How to Make a Simple Flip Book
Animated flip books are fun to play with, but they're also a useful project for a would-be animator looking to learn the basics of creating simulated two-dimensional movement. Even the most rudimentary sketching can be transformed into animation with the right processes of drafting, construction and setup.
Things You'll Need
- Sketch paper
- Drawing pens and pencil
- Business card blanks
- Tracing paper
- Paper cutter
- Artist's light box
- Masking tape
- Glue stick
- Bookbinding glue
Instructions
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1
Plan your animation with rough sketches on sketch paper. Don't worry about detail, but draw in the same size and dimensions as those you plan to use for the flip book. Draw pictures that represent the key points in the animations (i.e., beginning, end and places where the motion changes direction).
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2
Determine how many cards you'll need for your animation. Imagine the animation in your head as you want it to look and figure out how long it will last—high-quality animation speed is 32 frames a second, but for a flip book, aim for somewhere between 2 and 10 per second. Plan your frames accordingly; aim for a higher frame density if your animation is more complicated. Set aside as many cards as you need.
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3
Cut tracing paper squares to correspond to the pages you'll need in your book. Use the paper cutter to cut pieces of paper the same size and shape as your cards and in the same number; you'll use these to draw the animation frames.
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4
Mark the light box's surface with masking tape; use four tape strips to create a rectangle with the same dimensions as the cards and tracing paper pieces.
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5
Draw the animation frames. Use your sketches from Step 1 as a guide and sketch out the frames, drawing the graduated images between the ones you sketched. Use the light box to draw each new image over the last one, making sure the unchanged parts of each new frame line up with the same in the previous frame.
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6
Mount the frames to the cards by coating one side of each card completely with glue stick and making sure the edges line up perfectly.
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7
Bind the cards. Stack the cards in order and line up their edges. Bind the stack tightly with a rubber band, then coat the left edge of the stack with a generous amount of bookbinding glue. Let dry.
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