have spent years studying anatomy, physics, animation concepts, and drawing abilities.
In some ways, there is an equal amount of labor that goes into generating both modern-day animation processes of 2D and 3D animation. Even though various abilities are required to make the artwork, the pipelines are quite comparable.
