How towith

2 Drawing Cheat in
Basic Shapes
Design Styles

I F YOU PLAYED WITH LEGO BUILDING

blocks as a kid, you may find this
drawing style familiar (or at least
1 Here is my original pencil sketch that I have
scanned and saved as a JPG file. I prefer to
start with pencil on paper, because I simply
2 After importing the scanned image, insert
a blank keyframe on frame 2 and turn on
Onion Skin. Onion Skinning allows you to trace
like the feel of this medium and the results are the image in a new frame while using the
intuitive). You’ll use several basic shapes always a little more, shall we say, artistic. original image as a reference.
and then connect them together. This
technique requires breaking down each
body part of the character into basic
building blocks using the Rectangle and
Oval Tools. It’s a fast and efficient way to
simplify the character into manageable
sections while achieving a very
professional cartoon style.
Here, we will use shapes to cut into
other shapes. We’ll cut holes out of
objects as well as alter the edges of
shapes. Of course these techniques can be
applied to background elements as well.
The key here is using simple shapes
to build complex images suitable for
DOG CHARACTER: COPYRIGHT MUDBUBBLE LLC

animating with Animate, which we will

get to in later chapters.

6 To achieve the black outline, select the

shape, copy it using CLc, and paste
it in place using CLSv. While it’s
still selected, select a different color from the
Mixer panel and scale it about 80% smaller.
7 The original shape is still present
underneath your new shape. The trick is to
position the new shape off-center from the
original to achieve an outline with a varied
weight.

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 Adobe Animate CC How to Cheat in Adobe Animate CC

HOT TIP
As you complete
individual

3 Using the Oval Tool o and Rectangle

Tool r allows you to quickly achieve
the basic forms of the character. The
4 Turn on the Snap option (magnet
icon) and drag corners to each other,
so they snap together. This process is not
5 Next, click and drag the sides of
your shapes to push and pull them
into curves. This process is fun as your
sections of your
character, cut
and paste them
Selection Tool v is great for pushing unlike those Lego building blocks you character really starts to take shape. into new layers
and pulling these basic fills into custom played with when you were a kid. and lock them.
shapes based on the sketch. Putting them on
separate layers
will prevent
them from being
inadvertently
edited. Better
yet, convert
them to symbols
while you’re
at it.

8 The parachute uses a slightly different

technique I like to call “cutting in.”
Let’s start with the Oval Tool o for the
parachute’s basic shape.
9 You can cut into this shape using
different colored shapes such as this
blue oval. Position it over the area you
10 Once your shape is the way you
want it, you can use the Ink Bottle
Tool s to quickly add an outline to it.
want to cut into, deselect it, select it, and SHORTCUTS
hit the Delete key D. MAC WIN BOTH

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