Learn 2D Animation & Earn $5000 Per Month From Fiverr as a Cartoon Video Maker

Animated videos are more popular than ever in marketing, social media, education, and entertainment. From explainer videos to cartoon characters, 2D animation skills are in high demand. Luckily, with the right guidance anyone can master 2D animation to start a lucrative freelance career.

In this post, you?ll discover how to learn 2D animation techniques step-by-step. You?ll also uncover how to earn up to $5,000 per month offering your animation services on Fiverr!

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An Introduction to 2D Animation

2D animation creates the illusion of movement using still imagery rendered in a 2D space. It?s the classic style used in cartoons and comics.

Some defining features of 2D animation:

• Flat 2-dimensional look without 3D effects
• Created frame-by-frame to simulate movement when played rapidly
• Hand-drawn or digitally produced using vectors, pixels and textures
• Assets like characters are depicted from various angles to show actions
• Visual styles range from simplistic to highly detailed

2D animation excels at expressive stylistic storytelling. It?s also more accessible for beginners compared to complex 3D animation. If you can draw and envision creative visual stories, you can thrive in 2D animation.

With the continuing demand for 2D animated videos, there?s never been a better time to pick up this skill!

Tools You?ll Need to Learn 2D Animation

One of the great aspects of 2D animation is you don?t need expensive specialized tools to get started. Here are the essentials:

• Drawing Tablet - Allows you to digitally draw scenes and characters to animate. An affordable entry-level tablet like Wacom One works perfectly.
• Animation Software - Programs like Toon Boom Harmony, Adobe Animate, Blender, and Synfig Studio provide specialized 2D animation toolsets. Some offer free tier options.
• Graphics Editor - Software like Adobe Photoshop helps edit individual 2D assets like characters and backgrounds.
• Video Editing Software - After animating each scene, use editing tools like Adobe Premiere to compile them into a full video.

With these basics, you can start bringing your 2D animation visions to life!

Learn the 12 Principles of Animation

All forms of animation, including 2D, are governed by 12 fundamental principles originally developed by Disney animators. Mastering these principles is key for creating high-quality animations.

1. Squash and Stretch - Objects squash and stretch as they speed up or slow down. This makes motion more realistic.

2. Anticipation - Prepare the audience for an upcoming movement by ?winding up? beforehand.

3. Staging - Establish your focal point to draw viewer attention.

4. Straight Ahead & Pose to Pose - Straight ahead animates frame by frame. Pose to pose starts with main poses then fills in gaps.

5. Follow Through and Overlapping - Objects continue moving after main action is done. Characters overlap rather than being static.

6. Slow In and Slow Out - Movements ease in and out rather than starting/stopping abruptly.

7. Arcs - Natural movements follow arched trajectories rather than straight lines.

8. Secondary Action - Complement main action with additional secondary motions.

9. Timing - Vary speeds between fast and slow actions.

10. Exaggeration - Exaggerate motions and reactions for emphasis.

11. Solid Drawing - Create anatomically plausible figures adhering to proportions.

12. Appeal - Make characters and motions compelling and captivating.

Study how animators apply these principles. Then consciously practice them in your own work until they become second nature.

Create a Storyboard for Your 2D Animation

Before animating, you need to plan out each scene and shot in detail through a storyboard. This visual guide lays the foundation for your entire project.

Your storyboard should contain:

• Shot sequence - Frame by frame flow of key events and actions.
• Camera angles - Perspective each shot is viewed from like close-ups and wide angles.
• Character poses - How characters are positioned and emoting in each frame.
• Locations - Background settings for scenes whether indoors or outdoors.
• Dialogue/actions - What characters say and do during their performance.
• Timing - Number of frames spent on each shot.

Invest time upfront perfecting your storyboard. This blueprint sets the pacing, emotion and impact your animation strives to achieve.

Best Practices For Smooth 2D Character Animation

The characters in your 2D animation carry the story, so smoothly animating them is crucial. Follow these pro character animation practices:

• Draw each character from multiple angles to maintain proportions during movement.
• Use anchor points on characters to keep body parts locked in place while others move.
• Break actions down into ?in-betweens? and ?key poses? ? bridging the gap between major poses makes motions fluid.
• Add secondary motions like hair, clothing or skin movement in addition to primary actions.
• Use squashing and stretching to give weight and elasticity to motions.
• Overlap character actions instead of having them move separately in sequence.

Mastering these techniques will make your 2D characters feel truly lifelike.

Produce Eye-Catching Animated Effects

Special effects add flair and excitement to 2D animations. Some options to try:

• Zooming in/out for dramatic reveals or scene transitions.
• Fading between scenes for smooth scene changes.
• Color effects like desaturation to spotlight parts of a frame.
• Blurring/sharpening areas of the frame to guide focus.
• Camera shake to amp up intensity.
• Lighting effects like lens flares and glowing auras.
• Visual sound effects like word bubbles for dialogue.

Use effects purposefully to emphasize storytelling. But don?t go overboard ? focus should remain on characters and plot.

Practice Lip Syncing for Convincing Dialogue

Having characters speak believable dialogue requires proper lip syncing matched to audio. Here are some tips:

• Study mouth shapes used to pronounce common speech sounds.
• Break dialogue audio into individual phonetic sounds.
• Ensure mouth changes match sounds in timing and shape.
• Use hand-drawn mouth loops that correspond to sounds.
• Exaggerate mouth movements subtly to make expressions clear.
• Leave one frame of still mouth after speaking before next motion.

Flawless lip syncing helps your animated characters come alive. But it takes diligent practice and keen audio timing skills.

How to Make Money with 2D Animation on Fiverr

Once you?ve honed your 2D animation expertise, Fiverr offers a lucrative opportunity to offer your services at scale.

Some tips for earning up to $5,000 per month on Fiverr as an animation provider:

• Create a compelling profile - Show off your best work and skills. Use SEO keywords buyers search to stand out.
• Offer quick turnaround - Applicants who can deliver quickly gain an edge with busy buyers.
• Provide add-ons - For additional fees, offer value-adds like extra revisions, rush delivery, HD quality.
• Upsell buyers - After completing orders, pitch larger custom projects. Aim to convert happy clients into recurring buyers.
• Gather testimonials - Request feedback and testimonials from buyers to build credibility for future clients.
• Deliver outstanding work - Go above-and-beyond expectations to get 5-star ratings which boost visibility.

By providing top-notch 2D animation services on Fiverr, you can build a highly successful freelance business that earns up to six figures yearly!

Conclusion

Mastering 2D animation opens up incredible opportunities to tell visual stories, express your creativity and make substantial income online.

Use this guide to learn rock-solid 2D animation foundations. Study the 12 principles. Plan projects extensively via storyboards. Then bring stunning cartoon-style animations to life using the techniques covered here.

With expertise and a compelling portfolio, offer your 2D animation services on Fiverr to capitalize on the lucrative demand.

In the world of animation, 2D skills form the basis for all styles that follow. Start with these essentials and you?ll be able to create stunning 2D animations or branch into 3D, motion graphics, CGI and more!