Cel Animation
Create frame-by-frame animations with onion skinning, cel management, and timeline controls.
Animation
No shortcutIntermediate11 min readQuick Reference
Cel Animation
AsepriteKeyboard Shortcut
N/A
Toolbar Location
Timeline panel at the bottom of the window
Best Used For
- ▸Build frame-by-frame sprite animations
- ▸Organize animation sequences with frame tags
- ▸Preview and export animated sprite sheets
Intermediate⏱ 30–60 minutes to master
Key Settings
Add frame:Shift+NOnion skin:Draw:
Cel Animation in Aseprite uses the timeline to create frame-by-frame animations. Each frame can have multiple cels (layers), and you can use onion skinning to see previous and next frames.
Where to Find It
The Timeline panel at the bottom of the Aseprite window. Use the New Frame button or press Shift+N to add frames.
How to Use
- Add frame: Click New Frame or press Shift+N to add a frame.
- Onion skin: Enable Onion Skin to see transparent overlays of previous/next frames.
- Draw: Draw on each frame to create the animation sequence.
- Preview: Press Enter to play the animation.
- Timing: Right-click a frame number to set its duration in milliseconds.
Pro Tips
- Use onion skin with 2-3 previous frames for smooth animation transitions.
- Set frame duration to 100ms for standard 10 FPS pixel art animation.
- Use layers for separate body parts that move independently.