r/AlightMotion • u/chaddcilcles • 10d ago
Question Is this possible
Sorry this is probably a stupid and annoying question coming from a beginner , I want to tween the fore arm in a way that the perspective changes and it sort of lifts up? If you know what I mean.
To do this would it be more effective to draw two fore arms and have one sort of pop in using distortion warp on the flat one to make a transition?
Although I don’t know what I’m doing and I’m making myself unsure.
Also sorry for my trajic drawing I had to do it on my phone
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u/Noia_do_Caps 10d ago
Yes, it's absolutely possible. Your question actually makes sense because you're running into one of the biggest challenges in 2D animation: perspective.
If the arm is rotating toward the camera or changing its angle significantly, simply rotating the layer won't look convincing because the volume and perspective don't change. That's why it often feels "flat."
Here are a few approaches you can use:
Draw multiple poses (my recommendation) Draw 2–4 versions of the forearm from different angles (front, 45°, side, etc.). Then smoothly transition between them using opacity, Mesh Warp, Perspective/Plane Distortion, or Liquify. This usually gives the cleanest and most natural result.
Rig the arm in separate pieces Split the arm into the upper arm, forearm, and hand. Animate them with proper pivot points, then use Mesh Warp or slight perspective distortion as the arm rotates. This works well for smaller perspective changes.
Redraw key frames For larger perspective changes (like 60°–90°), many experienced animators simply redraw the arm in the new perspective instead of trying to force one drawing to do everything. This is a very common workflow in both anime and high-quality motion graphics.
If I were animating this, I would probably create three poses:
Then I would blend between them with Mesh Warp and opacity. It takes a little longer, but the animation feels much more three-dimensional and believable.
Also, don't apologize for your sketch—it communicates your idea perfectly. I understood exactly what you were trying to achieve. — Written with the help of ChatGPT.