How Frame-by-Frame Animation Works in Procreate

Quick overview

The Procreate animation basics

Turn on Animation Assist, make each frame as a layer or a group of layers, adjust timing with onion skins and Hold Duration, then choose a playback mode and export format.

Turn on Animation Assist from the Canvas settings.
Build each frame as a layer or a group of layers.
Use onion skins and hold duration to control timing.
Set playback style and export the animation in the right format.

1. Turn on Animation Assist

Procreate animation starts with Animation Assist. Open the wrench menu, go to Canvas, and turn on Animation Assist. This adds a timeline at the bottom of the screen with playback, settings, and frame controls.

Animation Assist is not a separate app like Procreate Dreams. It is a lightweight frame-by-frame tool built into regular Procreate, which makes it great for simple motion tests, looping GIFs, hand-drawn effects, and short animated illustrations.

Procreate Animation Assist timeline with frame layers — Timestamp 1:01 Animation Assist turns Procreate layers into a simple frame-by-frame timeline.

Here’s the numbers

Procreate animation settings to keep nearby

These are the practical Animation Assist controls from the video and how to think about them while building a simple frame-by-frame animation.

Turn it onGo to Wrench > Canvas > Animation Assist to show the frame timeline.

Frames are layers or groupsEach timeline frame can be one layer or a group of layers. Group related drawing parts when a frame needs more than one editable layer.

BackgroundThe first frame can be set as a background so it appears behind every animation frame.

ForegroundThe last frame can be set as a foreground so it appears above the animated frames.

Hold durationUse holds when one drawing needs to last multiple frames instead of duplicating the same layer repeatedly.

Onion skinsTry 3 or 4 onion skin frames for context, then lower opacity if the guides get distracting.

PlaybackLoop repeats, One Shot plays once, and Ping Pong plays forward then backward.

Frame rate12 fps is a useful traditional starting point. 24 fps feels smoother and requires more drawings.

ExportsUse animated GIF for quick loops, MP4 for video sharing, and image sequences when moving into other apps.

2. Understand that frames are layers

In Procreate, each animation frame is also a layer. The timeline is essentially your layer stack turned sideways, which is a helpful way to understand what is happening when you add, select, or edit frames.

The first and last frames can become special background or foreground layers. A background stays behind every frame, while a foreground can sit above the moving artwork. That is useful when you want scenery, guides, or overlays to remain consistent.

Procreate animation timeline showing frame layers — Timestamp 2:22 In Procreate Animation Assist, each frame behaves like a layer in the timeline.

3. Use onion skins and hold duration for readable motion

Onion skins show nearby frames as transparent guides so you can see how far the drawing is moving. More onion skin frames gives you more context, while fewer frames keeps the screen cleaner.

Hold duration lets one drawing stay on screen for multiple frames. This is important because not every animation needs a new drawing every single frame. Holds create pauses, accents, and readable timing without forcing unnecessary redraws.

Procreate onion skin settings for frame-by-frame animation — Timestamp 4:39 Onion skins help you judge spacing and timing between drawings.

4. Choose playback and export settings intentionally

Procreate can play animations as a loop, ping-pong, or one-shot. A loop repeats from the beginning, ping-pong plays forward and backward, and one-shot plays once. The right setting depends on whether the animation should feel continuous or like a finished action.

When you are ready to share, export as an animated GIF, MP4, PNG sequence, or another supported format based on where it will live. GIFs are easy for small loops, while MP4 is usually better for video platforms and cleaner playback.

Procreate animation playback and export settings — Timestamp 6:35 Playback and export settings decide whether the animation loops, ping-pongs, or exports for sharing.

Start with a simple bounce animation

This Iceberg animation is a fun spin I made on the traditional bouncing-ball exercise. Yours doesn’t need ripples or any other extra effects. Start with something simple, like a ball or a square moving and bouncing, to get a feel for spacing and timing. Once you get the hang of it, you can add your own twist.

Iceberg animation by Ben Lords. 10 seconds, shown in its original square format. Press Play to watch; pause to study the motion. The player repeats the clip.

Try a motion study from the finished example

Pick one moving shape. Ignore the background detail at first. Sketch the important poses where the action changes direction or the shape changes most.
Compare spacing and shape. Notice where positions are close together and where the movement covers more distance. Keep the study rough so you can concentrate on the bounce and exaggeration.
Test your own timing. In regular Procreate, turn on Animation Assist and put each drawing on a separate layer or group. Start at 12 fps as a practice setting, then adjust the drawings, spacing, or holds until the motion reads clearly. This is a suggested exercise setting, not a claim about the original project.

For another step-by-step lesson using frame-by-frame animation in Procreate, continue with the water-animation walkthrough. The same principles apply, and the more projects you practice with, the more natural these tools will feel.

Download the Procreate Animation Assist Reference Sheet

A one-page illustrated companion for Animation Assist, spacing, timing, and a simple bounce exercise.

Download the reference sheet

When Animation Assist Is Enough and When to Move to Another App

Animation Assist is a good fit for short loops, timing studies, hand-drawn effects, and early motion ideas. Spacing controls speed, holds create emphasis, and onion skins show how far each drawing has moved. You can learn those fundamentals without leaving Procreate.

A complicated scene with many moving parts will outgrow this timeline. Once the movement works, export a GIF, MP4, animated PNG, HEVC file, or image sequence and continue in another app when the project needs deeper compositing or editing control.

Keep learning Procreate

Use the water lesson to practice spacing and timing, keep the gesture guide nearby for canvas and layer shortcuts, or return to the beginner guide for a broader Procreate refresher.