Pencil animation

This technique is often used in the early stages of animated productions, such as storyboarding or rough animation, to plan out motion, timing, and character expressions. The pencil drawings are typically rough and sketchy, focusing on the flow and key poses rather than polished details.

Artists use pencil animation to capture the raw energy and spontaneity of movement before refining it in later stages. These drawings can be scanned and compiled digitally to create a test animation, allowing animators to review sequences and make adjustments. Though labor-intensive, pencil animation is valued for its expressive quality and is still widely used in both professional and indie animation work as a foundational creative process.