Doodly Intermediate Tutorial

Proper Background Use

Intermediate Tutorial #16

Proper Background Use

Showing proper color background use in Doodly.

Demonstrating good and bad background use in a Doodly video.

Explains proper or more optimal choice background use for both animated and stationary backgrounds. This article intends to teach how to bring the Doodly software out of its intended whiteboard animation use and add a little more class to the doodles so let’s start there.

Prerequisites

What is a proper background?

There really isn’t a "proper" background but there are more optimal choices of backgrounds, especially in a doodle. An optimal choice would depend on the intention of the doodle. If we are telling a scary story, we will choose a background image instead of a plain color. We may make it really scary to provide that effect. We want to use contrasting colors when using a background in Doodly.

How do I animate my background?

This can be done with one or more GIF Animations. Ensure not to have too many but having clouds or a plane moving in the sky while having a boat moving across water will go along way to selling the story that is being told.

Colored Backgrounds

These are excellent for adding a pseudo color to the assets if the rainbow addon has not been purchased. Using lighter pastel colors instead of vibrant colors for this effect would be preferred for the viewer’s eyes. An extremely bright yellow may definitely pop but will you keep someone’s attention if they have to stare at the sun for 2 minutes straight.

Text on a Background


Common Beginner Mistakes

To bring our text into the viewers focus, we can use an opaque background behind it. We do this in the SoloBoss Common Beginner Mistakes video tutorial chapter of Be Clear and Concise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions regarding this topic.

The ideal choice relies entirely on the mood of the story you want to tell. For instance, a frightening tale benefits from a spooky image rather than a solid color. It is also important to select contrasting colors to ensure your elements stand out clearly.

Yes, you can bring your scenes to life by incorporating moving images like clouds or boats. You achieve this by adding one or multiple GIF files to your scene. Just be careful to keep the moving parts balanced so you do not overwhelm the viewer.

It is best to select soft pastel shades rather than extremely bright and vibrant hues. Staring at an intense color like bright yellow for a long time can hurt the eyes of your audience. Soft tones create a pleasant viewing experience while adding a nice tint to your black and white assets.

To bring your words into clear focus, you can place a solid opaque shape directly behind your text. This technique helps separate the letters from the background image, ensuring your message remains clear and easy to read.

Using a colored canvas provides a great way to add a fake color effect to your standard sketches. This is especially helpful if you do not have the premium color add on. It helps elevate your videos beyond standard whiteboard animations and gives them a more professional look.

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Wayne Leiser
Wayne Leiser
Editor & Contributor
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