PROCESS:

I constructed this animation by building 42 sequenced cells/frames in Photoshop, then uploading them to EZGIF.com for output as an animated GIF, using their standard settings. I prefer COREL Painter, which I have used since the 90s, to produce animations for various presentation formats and integrated digital video combines, and standalone GIFS.

ANIMATION IN A CLASSROOM?

I'm not sure how my approach to animation translates into classroom practices, except for advanced/practical/theoretical instruction for those students training to be 4D+ artists. That said, after learning more about Scratch and other animation tools, and thinking about online GIF software, I think one must acknowledge that digital/social network media has made animation practicable for pretty much any computer- or net-capable device-user. Animation production in my experience requires intense focus, immersion at depth, database compilation, much competency, visual literacy, and much more. For extended/-sive projects (e.g., feature-length animation or arrays of moving images in multiple formats), animation poses significant challenges from an aesthetic standpoint. Duration is a key variable.