Add One In-Between
Fill the gap with a blend, not a copy.
Your result
A middle frame positioned between the two extremes.
01What you will learn
- Place the in-between frame halfway between the key poses.
- Average positions rather than inventing a third idea.
- Keep the in-between slightly closer to one side for a snappier feel.
Start with: The two key poses from lesson one.
02See the technique
Three identical frames
48 × 16 pixels
Two key poses and one blend
48 × 16 pixels
03Follow the steps
- 1
Copy pose one into the middle cell
Paste the resting pose into cell two, keeping the same horizontal alignment. This gives you a safe starting point inside the correct cell.
Cell two filled with pose one.
- 2
Move it partway toward pose two
Raise the body about halfway between the two extremes. Halfway is the honest answer; three-quarters is snappier, zero is no animation.
A middle frame at an intermediate height.
- 3
Reuse pose two's leg position
Copy the feet from the stretched pose, since legs usually lead the movement. Do not invent a third leg arrangement.
Legs that match the direction of travel.
- 4
Compare the three cells side by side
Heights should read as low, mid, high. If any two cells look identical, the middle one is not doing its job.
Three visibly different frames in order.
04Practice in Pikanim
Fill the middle cell with a frame positioned halfway between the two key poses.
Opens a 48 × 16 canvas with the lesson's starting pixels. Your work saves in the Workspace.
05Check your result
Compare your own work with these checkpoints. Check each one when your result is ready.
Progress saves in this browser. No account needed.
06Continue learning
Keep these references handy
How Pixel Art Animation Works
The mechanics of pixel art animation: frame counts, timing, key poses and in-betweens, and why fewer well-placed frames beat many rough ones.
How to Make a Pixel Art Walk Cycle
Build a 4- or 6-frame pixel art walk cycle: contact, passing and up poses, leg rules that avoid the moonwalk, and timing that makes small characters feel alive.