Have you ever been intimidated by animation or wondered how other animators do their thing? Animation can feel overwhelming, especially for illustrators who are new to it.
When I was starting out as an motion designer, I would try to do After Effects tutorials on Youtube but would quickly give up because the interface was confusing or I couldn’t follow along. And later on, once I got something to move, it often looked clunky or weird or possessed and I didn’t know how to fix it. Boo.
Here’s maybe why animation feels difficult, and how to make the process easier.
Why Animation Feels Hard
Comparison-itis
I don’t know about you, but even still, I get jealous over other people’s amazing animations. I look up to a lot of people and sometimes their incredible work makes me wonder if my work is good enough. Taking Instagram breaks every once in a while and focusing on making work that I love helps a lot.
Information Overload
Sometimes it feels like there’s too much info out there and not enough clarity. Between YouTube tutorials, animation breakdowns on TikTok and Instagram, and months-long animation courses, it can all feel like information overload. Many people don’t know where to start or which techniques matter most.
It Looks Complicated (But It’s Simpler Than You Think)
Many illustrators assume animation or motion design is only for professionals, when in reality, adding simple motion to your illustrations can make a huge impact. You don’t need much technical knowledge, advanced software, or years of training – you can get started right in Procreate!
Fear of Bad Results
Beginners often feel frustrated when their first animations look stiff or messy. The fear of "failing" or not making something perfect stops people from practicing. But you probably already know that answer to this – the only way out is through. Practicing animation, just a little bit each day or week, is the perfect way to get your first few bad animations out so you can learn from them and move on to making something better.
It Feels Time-Consuming
Some artists assume animation takes hours or days, making them hesitant to even try. But what you might not realize is simple animations can be quick and easy peasy and add a great piece to your portfolio!
How to Make Animation Easier
Use Procreate’s Animation Tools to Your Advantage
Procreate makes animation easy and intuitive—no need for complicated software. Just go to Settings > Canvas > Animation Assist and play around with moving things around the screen. One tip: Use onion skins to practice making smooth motions that loop back to the beginning.
Start with Simple Motions
You don’t have to animate everything—start with small movements like moving a flower or arm back and forth between two positions, adding blinking eyes, or a swaying hair strand in the breeze.
Or, what I’d recommend you start with is drawing your illustration 2-3 times and set in on a loop to add a subtle boil effect. It’s quick but super satisfying to watch; this is my favorite way to add a little bit of life into my illustrations.
Follow a Step-by-Step Process
Having a clear roadmap can really help out in the beginning. My quick online class, Design in Motion Workflow, gives you a structured, easy way to animate your illustrations in After Effects and Photoshop. I also walk you through a client project from initial brief to the final animation so you can feel ready for your first – or next – GIF project.
Have Fun and Experiment
Animation is a skill—your first few won’t be perfect, and that’s okay! Animation should be exciting, not stressful. The more you practice, the better your animations will look. Try to set a goal to animate in Procreate for 10 mins a day – you’ll be surprised at how much you can learn in just short spurts like this.
You got this!
I promise, animation isn’t as hard as it seems. Try a small animated project today—progress comes from doing, not just watching.
If you want to get started with animation and learn from me, check out my online course, Design in Motion Workflow. This quick 2-hr class will teach you how to get started with start animating and will help you put a new piece in your portfolio!