Onion skin animation
Onion skin shows your last frame faintly over the live camera, so every move in your stop motion is the right size. Try it free in your browser, no download.
Prop your phone or tablet so it can't move (a stack of books works), set up your scene, and shoot one frame at a time.
How to animate with onion skin
- 01Open the studio and take your first frame.
- 02Move your subject a little. The last frame shows faintly over the camera, so you see the old position and the new one together.
- 03Keep the gap between the ghost and the live picture about the same each time for smooth movement.
- 04Turn up the ghost frames to see the last 2 or 3 frames at once, fading, which shows the path of a movement.
- 05Hold Compare to flick between the camera and the last frame and spot small differences.
What onion skinning is
Onion skinning means seeing previous frames faintly while you make the next one. The name comes from traditional drawn animation, where animators drew on thin, translucent onionskin paper over a light table, so the drawing underneath showed through.
In stop motion it does the same job: the last photo is laid over the live camera, half see-through, so you can place your figure exactly where the next frame needs it.
Tips for using it
- Lower the onion skin to see your scene clearly, raise it to judge the gap.
- One ghost frame is best for small moves; three show an arc, like a bouncing ball or a swinging arm.
- Big gaps between ghost and live picture mean fast movement; small gaps mean slow movement.
- If the whole ghost looks shifted, the camera has moved. Fix the stand before you carry on.
Questions
Why is it called onion skin?
Animators used to draw on thin, see-through onionskin paper, so they could see the drawing underneath while drawing the next one. Digital animation tools kept the name.
How many onion skin frames should I show?
Start with one. Show two or three when you animate a curved path or a fast movement, so you can see the arc.
Does onion skin show in my video?
No. It's only on the screen while you shoot. The video is made from your frames alone.
Are my photos uploaded anywhere?
No. The camera, your frames and the videos you make all stay in your browser on this device. Nothing is sent to us or stored on a server.