Your drawing. Your browser.
A small, independent alternative for moving a hand-drawn character. No account, no image uploads, and a few useful controls.
A familiar idea, a smaller tool.
If you came looking for a sketch.metademolab alternative, you probably want the same simple moment: a character you drew starts moving. The studio above is built around that moment. Choose a drawing, check the background removal, place a handful of joints, and try a motion. You can save a short GIF or video directly from your browser.
animatedraw is an independent project inspired by Meta’s AnimatedDrawings research project, whose source code is published under the MIT license. We are not affiliated with Meta and this site is not a mirror of its demo. The implementation here is a lightweight browser pipeline, not a reproduction of the research system or a claim to match its results.
What is different here?
The comparison below refers to the published AnimatedDrawings repository and its documentation, rather than making promises about the availability or behavior of Meta’s hosted demo. Check the original project for its setup instructions and capabilities. This site focuses on immediate, local use with a smaller collection of motions.
animatedraw and the published Meta AnimatedDrawings project| Question | animatedraw | Meta’s published project |
|---|
| How do I start? | Open this page in a browser. | Install the Python project using its documented setup. |
|---|
| How are joints placed? | A default skeleton fits the cutout; you adjust the dots. | Includes trained detection and pose-estimation tools for annotations. |
|---|
| How are motions chosen? | Walk, Jump, Dance, and Wave buttons. | Characters, motions, and scenes use configuration files. |
|---|
| What can I save? | GIF and browser-supported WebM or MP4, with a solid backdrop. | Documentation includes MP4 and transparent GIF examples. |
|---|
Source: AnimatedDrawings README. These are different tools with different scopes; the table is not a quality ranking.
Try it with your drawing.
- Start with a clean image. Pick one standing humanoid figure on plain paper. Strong outlines and visible spaces between limbs give the cutout a better chance. Avoid groups, detailed scenery, and photographs of people.
- Make the skeleton yours. The starting dots are only an estimate based on the bounding rectangle. Move them to the actual body parts. Drag with a mouse or finger, use the joint selector and arrow keys, or tap the drawing to place a selected joint.
- Check before exporting. Try the four presets, pause when needed, and look for unwanted stretching. Choose a scene and make your file. Video recording support varies by browser; GIF gives you another option when video is unavailable.
Know what to expect.
This version removes paper by estimating its color at the image border, not by understanding the drawing’s subject. It bends the original texture around a simple skeleton, so overlapping arms, flowing skirts, and complicated poses can produce odd results. The facial expression stays as drawn. There is no prompt box, automatic redrawing, or generation of missing body parts.
Those limits also make the process easy to inspect. You see the cutout and control the joints yourself. Your chosen image stays in browser memory, and the export is created on your device. You do not need to install a model or set up a server to try the sample. Save your animation before leaving: there is no project account or cloud history to reopen later.
Our main animate-my-drawing page has general photography tips. The Christmas studio starts with snow, while the animal guide explains why upright cartoon animals work better than four-legged ones.
A few fair questions.
Is this the official Meta drawing tool?
No. animatedraw is independent and is not affiliated with Meta. We credit AnimatedDrawings as inspiration and link to its original repository so you can explore the research project directly.
Does this use the same AI models?
No. This version uses color-based background removal, a manually adjustable default skeleton, and procedural animation. It does not run Meta’s trained models, and results should not be expected to match the original research system.
Do I need to install anything?
No installation is needed for this site. Open it in a browser with JavaScript enabled. All required scripts and the GIF encoder are served locally by the site, without a third-party script CDN.
Can I upload a project from another tool?
The studio accepts image files, not saved rigs, motion files, or project configurations. Use your original drawing image and place the joints here. Existing animations cannot be imported as editable skeleton projects.
Why are there only four motions?
This version deliberately provides a small set of repeatable two-second movements. There is no motion library, timeline editor, or custom keyframe feature. Try each preset to find the one that suits the drawing’s proportions.
Where should I report a problem?
Contact support@animatedraw.com for issues with this site. Describe your browser, device, and what happened. You do not need to send a child’s drawing to report a bug; a description or the built-in sample is often enough.