Animator Tracy Strong Shows How to Create Smoke and Dust Effects Using Traditional Animation Techniques

Adding smoke or dust effects to a motion graphics piece or an animation can add so much. There are almost an overabundance of ways that you can go about creating such special effects, from particle systems, to full-on fluid simulations. Nothing beats the charm and handcrafted look of traditional animation, though.

Traditionally animated smoke and dust effects can be notoriously difficult to animate. It’s chaotic, it’s amorphous and there is a lot of detail to deal with on every frame.

Animator Tracy Strong makes it look super-easy though. If you are beginner who is interested in adding more traditional animation into your work, then Tracy offers some amazing tips and workflow tricks that you can use to make fire, smoke and dust effects, frame by frame.

“I go over single poofs and a smoke cycle and talk a little about drawing style, and different ways to dissipate dust”. Tracey mentions. It’s almost mesmerizing to watch!