Rebecca Spohn

Mrs. McGriff

ENC1101

10/5/19

2D Animation vs. 3D Animation

Animation is the basic way movies and some other things are made, whether it is 2D or

3D, animation is used in everything. Animation is just the basis for the different ways things are

made, hand-drawn or using a 3D model. Animation is just the basic name for 2D and 3D

animation, the main differences however are what programs are used, types of models, and

what tools are used.

Programs, Each type of animation uses different programs, 2D animation typically uses

drawing programs like; Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Animate. These are just

a few however, there are plenty more that are used within the industry. The programs used are

typically of professional and to the industry standard. 2D animation is also typically a little

difficult in the sense it’s usually completely hand-drawn and frame by frame. There are ways to

“cheat the system” however, it does make the process easier. Something like, tweening, for

example, tweening is like “half way animating”, you generate frames called keyframes, frames

that show key movement, and what you do is you then create frames in between that help show

smooth movement when played together. This is something that hand-drawn or 2D animation

can do.
 Next is the kind of model, typically 2D does not have a model, since it is all hand-drawn.

The type of model 2D has is the sketches and even the storyboard that is used to help flesh out

the story that is going to be or is being told. There isn’t anything realistic about it usually, unless

it’s how the animation has been drawn, same with the movies that have a 3D feel but it is in

reality 2D, it’s just the way it has been drawn. It is possible to get a 3D effect from a 2D drawing

if you do it correctly, basically the way an object is shaded/ drawn.

Now the third thing is the tools that each uses. 2D animation will typically, depending on

if it’s pencil and paper drawn or digital, will have a range of things it needs to use. Computers,

drawing programs, tablets, and maybe even an external hard-drive depending on how large the

project they are working on is, are things that are typically used for computer animation. For the

pencil and paper animation, however, the materials are much different. Those consist of pencils,

pens, light boards, lots of paper, and erasers typically. So even within the 2D aspect of

animation, the tools will vary. Now onto 3D animation.

3D animation is a bit different than 2D, mainly that it isn’t drawn by hand and they use

different programs. Programs that would be used are Blender, Autodesk Maya, Cinema 4D, and

many more that are up to the standard. The programs contain things that are needed for the 3D

animators to do their job. The programs are also typically harder to learn than the 2D softwares

due to using them to make 3D models and then animating them. To make it look smooth the

models not only have to be built right, but they have to be animated “realistically” as well, they
aren’t as lenient as 2D animation with there being wild animations like the squash and stretch

you would see in cartoons.

Next is the model that 3D animation uses. 3D models are well, 3D they are typically able

to be panned around in a 360 degree circle. The models aren’t really able to be animated in an

overly dramatic way like 2D animation. Mainly because it makes it harder to animate than it

already is, the animation isn’t “frame by frame” per say like how 2D is. 3D animation is more in

one go, making fluid movement on the model itself, the model is made first before there is any

animation being made as well. The model is also a little bit more detailed and precise than 2D

due to being able to bring things to a point and adding in even more detail than what you would

typically with 2D. This also has to do with the different tools they have access to.

The tools of 3D animation, they are of course much more different than 2D. 3D is much

like clay sculpting, except it’s within a computer, so that would mean the tool would be similar

but different at the same time. The tools would consist of 3D shape tools, sculpting and

smoothing tools, merging tools, fill tools, and mesh tools. These tools basically allow for the

shapes created to turn into the models that the person wants to make. Also as was said, these can

be harder to learn how to use, mainly because it is sculpting. It is pretty much digital sculpting,

only learning any keybindings that there may be and the program(s) used.

2D and 3D animation are both difficult in their own rights but in different ways.

Programs, Models, and Tools may be different but ultimately they go to the same thing,

animation. Animation is made up of a lot of multiple things, but these two are the main ways
animation is created. These might be “separate” but they can also be used together, things take

time, anything that takes effort takes time. These are just two of the many kinds of animation

though, and all of these are still animation no matter how similar or different.