Drawn animation isn’t just some fancy cartoon video production style you’ve recently stumbled upon—it’s a nostalgic part of all our childhoods.
Remember the old animated movies like The Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio, or those classic Disney cartoons we all loved?
Yes, this style was used there.
In fact, it has been a cornerstone of the film industry for nearly a century, bringing to life some of the most memorable characters and stories we still cherish today.
This makes it all the more important for individuals and brands to learn about and appreciate drawn animation.
For individuals, it’s a chance to understand how their favorite childhood movies were created.
For brands, it’s a massive opportunity to leverage this animation style to its fullest potential and create timeless, engaging marketing content.
In this blog, we’ll guide you through the fascinating world of hand-drawn animation—what it is, its rich history, the process behind it, and inspiring examples.
Let’s dive in!
Picture Credit: Traditional Animation
Drawn animation, also known as cel animation, is a technique that brings images to life by playing a series of slightly different drawings in rapid succession.
When shown at speed—usually 24 frames per second—these images create the illusion of smooth motion.
The history of traditional hand-drawn animation spans over a century.
Émile Cohl’s ‘Fantasmagorie (1908)’ is recognized as one of the earliest examples of this animation style.
Cohl followed a detailed and labor-intensive process to create the film—he placed his drawings on an illuminated glass plate and traced the next drawing with slight variations on top.
This painstaking effort involved nearly 700 drawings to bring the animation to life.
Disney Studios also played a monumental role in shaping the world of drawn animation.
In 1928, Walt Disney released ‘Steamboat Willie’, the first animated film fully synchronized with sound, setting a new standard for storytelling in animation.
In 1937, Disney made history again with ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’, the first full-length color animated film.
This landmark production marked the beginning of a new era in animation, with hand-drawn techniques dominating the industry.
From then until the early 1970s, nearly all animated films relied exclusively on this meticulous hand-drawing process.
By 1973, computer-generated imagery (CGI) began to make its way into the animation industry.
However, hand-drawn methods remained the primary technique for many years.
Even today, the influence of traditional drawn animation is evident in the artistry of 2D animation.
Picture Credit: Dribble
Here’s how the process of traditional hand-drawn animation was carried out in the past:
The process started with the creation of storyboards to map out how the story would unfold visually. Each frame was hand-drawn and painted on separate sheets of clear paper.
The paper was perforated and placed on a peg bar to keep it steady throughout the process.
The illustrations were transferred onto thin, clear plastic sheets called "cels" (short for celluloid). Artists painted the static backgrounds directly onto these cels using watercolors or oil paints.
Once all the artwork was ready, the photography team assembled each frame by layering the cels over the painted backgrounds.
They secured everything with glass and peg bars and captured each frame using specialized cameras.
This process was repeated for every single frame in the movie or video. After the photos were taken, they were sent for development and final processing.
The result was a video with intricate details and smooth, lifelike movements that brought characters to life in a way that’s hard to replicate with other techniques.
Let’s better understand how hand-drawn animation videos look on screen with these examples.
This Walt Disney film is one of the best hand-drawn animation films of all time and is a cherished part of everyone’s childhood.
Beyond being a nostalgic escape, it holds the distinction of being one of the first animated feature films ever made and the very first created entirely using hand-drawn animation techniques.
Throughout the film, you’ll notice the use of oil-painted textures, static backgrounds, and more defined characters moving seamlessly against those static backdrops. It’s truly a visual delight and a joy to watch again.
Atomic Habits, a bestseller, delves into habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement.
Many people add it to their shopping carts with the intention of reading it to better themselves, but the book often doesn’t make it past checkout.
Why?
Because who has the time to read?
This whiteboard animation video from After Skool offers a solution. In it, James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits, explains how tiny changes can create remarkable results.
The continuous appearance of hand-drawn animations complements his words, keeping our eyes glued to the screen and our ears focused on his message.
Verdict—learned a lesson from the book without flipping through the pages—a win-win!
This timeless Disney classic is one of the best hand drawn animation movies. It tells the story of Belle, a young woman who falls in love with a cursed prince.
The film beautifully showcases the hallmark elements of hand drawn animation—dynamic character movements set against a static yet richly detailed background.
Beyond its artistry, the lush animation and unforgettable music make ‘Beauty and the Beast’ an absolute delight to watch. Notably, it earned a historic nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture, solidifying its place as one of Disney's most beloved masterpieces.
How adorable and soothing can a video be, right?
Well, this 2D animation video from The New York Times feels like one that can truly melt your heart.
It features a calming voice narrating the journey of Catie, who never thought she could have kids—until she unexpectedly became a mother.
The story follows her life—taking care of her younger sister, growing up while struggling with PCOS, and facing the heartbreak of having no eggs left at age thirty.
She loses all hope of becoming a mother—until her younger sister becomes pregnant and gives Catie the incredible gift of adopting her child.
Each frame of this video is thoughtfully designed, and the way each scene unfolds adds a raw yet emotional touch to the narration.
The heartfelt story of the two sisters resonates deeply and touches the heartstrings of viewers.
This 2D animation video from Unilever has one of the catchiest and grooviest background songs.
It creatively features Unilever products like Dove, Lifebuoy, and Domestos, showcasing people using them in quirky and engaging ways.
The video uses the music "Every U Does Good" to emphasize how every product you buy from Unilever provides greater value.
For instance, every Domestos purchase supports safer toilets in schools, and every Knorr product contributes to sustainable farming.
This 2D character animation video beautifully captures a child's dream as she imagines walking under a starry night with her mother.
As they stroll, they witness the transformation of earth and stones into lush greenery, with abstract bushes and a giant wheel turning day into night.
The child's face radiates pure joy as she watches nature unfold before her—it's truly awe-inspiring.
Created by South Downs National Park, the video showcases the park's stunning wildlife and natural habitats.
It calls on viewers to help nurture and protect this beautiful environment, ensuring that nature within the park continues to flourish.
You should use this style to create a timeless, versatile, and artistic feel in your video—qualities that are often lacking in usual modern video production. It allows you to create memorable video content while also staying within budget compared to styles like 3D animation.
Traditional drawn animation requires tools like paper, pencils, ink, and lightboxes. On the other hand, for modern digital animation, tools like Adobe Animate, Toon Boom, or TVPaint are used to create and edit frames digitally. This makes the process faster and more flexible.
You’ll still find drawn animation techniques being used in films, TV shows, video ads, video games, and other digital content. The reason why it’s still relevant is because of how effective it is for storytelling, character design, and educational content. In the modern context, when it is used, it is often combined with techniques like 2D animation.
And that’s a wrap on today’s blog!
We've explored an animation style that’s familiar but often overlooked.
It's a centuries-old technique with a detailed production process, yet it’s still going strong in today’s animation world.
So, why does it stick around?
It has this emotional, nostalgic pull that continues to resonate with people.
As a brand, you can harness this power in your videos to craft a storyline that builds a real connection with your audience.
This classic style can give your brand a fresh, impactful edge.
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