cel animation

motion-picture production

Also known as: cell animation

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June 24, 2026

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Cel animation is a technique used in motion-picture production where animated cartoons are created by drawing or painting objects on transparent celluloid sheets, known as cels. These cels are then superimposed onto a static background drawing. This method allows for detailed backgrounds and the introduction of shading and tonal qualities.12

The process involves animators drawing key movements, with assistants filling in the intermediate frames. These drawings are then traced onto cels and painted with opaque colors. This technique enables the creation of complex animated images with a manageable workload for artists. Each second of animation typically requires 24 frames, meaning a minute of film can necessitate hundreds of drawings.23

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- motion-picture technology
  Figural basis of animation
  The development of cel (or cell) animation permitted the phased movements of the figures to be traced onto a succession of transparent celluloid sheets and superimposed, in turn, onto a single static drawing representing the background. With this technique the background could be drawn in somewhat greater detail…
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  The development of cel (or cell) animation permitted the phased movements of the figures to be traced onto a succession of transparent celluloid sheets and superimposed, in turn, onto a single static drawing representing the background. With this technique the background could be drawn in somewhat greater detail…
  Read More

Winsor McCay
…the first films to utilize cel animation—the process in which individual elements of a scene are drawn on clear celluloid sheets rather than paper, which thereby eliminates the need for multiple drawings of backgrounds and stationary objects. After producing five more animated films—the last being The Flying House (1921)—McCay devoted…
Read More
…the first films to utilize cel animation—the process in which individual elements of a scene are drawn on clear celluloid sheets rather than paper, which thereby eliminates the need for multiple drawings of backgrounds and stationary objects. After producing five more animated films—the last being The Flying House (1921)—McCay devoted…
Read More