Animation is a method in which images are manipulated to appear as moving images which creates an illusion of movement in our eyes because our eyes only retain an image for approx. 1/10 of a second which termed as persistence of vision, when multiple images appear in fast succession, the brain blends them into a single moving image.
OR
Animation is a form of filmmaking which consists of photographing individual drawings (cels) or inanimate objects (such as puppets or clay figures) frame by frame, with each frame slightly different from the earlier & when the images are projected at 24 frames per second, they appear to move (or are animated)
In traditional animation, pictures are drawn or painted on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed. Early cartoons are examples of this, but today, most animated movies are made with computer-generated imagery or CGI.
For smooth motion frame rate of 24 frames per second is used (in common)
Traditional Animation Tutorial
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Steamboat Willie
Additional Reading
- Wikipedia – Animation