Art Central
Animated Icons
How do cartoons move? It is a clever trick played on your eyes! Let's peek behind the screen and see how animation works.
Did you know?
A cartoon is made of many still pictures. When they flash by fast, they seem to move!
Each still picture in a cartoon is called a frame.
In clay animation, artists move clay models a tiny bit. They take a photo after each move.
Try this: Make a Flipbook
Take a small notepad. On the last page, draw a ball at the bottom. On the page before it, draw the ball a little higher. Keep going till the ball reaches the top. Now flip the pages fast with your thumb. Watch your ball move!
Go further: The Spinning Picture Toy
Long ago, children played with a toy called a thaumatrope. It was a round card with a string on each side. One side had a bird. The other side had an empty cage. When the card spun, the bird seemed to sit in the cage! Cartoons use the same trick on your eyes.