Lantern Animation
This project focused on creating a hand-drawn 2D animation of a decorative hanging lantern. My goal was to create believable swinging motion while maintaining a detailed illustrated style. Rather than simply moving the lantern from side to side, I wanted the movement to feel like a physical pendulum, with natural acceleration, deceleration, and secondary motion. The project gave me an opportunity to focus on traditional animation principles while working digitally in Procreate Dreams.
Planning & Inspiration
I began by researching different decorative lantern designs and comparing their shapes, structures, patterns, tassels, and hanging elements. I was particularly drawn to traditional lanterns with ornate details, warm colors, and decorative patterns. These references helped me develop the visual direction for my own lantern.
I created several design studies before settling on the final form. I wanted the lantern to retain the detailed and decorative qualities of the references while remaining simple enough to animate effectively. I developed the final color treatment using a warm palette of reds, oranges, and golds to create a cohesive illustrated appearance.
Visual Development
I developed the lantern from an initial hand-drawn sketch into the final illustrated design. The early drawings established the proportions, hanging structure, decorative elements, and overall silhouette.
I refined the design by incorporating decorative patterns and a warm color palette while simplifying some of the details from my references. The final illustration was created specifically with animation in mind, allowing the individual components to be manipulated and animated while maintaining a consistent visual style.
Animation Planning
Before beginning the final animation, I created motion studies to determine how the lantern would physically move.
I treated the lantern as a pendulum, using its hanging point as the center of the movement. I drew curved motion arcs to establish the path the lantern would follow rather than moving it along a straight line. I also created frame-placement studies by marking individual positions along the arc. These helped me determine the timing and spacing of the animation and visualize how the lantern would accelerate through the center of the swing and slow down as it approached the ends of the arc.
Production
I created the animation in Procreate Dreams using hand-drawn 2D animation. The primary movement was based on the pendulum arc established during the planning stage. I used multiple poses along the curved path and controlled the spacing between frames to create the changing speed of the swing.
The lantern moves more quickly through the center of the arc and slows as it reaches each end of the swing. Planning the frame positions beforehand helped me create more intentional timing instead of relying on evenly spaced movement.
I also considered the individual components of the lantern separately. The hanging tassels and smaller elements needed to respond to the movement of the main body rather than moving at exactly the same time.
Post-Production & Refinement
After establishing the primary swing, I refined the secondary movement of the lantern's hanging elements. The tassels and smaller components were allowed to overlap and lag slightly behind the main body, creating a more natural sense of weight and momentum.
The final refinement focused on the relationship between timing and spacing, arcs, overlap, and secondary motion. These adjustments helped the lantern feel less mechanically animated and gave the movement a more organic quality.
Final Animation
The completed animation presents a decorative lantern swinging naturally through space while its hanging elements react to the movement of the main body. The project allowed me to combine illustration and traditional animation principles while working digitally in Procreate Dreams.
This project strengthened my understanding of how motion planning, timing, spacing, arcs, overlap, and secondary motion work together to create believable movement. It also reinforced the importance of planning animation before beginning the final production process.
