Onion skinning explained for beginners
Onion skinning is the single most useful trick in frame-by-frame animation. It shows faint copies of the frames before and after the one you are drawing, so you can see how your picture needs to change.
Where the name comes from
Traditional animators drew on thin paper over a light table. Because the paper was almost see-through, they could see the previous drawing underneath, like the layers of an onion skin. Digital apps copy that idea.
Why it matters
Motion is about spacing. If a ball moves 10 pixels between frames, it looks slow. If it moves 80, it looks fast. Without onion skin you are guessing. With it, you can place each new drawing a precise step away from the last one.
How to use it in Fliplo
- Draw your first frame.
- Add a new frame. The previous drawing appears as a faint ghost.
- Draw the next position over the ghost, nudged in the direction of the motion.
- Repeat. Play back often.
Fliplo lets you choose how many frames to show before and after, up to 5 each way, and change the colours. Use different colours for before and after so you can tell at a glance which way time is going.
How many frames should you show?
- One before: the simplest set up and good for most beginner work.
- Two or three before and one after: useful for arcs and bounces, where you want to see where the motion is heading.
- Five each way: handy for slow, smooth movement such as a drifting cloud, but it can get cluttered on a small screen.
Common mistakes
- Tracing the ghost exactly, which makes nothing move. Change it a little each time.
- Making the steps too big. Start small and speed up.
- Forgetting to turn it off to check the final look. Onion skin is a guide, not part of the picture.
Questions
Is onion skinning only for digital animation?
No. It comes from traditional animation on thin paper over a light table. Digital apps make it automatic.
Does onion skin show up in my exported GIF?
No. It is only a drawing guide and never appears in exports.