Make the Loop Seamless
Make the last frame hand back to the first without a visible jump.
Your result
A loop whose last frame flows back into the first.
01What you will learn
- Make the returning frame match the opening frame.
- Read the loop backwards to find the jolt.
- Prefer even loops that do not need a duplicated frame.
Start with: An evenly timed three-frame loop.
02See the technique
Key poses with an empty middle
48 × 16 pixels
A loop that returns cleanly
48 × 16 pixels
03Follow the steps
- 1
Read the loop backwards
Play three to two to one. A jolt here is the exact moment the viewer will notice, and it is usually a pose that does not belong to the sequence.
The discontinuity located, if there is one.
- 2
Compare the first and last frames
They should be close enough that the eye reads continuity. Two different poses in the same family is enough.
A first and last frame that belong together.
- 3
Avoid the duplicate-frame trick
Adding a copy of the first frame at the end makes the loop pause, because that pose is shown twice in a row. Three distinct frames loop better than four with a duplicate.
A loop without a held frame
- 4
Check it at real speed
Preview the loop for a few seconds. If the eye locks onto a repeated pose, shorten the duration rather than adding frames.
A loop that keeps moving without stalling.
04Practice in Pikanim
Play the loop backwards, fix any jolt between the last and first frames, and preview it for several seconds.
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.