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ROLF'S ROLLER
Make your own animated cortoon
This is a simple way to make a two part repeating animation. First you have to
think of a reciprocal action, one that consists of two moves that can go back and
forth or up and down for as long as you like. Eyes looking from left to right is the
simplest, or someone talking, mouth open, mouth closed, perfect. You could do a
dog scratching, or someone on a trampoline, someone winking, frowning,
playing with a yoyo, the list is endless, as long as there are only two pictures.
When you’ve thought of the two slightly different pictures, here’s how you
animate them. Cut a long oblong of paper, say about 1 1/2 inches by about
10 inches and fold it crisply in the middle.
Then you lift the top (B) up and
do your first drawing in the
middle of the (A) side.
It is important to leave about 1/3rd of
the available space clear on either side of your
drawing.
Then you bring the top half (B) down again on
top of (A) and you should be able to faintly see
the original drawing through the paper. If you
can’t quite see it well enough, rest it on the
glass of a window so that the daylight shines
through the paper.
To make the animation work you need to
trace all the parts of the original drawing that
are to stay the same and redraw, in the new
position, all the bits that are to move. Then you
roll side B up towards the central crease to
make a nice tight spring of it.
Then you take a pencil or pen, insert it in
the roll and supporting the Rolf’s Roller on the
edge of the crease with the index finger of
your other hand, you simply move the pencil
across and back. rolling and unrolling the B
section. The effect of movement is magical
if you’ve drawn it well.
Obviously if you‘re left-handed it is
easier to do it all in the reverse direction with the
right hand index finger supporting the crease
and the left hand holding the
pencil or pen.
Don't forget, keep
the drawings simple!
lf you move the B side too
fast back and forth, you seem to
lose the effect of the movement and if you go too
far obviously the pencil will come out of the rolled
up paper and spoil the effect altogether.
See how many two-part Rolf’s Roller
animations you can think up. Why not send us
your best couple? You don’t have to be brilliant
at drawing. Simple stick figures quite often make
the best animations.
Look forward to seeing your Rolf's Rollers!