A cel, short for celluloid, is a transparent sheet on which objects are drawn or painted for traditional, hand-drawn animation. Actual celluloid (consisting of cellulose nitrate and camphor) …

Oct 9, 2022 · Cel animation is a form of traditional 2D animation. ‘Cel’ is short for ‘celluloid,’ as the images were drawn on thin, transparent sheets of plastic material. This material was …

What is cel (or traditional) animation? Cel animation is one of the most traditional forms of animation and involves objects - usually characters - being hand-drawn on clear celluloid …

Nov 25, 2021 · Cel animation is a classic, hand-drawn animation process that consists of drawing and painting 2D objects on celluloid (Cel), a translucent plastic sheet. On average, this …

Apr 7, 2025 · Cel animation is a traditional 2D animation technique where characters and objects are drawn on transparent sheets called cels, then layered over painted backgrounds and …

Cel animation is a traditional form of animation that involves hand-drawing images on transparent sheets called “cels” and photographing them sequentially to create the illusion of movement.

Aug 28, 2025 · What is Cel Animation? At its core, cel animation is hand-drawn frame-by-frame animation. Each drawing is placed on a sheet of clear celluloid a “cel.” This lets artists …

Jul 2, 2025 · Although digital animation has largely superseded it, cel animation’s influence remains profound. It laid the groundwork for many of the animation techniques used today and …

Jul 21, 2025 · Cel animation (short for “celluloid animation”) is a traditional animation technique in which animators use transparent sheets that were originally made from actual celluloid, a …

Explore the evolution of cel animation, from its historical origins to modern techniques and iconic works that shaped the animation industry.