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The Light Table

Short hand-drawn animations, and how I draw them

A short letter every Saturday: the newest animation, how I drew it and one thing to try on your own paper.

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Clara drawing at a glowing light table in her attic studio.

YouTube

Latest videos

A new animation video every Saturday: drawings, timing, tools and the studio.

Digital downloads

Downloads

Download as soon as you pay. Yours to keep.

Online course

My course

  • Laptop screen playing a pencil test of a bouncing ball
    Laptop screen playing a pencil test of a bouncing ball

    Video course · 8 lessons

    From a Bouncing Ball to a Walk Cycle

    Draw your first bouncing ball, then a pendulum, then a full walk, one short lesson at a time.

    • 01Paper, pencils and a light table10 min
    • 02Punching paper and using the peg bar12 min
    • 03A bouncing ball in ten drawings18 min
    • 04Flipping and fixing your ball11 min
    • 05Keys and in-betweens15 min
    • 06The first step of a walk16 min
    • 07A full walk cycle20 min
    • 08Cleaning up and flipping the final loop12 min
A corkboard of pinned character sketches and storyboards.

About

About me

I draw my animations by hand on thin paper, one frame at a time, over a light table in a small attic room. The paper sits on a peg bar so every drawing lines up with the last. I started with a flipbook in the corner of a school notebook, and I have drawn frames most days since.

I post a video every week that shows a short animation and how I drew it. What I sell is the part you can use: timing sheet templates, a peg bar field guide, flipbook printables, walk cycle reference sheets, a set of prints, a bundle of the basics and two video courses, one from a first bouncing ball to a walk cycle and one on timing and spacing. I do not take commissions. I show you how to animate your own.

Printed to order

Merch

My designs, printed to order and shipped by Printful.