Tools
Here’s an introduction to the standard tools necessary and handy for drawing anime.
The tools featured are based on those used by professional animators, but you can replace them with tools that suit your own style and expression.
Nowadays there is 2 way of making animation: Paper or Digital.
What tools do you need?
What you must have to work on Paper
Drawing paper
Standard size is 16:9 wide size. Professional animators are provided with the amount of drawing paper they need for their work, so they do not need to buy it themselves.
Commercially available wide size (A4) paper with tapped holes is unbelievably expensive, costing 800~1,000 yen for 100 sheets.
*Although the paper quality differs, some A4 copy/printing paper is around 400 yen for 500 sheets. Just punching holes make them 10 times more expensive!
Light box (Tracing table)
From around 7,000 yen. The ones that uses LED lights does not heat up easily, so it is especially useful for people who sweat a lot like me in the summer.
The structure itself is simple, just shining light from underneath a white acrylic (or glass) plate, so some people make their own.In professional settings, a “drawing desk” is used, the top of which is itself a tracing table, so the light box itself is just an auxiliary tool.
Tap
Three-hole tap for animation. Thinner ones are easier to use, but the thinner they are, the more expensive they are.
Pencils & Eraser
You can use whatever you find easiest. However sometimes it seems that a hardness of about “B” is specified. If it is too hard, the lines will be faint, and if it is too soft, it will stain the paper… I guess?
A regular eraser is enough. However, it is useful to have a stick-shaped eraser to erase small details.
Ruler
A metalic rule 15 cm, 30 cm, etc. It would be useful to have a metal ruler or with a metal edge that can be used with a cutter.
Clips
Indispensable for tasks such as making taps in the paper. You can use not expensive clips and several different types depending on the size.
Pencil sharpener
When it comes to ease of use, electric ones are definitely better, but of course the manual ones does the job.
Useful things to have to work on Paper
The tools below are not necessarly necessary, but please use them as a reference when choosing tools.
Mechanical pencil
It is very useful for sketching, filling out time sheets and composite slips, etc. It is also useful for various purposes if there are pencils with different lead thicknesses.
Pencil holder
Use it to hold short pencils, making them easier to hold.
Instant glue
The pencils that are now even shorter can be joined together with glue! (When you are not rich this is convenient. So eco-friendly!)
The jelly-like material doesn’t flow and is easy to handle. Although it is called “instant”, it takes a surprisingly long time to fully harden. It is best to leave it for a few hours if possible.
Mending Tape
Cellophane tape is easily affected by humidity, expands and contracts quickly, and the paper it is stuck to is prone to wrinkles.
Mending Tape, on the other hand, is less affected by humidity, and you can draw lines on it. It is a little expensive, but I recommend this one. A wide one is easy to use.
It is even better if you have a tape dispenser. A moderately heavy, stable one is easy to use with one hand.
Cutter
A cutting mat is useful for small crafts. You can also use it to make holes in potato chip bags, sharpen pencils, etc.
Template
Also called “circle ruler” for drawing. There are also ones for drawing various shapes and letters other than circles.
Erasing shield
This is also a drafting tool. It is used when you want to erase only small details with pinpoint precision. They are available in metal and plastic.
Feather Duster/Drafting Brush
For cleaning eraser shavings. It’s better than using your hands, but be careful not to sweep too hard directly as it can smudge pencil lines and stain the paper.
What you must have to work on Computer
Tablet
The main tool for computer animation is the tablet. Of course there is different type of tablet. You may work with the tablet that fit you the most. Tablets with screen are quite useful too.
Softwares
Of course to make animation you have to use a software to be able to create frame by frame animation.
For my personnal experience, I use Clip Studio Paint EX (CSP EX). Be aware that the pro version does not include animation. The software is not that expensive for what it does. Also, there is promotion on the product quite often, keep an eye on it!
Otherwise you have other software more common in western countries, like TVPaint, OpenToonz (by Ghibli Studio – and mainly free). Some crazy people would use Photoshop to animate…
If you search for free softwares you may have some, like Krita, Blender or even Tahoma2D.
You may find a fit for your own work.