Partial duplication or smearing of an element to evoke motion blur or quick movement within a panel.
A common technique in animation to artificially and intentionally simulate motion blur by drawing parts of a character or object
The Dover Boys, featuring some of the most extreme use of smears in animation as part of the comedy and art direction.
Dynamism of a Dog of a Leash (1912), Giacomo Balla.
Smears are especially useful to convey action while the rest of the character remains fixed in a single place. For example, shaking their head, clapping their hands, tap-dancing.
A character claps in applause, accompanied by sound effects. Fairmeadow, Kendra P.
A character falls down the stairs in a circular motion. Happy Hooligan, Frederick Opper.
In comics, smears are used to depict quick motion within a single panel, rather than the motion broken up into separate panels. Observe the difference in pacing in the examples below.
The double panel feels slower than the single one.
Not to be confused with tracking.
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