2D vs 3D Animation

By now you already know, I am very passionate about animation.?25 years in the field…I have seen so many techniques and trades.?It has been a learning experience.?The industry has come a long long way.

Today, I am going to highlight the difference between 2D and 3D animation.?I had the good fortune to step into the industry when I had to learn 2D animation that enhanced my skills and 3D just gave it more finesse over years.?We all know that animation experts use 2 different modes to create a character in animation.?2D and 3D, are both important techniques of the art.?Most renowned and legendary films are made both in 2D as well as 3D.?These stories never die and we have been able to see more alive versions of them over years.?

According to my wide experience, I’ve known both techniques to be very effective in conveying a creative idea.?The 2D animation technique or cell animation technique was developed by the legend Sir Walt Disney, the pioneer of the animation industry. ?In classic 2D animation, each frame was individually hand-drawn. ?You can conclude that a 2D animator had to be very proficient in drawing, anatomy and sketching.?2D art form involves animating objects and characters in a two-dimensional environment. ?They solely provide service for length and width.?Generating movement in a two-dimensional space is known as 2D animation.?The form works on 2 axis X and Y. ?The X is the horizontal dimension and Y the vertical.?In recent times, there are many softwares such as Adobe Flash Player, Harmony, Blender Animate CC, Adobe After Effect, etc. that do a good job at creating such 2D animations.?If you are a production house of animation, 2D animation form is very reasonable, cost-effective and also uses less time tracking compared to 3D.

3D animation is also known as CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) animation.?In 3D art, the effect of lighting and camera can also be animated. ?Using 3D animation software, one can control objects and characters inside a 3D world. ?While sketching still remains an additional advantage, it is not mandatory to be a pro at your drawing skills.?3D animation comprises of modulating of characters and objects in 3 dimensions.?X refers to height, Y refers to width and Z refers to depth.?This combination makes 3D characters and objects seem more realistic and alive.?Softwares such as Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3Ds Max, Blender, Cinema 4D, ZBrush and LightWave 3D are the most popular 3D programs in use today.?3D animation is definitely costlier than 2D since it uses more technology and gives a more dynamic and life like experience to the viewer. ??

In current times professionals in the industry use both 2D and 3D animation for films, education, websites, architecture, advertisement, video games or any avenue where there is a scope for animation. Animation has always been the form that captures the mind of an audience of any age group.?Hence it can be used in any and every industry.?

I hope this article gives a little perspective to young animators on 2D and 3D forms of animation.