Home / Frame-by-frame animation

Frame-by-frame animation on Windows, in your art app

Limner has a cel-based animation workspace with onion skinning, so you can draw and animate frame by frame in the very same document you paint and ink in, then export a GIF or MP4.

A cel timeline with onion skin

Work frame by frame on a cel timeline, with onion skin showing the frames around you so movement stays consistent. Play it back as you go with the transport controls.

Draw and animate in one place

Because animation lives in the same document as your painting, inking, and vector tools, there is no round trip between a drawing app and a separate animation program. Your brushes and layers are right there.

Export and share

Animation exports to GIF and MP4, and Limner can import a GIF to start from. Still frames use the same brush engine, layers, and masks as the rest of Limner.

An honest note

Limner is a hand-drawn, cel-style animation tool inside an art studio, not a full studio-pipeline package like OpenToonz or Toon Boom. For frame-by-frame animation that lives next to your illustration and comic work, it fits nicely.

Common questions

Does Limner do frame-by-frame animation?

Yes. It has a cel-based animation workspace with a timeline, onion skinning, and playback.

What can I export?

GIF and MP4. Limner can also import a GIF to animate from.

Can I paint and animate in the same file?

Yes. Animation shares the document with raster painting, vector, and comics, using the same brushes and layers.