# animating on the ones, two, and threes Animation is simply showing a series of static drawings so quickly the mind connects them into the illusion of motion. **Frame Rate** is the number of images shown per second. A higher frame rate means more drawings shown for a shorter duration and a lower frame rate means fewer drawings shown for a longer duration. In the early days of animation and silent film, it was decided that 24 frames per second was a good economical solution for creating believable motion with the fewest number of frames. You can often go as low as 12 frames per second and still get the illusion of motion instead of feeling like you are looking at a sequence of static images. So even though you need to show 24 drawings/frames per second, it doesn’t mean you have to _draw_ every single frame. ![[animationdrawing.svg]] ## ones **24 individual drawings per second.** Drawing every single frame is called **animating on the ones** or **drawing on the ones** since you are drawing every single frame in an animation. This results in a really smooth animations since subtleties od movement can be captured in every single frame. Drawing 24 frames is a lot of work, especially if there isn’t a ton of motion or action. It can feel like you are drawing the same thing over and over again. It also takes a lot of time to accomplish. ## twos **12 individual drawings per second.** Animators found that they could cut their work in half and only draw every other frame. Essentially they would show a single drawing for two frames instead of one. This is called **animating on the twos** or **drawing on the twos**. The drawing is **held** for two frames instead of only one. This is the most common and cost-effective way to work on an animation since it takes far less time and resources to accomplish. The animation might be a little less smooth, however the flow is still consistent enough to not be noticeable to most viewers. ## threes **8 individual drawings per second.** **Animating on the threes** or **drawing on the threes** is even more efficient since you are only making eight drawings instead of twelve per animation second. At this speed, movement starts becoming noticeably choppy and disjointed. There’s nothing wrong with this, of course. Good stylized and energetic motion can be conveyed by working on threes. <div class="iframeDiv"><iframe width="100%" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0r3d2eMw8Ws?si=3CJ83W9asu1KN78t" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> _comparison video by [David Nethery](https://www.youtube.com/@david_t_nethery_animator) shows the practical differences between ones, twos, threes._ ## fours, fives, beyond… Of course, you can also go with even fewer drawings to create even choppier and stuttered motion. This can be a fun effect that is (relatively) quick and easy to achieve. ## mix it up. There is no rule saying an animated sequence needs to use consistent frame rate throughout. Start with twos or threes to get the basic flow down and then add in extra frames when needed for quick actions or extra subtlety. Spend the time making extra drawings only when you need them. --- Learn more… - [Why Your Frame Rate Matters In Animation from Stop Motion Magazine](https://stopmotionmagazine.com/why-your-frame-rate-fps-matters-in-animation/) --- tags: #animation #resources home: [[! animation]]