HANDOUT: CREATE A FLIP BOOK

Take a blank pad and on each corner create a stick figure that is
performing a simple action such as walking. This flip book process is
useful if you decide to create a fuller piece of hand-drawn animation
later on. If you do not have a sketchbook, make your own book.

Materials:
A few sheets of paper, approx. 10cm x 10cm, and a stapler, or a
small notebook as well as a pencil.

1. Staple the pages together

at one edge to make a
notebook. Sometimes a
rubber band or string can
work.
2. Draw a simple pin man
on the last page of your
notebook.
3. On the page before, trace
the first pin man, but this
time make his arms or legs
Drawing stick figures into the corner of a
move a small amount. sketchbook
4. Continue tracing your
previous drawing on the
page before. Each time
make his arms or legs
move a small amount.

Be clear how many pictures

you will have in your sequence.
Twenty-five pictures is a good
start as it demonstrates the
amount of effort it takes to create Flipping the sketchbook pages makes the
1 second of animation. animation move.

http://education.pollmullersercombe.continuumbooks.com
© Britta Pollmüller and Martin Sercombe (2011) The Teachers’ Animation Toolkit.
London: Continuum.
It can help if you draw the first picture, the middle picture and the
last picture initially as ‘markers’ and then go back and draw the
inbetweens. When you have used up all the pages, flick the book
from back to front to see the man move!

Draw pin men that run across pages, turn cartwheels or dance with
partners!

Example:
Here’s how to make a face go from a frown to a smile: On the last
page of your pad draw your first picture. To make a face, draw a
circle with two eyes. (You’ll put in the mouth later.) Trace just the
circle and the eyes onto all of the other pages. Those parts won’t
move. Now make the mouth. Start with drawing the happy mouth
on the last page. Draw the mouth on each of the other pages, but
each time you draw it make the line get flatter until it’s a straight
line. Then, make it bend in the other direction into a frown. You can
colour in the background if you want to.

Flip the pages forwards and backwards to make your face smile and
frown. Now you have your own mini-movie.

Now think of your own ideas. How about a scientific or geographic

theme?

http://education.pollmullersercombe.continuumbooks.com
© Britta Pollmüller and Martin Sercombe (2011) The Teachers’ Animation Toolkit.
London: Continuum.