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Afterimage describes a visual technique where an object, character, or body part moving quickly leaves a trail of (usually) translucent "ghostly" versions of itself - called "afterimages" - which imply a fast directional motion.

Afterimage is frequently used to show a character wagging their tail, waving their hand(s), bouncing up and down, or bouncing/shaking a part of their body (especially while shaking butt or twerking), among other types of motion. This technique can also be seen when a character is depicted rapidly growing or shrinking. Rarely, these afterimages aren't merely a visual effect for the viewer's sake, but a literal phenomenon; a superpower or fighting technique where the character uses powers or moves fast enough to create the illusion of multiple instances of themselves.

Afterimages can be shown in different ways, including...

• Fully drawn versions of the subject in motion at different positions, with motion lines implying movement between these positions
• Faint/translucent versions of the subject at different positions, sometimes overlapping, echoing around or trailing the "end position" of the subject in motion
• Blurred, sometimes roughly outlined, versions of the subject, with motion lines implying movement, sometimes uses motion blur or has the subject "smeared" to imply motion
• This is used to imply the subject is moving extremely fast

Related Tags

• motion lines
• motion blur
• speed lines

See Also

• emanata
• focus lines
• impact lines