How to Create Loops for Animated Effects by Using Straight-Ahead Animation

Tracy Strong brilliantly shows how to use Harmony’s Cycles to create effects using the straight-ahead animation method.

Onion Skin recently posted an excerpt from a live stream with him and animator Tracy Strong. The clip shows a method for creating animated loops where you don’t have to have too much concern for the beginning or end of the loop. 

Tracy shows how she “lazily” makes animated effects in ToonBoom Harmony using Harmony’s cycles (but this could theoretically work in other software as well as on physical paper too).

I have to admit one of the best parts of this is watching Onion Skin having an epiphany once he realizes what Tracy is doing. It’s brilliant, clever and a must-watch!

Tracy sums it up pretty well when she says, “It’s all straight ahead, forever.”