We all have that moment—you have the character, you have the story, everything is ready, and then you hit a wall: the background. Where do you even start? Every artist knows this struggle. So, let’s break down the process from brainstorming all the way to lighting in your little world. The background of your animation is a great way to add tone to what you already have. Everything, from the colors to the level of detail, can affect how the viewer feels. The first thing to understand is what emotion you want to evoke. A calmer tone will have softer lines and more organic shapes, while a tone that is more ominous or stressful will likely feature sharper, thicker, and more jarring lines. Everything can be seen as a symbol: the contrast between your character and the background may help the viewer understand how out of place they feel. Conversely, blending in with the world could show that your character has found their place.
Once you’ve decided on the tone, try to play with perspective, as well as the previously mentioned elements. If you want the viewer to feel like they are seeing something grand or monumental, try a lower perspective. If you want the focus to be more on the character than the environment, try a higher perspective.
Deciding all of this can be difficult, so try not to overwhelm yourself. You can make several low-quality sketches to try out different ideas. This part of the process is meant to be loose and sketchy since you're only trying to figure out what the scene is conveying. Making too detailed sketches at this point might waste time and increase the chance of the project being abandoned or turning into a chore instead of something enjoyable. At this point, it’s time to sketch—add things, move elements around. Here are some common features that can add a lot of charm:
Don’t be afraid to look up tutorials—many artists are happy to share their knowledge. There will be a list of good websites and YouTube channels at the bottom of this article. The sketch will be your guide for the rest of your background, so the more effort you put in here, the less you’ll have to worry about in the linework phase. Moving onto linework will be an easier transition. If you put effort into the sketch, the linework will be easy. If not, you may find it more complicated. No matter what, line weight will be your friend. Variation in line weight will give the impression of shadows and depth without even needing colors.
Finally, choose your lighting and colors. For a detailed look into these topics, check out our article on How Color Changes the Mood .