Post 18/30: VFX tutorial for Blender – Introduction to Grease Pencil (2D Animation in 3D Space)

 

Goal: Learn how to use Blender's Grease Pencil to create 2D animations in a 3D environment.

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Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Open a New Blender Project
   Start by opening Blender and creating a new project. You can use the default settings, or if you already have a 3D scene, you can work within that scene.
2. Switch to the Grease Pencil Workspace
• From the top menu, switch to the "2D Animation" workspace.
• This will give you access to tools for drawing and animating using the Grease Pencil.
3. Add a Grease Pencil Object
• If you are working in a 3D scene, press Shift + A, and from the dropdown menu, select Grease Pencil > Blank.
• This will create a blank Grease Pencil object to draw on.
4. Switch to Draw Mode
• On the top-left corner, change the mode to "Draw".
• You’ll now see the drawing tools on the left toolbar.
5. Draw Your First Frame
• Use the pen tool to draw simple shapes or characters.
• You can adjust the thickness and color of your lines by using the Material Properties on the right panel.
• If you're new to drawing in Blender, start with something simple, like a star or smiley face.
6. Animate Your Drawing
• Move to the timeline at the bottom of your screen.
• Insert a keyframe for your drawing by pressing I and selecting "Grease Pencil Frame".
• Move to a different frame in the timeline (for example, frame 10 or 20), and adjust your drawing by modifying it slightly or drawing a new one.
• Press I again to insert a keyframe for the new frame.
• Blender will automatically interpolate between these frames, creating an animation.
7. Preview the Animation
• Press Spacebar to play the animation and see your 2D drawing come to life within the 3D space.
• You can refine it by adding more in-between frames for smoother transitions.
8. Use the 3D Camera for Dynamic Shots
• Switch back to Object Mode (Tab), and you’ll notice your 2D drawing is placed in the 3D space.
• You can now animate the camera around the drawing.
• Add a camera to the scene by pressing Shift + A and selecting Camera.
• Position the camera to capture the drawing and animate it to move around the 2D artwork for a dynamic shot.
9. Add Lighting (Optional)
• You can add lights to your scene for more depth and mood, even though it's primarily 2D.
• Add a light source by pressing Shift + A and choosing Light (e.g., Point or Sun). Position it to illuminate your Grease Pencil drawing.
10. Render Your Animation
• Once satisfied with your animation, go to Render Properties on the right panel.
• Set the render engine to Eevee or Cycles depending on the quality you prefer.
• Under Output Properties, choose a file format such as AVI or MP4 for your animation.
• Click Render Animation to output your first 2D animation within a 3D space!

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Shareable Visual:
A short 2D animation (e.g., a star moving or changing shape) created using Grease Pencil within a 3D scene, possibly with camera movement to enhance the visual effect.

 

Source:
ChatGPT