Designing a 3D cartoon requires creativity, major technical know-how, and a visual feast that people can enjoy.
We all have seen 3D animation in video games, advertisements, and television series. The art form might seem easier to you but it has a complex process.
Video content is in demand to such an extent that 24% of marketers plan to invest more in video than any other format in 2023.
2D or 3D?
Many folks prefer 3D cartoons over 2D because they think it’s cheaper and faster. With 3D, everything happens in a kind of digital space, making it more realistic.
In 2D, it takes a lot of pictures to make things move smoothly, but in 3D, it’s way simpler. So, people choose cartoon 3D because it’s a speedy and budget-friendly way to make awesome animations!
But before we go towards how to make a 3d cartoon let’s first see what it is all about.
What is 3D animation?
3D animation is the graphical technique of creating moving graphics of computer-generated objects through three-dimensional space.
3D animation software develops 3D-style images. Furthermore, visual effects and precise timings are adapted to add movement and form.
What are the benefits of 3d animation?
3D animations have certain specific traits that make them the most suitable for various industries.
Here is a list of their beneficial characteristics:
- Keep your audience engaged
3D animations mimic reality and create images that help people visualize the non-existing.
For example, 3D animated graphics of a still-undergoing construction apartment enable people to see their future living spaces, simplifying their decision process.
Further, it captures the user and keeps their undivided attention, promoting better usage engagement.
- Draw the attention
3D cartoon animations appeal to the viewers and are capable of capturing mass attention at once.
Therefore, they are easily projected onto a giant screen in a crowded area. This way, they can attract the attention of the masses with their incredible imagery.
For example, a digital billboard with 3D animation can capture people’s attention even in a well-crowded location.
- Effective communication
3D stands for three dimensions, meaning an image’s length, breadth, and height are all projected, which is usually absent in any other animation.
This conveys a sense of depth to the audience. So, the audience can visualize the image quite close to reality.
Therefore, 3D animations are great effective communication tools that can help the audience visualize close to authentic images.
For example, through 3D animation, you can offer your audience a 360-degree look at a product before its construction is even completed.
If you are looking for professionals to create an engaging video or an animated cartoon then Video Jeeves is the perfect fit.
Steps to create a 3d cartoon
We’re about to begin a creative journey!
In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk through the process of crafting your very own 3d cartoon.
Here is the simplest way you can create 3d cartoons.
1. Concept
The concept is the original idea or storyline of a piece.
Every great cartoon starts with an awesome story. What do you want your characters to do? Where does the adventure take place? Grab a pen and paper and start sketching out your ideas.
Companies such as Pixar and Disney spend up to two years getting the script perfectly right.
This is the secret to their success as they work to get the perfect story before starting any production.
2. Storyboarding
Once the team finalizes the script, animators visualize it as a storyboard.
Now that you have your story, create a storyboard. Think of it as a comic strip version of your cartoon. Draw each scene, showing what happens in sequential order. This helps you visualize how your cartoon will flow and makes the animation process smoother.
Each scene gets sketched out by a storyboard artist showing all of the character action. It also includes the shot selection, the sequence of action, and cinematic direction.
It is an important blueprint that guides the entire production process.
3. 3D modeling
Modeling is the construction of objects and characters through mathematical representation of all their elements.
It includes compositions of shapes such as cubes, spheres, or simple planes. The shapes get created by using vertices in order to form a mesh using software programs like Autodesk Maya, Z-Brush, and Blender.
These points are then mapped onto a 3D grid and rendered into 3-dimensional objects.
Select an animation software for 3D cartoons that suits your needs and level of expertise.
4. Texturing
Once the professionals create a 3D object, it undergoes texturing, which is the outer layer finish of the object.
This includes skin, clothing, or even hair for a character. It also includes a metal finish for a car or machine, brickwork for a house or building, fur for an animal, etc.
In a studio, there are entire teams of environmental texture artists focused on this stage of the process.
5. Rigging and skinning
Rigging is constructing the muscular-skeletal basis of the animation. Character rigs allow the joints and moving parts of the object to move in a manner that is believable.
Riggers create these working skeletons on 3D animation production software.
The next step is skinning which is smoothing out these joints, you can think of this as providing the skin which covers the mechanics underneath the object.
How to animate Time to animate your 3d cartoon
Now, comes the real part.
Start small and simple. Learn the basics of keyframes, and how to make your characters move.
Begin with a walk cycle or a basic action to get a feel for the animation process. Practice makes perfect, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
- Animation
This is where the full storyboard gets animated to complete the script.
Now that you have built your 3D character or object from scratch you can animate them through a sequence of movements using a program like Maya.
Animation in 3d cartoons is much more technical than 2D animation because artists don’t really need to have a high level of drawing skills
An animated scene will be roughly blocked out. Once blocking is approved, a 3D animator will often then go through various other stages of approval from others before it is considered final and complete.
Moving on to the next step.
- Rendering
Rendering, or image synthesis, is the process of generating the 3D animation through a graphics processing unit (GPU).
This gets done by inputting the render into the software which will then show a complete animated sequence.
During this process elements such as shading, texture mapping, shadows, reflection, translucency, depth of field, motion blur, and others get into the sequence.
- Compositing & VFX
Multiple render passes will need to be stitched together to produce the final animation professionals refer to it as compositing.
It is a process of refining elements such as lighting, shading, and colors which involves adding layers to a single image or series of images.
Using software such as Nuke, VFX compositors are responsible for making all live-action plates, 2D elements, and any CG.
This is the last step.
Visual effects get added in much the same way as compositing.
The illusions and visual tricks that increase the scene’s ambiance and characters are separate renders. It then gets layered onto the existing animation using a compositing program.
Then comes a really interesting part, music.
- Music & foley
How can we not talk about music while creating a 3d cartoon?
All the sound elements of animation are produced in a sound studio. This includes the recording of the score, all the musical elements, and sound effects required for the animation.
The music must work well with the visuals.
Foley is the production of all the sound effects required for the animation piece. Once these audio elements get finalized they undergo a sound mix and edit to sync with the action.
- Editing
While animation is carefully planned with storyboarding, it still requires time for essential editing tasks.
The editing phase is where the finishing touches make the 3d cartoon polished and captivating.
It is a crucial step in the animation process. After creating the 3d models and scenes, animators need to refine the timing, pacing, and overall flow of the animation.
This involves adjusting the sequence of events, cutting unnecessary elements, and ensuring that the sound complements the visuals seamlessly
- Final output
Once the professionals animate all the elements and refine them, it is now time for the final render.
When production is complete and the final polish is done the rendering button is pushed. It takes time depending upon the sequence and length. After that, the animation is completed.
Now you can share your creation with friends, family, or even online communities.
Conclusion
I hope this guide helps you in the journey of making 3d cartoons. Creating such interesting and attractive cartoons is about having fun and expressing your creativity.
There are tons of tutorial videos for 3D animations that you can follow through to make the learning process much easier.
So, grab your ideas, and execute them.
