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How to Animate for Beginners- Self-Guided!
Stacy D.
Average rating:4.9Number of reviews:(15)
In this 12 week course, we will practice how to animate from the very basics! We will use the 12 Principles of Animation to guide our learning. No experience required!
Class experience
Beginner Level
In this 12 week course, students will learn how to animate in 2D from the ground up! Beginners welcome, no experience required. Please keep in mind that this is a Flex Class, in which there are no scheduled meeting times. Pre-recorded video lessons will be posted, and weekly assignments will be given for students to complete in their own time. I will be available for help along the way, and will stay in touch with students throughout the course! If you do not prefer pre-recorded video...
13 lessons//12 Weeks
Week 1Lesson 1Software TutorialsPlease watch the tutorial video that applies to the software you're using!Lesson 2Squash and StretchWe will emphasize speed and momentum, weight and mass in this week.Week 2Lesson 3AnticipationCharacters must prepare for an exaggerated movement.Week 3Lesson 4StagingHow to present an idea so that it is completely clear to your audience what you're trying to communicate about your character.Week 4Lesson 5Straight Ahead vs. Pose to PoseWe will practice two different types of animation and learn which is better for what circumstance.Week 5Lesson 6Follow Through and Overlapping ActionCharacters moving through a motion don't just stop at the end! There is often some follow through that happens after the action is complete. Momentum shifts and movement occurs even after a body stops.Week 6Lesson 7Slow In and Slow OutAll movement starts slowly as momentum builds, and ends slowly as momentum lessens.Week 7Lesson 8ArcsMost organic movement happens in circular motions.Week 8Lesson 9Secondary ActionGestures that support the main action add more dimension and appeal, communicating more to your audience.Week 9Lesson 10TimingMany frames makes a motion slower while fewer frames makes the action faster. It is up to us to determine how fast we want movements to be, and what the speed of the movement communicates to our audience.Week 10Lesson 11ExaggerationAnimation requires every action, pose, and facial expression to be taken to the next level in order to impact the audience.Week 11Lesson 12Solid DrawingWe must make sure forms look like they exist in 3D space. This includes perspective.Week 12Lesson 13AppealCharacters and scenes should be interesting to look at. This includes color, composition, design, and lighting.
Learners will be guided by the 12 Principles of Animation in order to build their vocabulary and expertise in animation. By practicing these principles, learners will be better equipped to animate their own stories that will become more exaggerated, realistic, and appealing by what we practice in class. Learners will better understand what makes a great quality animation, and what to look for in realistic movements in order to incorporate them into their animations.
Homework Offered
Learners will be required to completed one small project per week. It will be related to the topic we covered in class, and should take no more than 1-2 hours per week. Students may also follow along with me when they see the lesson videos, and finish their assignments as they watch along.1 - 2 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
Grades Offered
Animation software and digital drawing materials. Free animation software is available depending on the devices you have at home! Feel free to reach out for recommendations if needed. Krita and FlipaClip will be perfect for this course. Krita can be used on PC and Mac, and FlipaClip can be used on the iPad. Procreate and Adobe Animate are also perfect fits! ONLY ONE APP IS REQUIRED. Not all apps will be necessary for this course. All that is required is one app that allows your learner to animate.
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Scary or violent content will not be used in this class. We will use basic forms and simple characters in order to understand movement. Nothing inappropriate for young viewers will be used. Some third party tools are recommended below for students without animation software. NOT ALL RESOURCES ARE REQUIRED FOR THIS CLASS. Parents and learners can choose the one that suits their systems best. Please feel free to reach out with any questions if you are unsure. For Krita, no accounts are required and it is completely free to use. This is a drawing and animation software that will be used as such. For FlipaClip, no accounts are required within the app, and it is completely free to use. The only account required is one in the app store to download the app. There is a paid subscription that is not required for this class. This is a drawing and animation software that will be used as such. For Procreate, no accounts are required within the app, and it is a one time payment of $9.99. The only account required is one in the app store to download the app. This is a drawing and animation software that will be used as such. For Procreate Dreams, no accounts are required within the app, and it is a one time payment of $19.99. The only account required is one in the app store to download the app. This is a drawing and animation software that will be used as such.
Hiya! I'm Stacy! I love all things art and animation! I'm a huge cartoon and anime fan, and love to share my passion with my students! I have been teaching drawing, digital painting, and animation online since 2020, and have had over 50 long-term...
Self-Paced Class
$25
weekly or $300 for all content13 pre-recorded lessons
12 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 6 learners
Ages: 10-15
