Maybe you’ve grown up watching cartoons and anime, and now you have your own ideas to bring to life. Or perhaps you want to create ads for your business. Maybe you’re a teacher looking to liven up your lectures, or an artist eager to experiment with a new art form.
No matter where you come from, animation is for everyone—you just need to get started!
If you’re unsure where to begin, you’re in the right place. This article covers the essentials, from understanding different animation types to mastering core principles. By the end, you’ll have a roadmap to guide you as you set out to animate your stories.
Understanding Different Animation Types
One common misconception is that you must be an accomplished artist to create animations. While drawing skills are key to getting your wildest ideas out there, they are not prerequisites―animation is more about storytelling than photorealism.
When people think of traditional animation, they often imagine 2D animation―creating hand-drawn images sketched on paper or digitally rendered with software. Motion graphics also fit into this category, frequently used for explainer videos, infographics, and even some mobile applications. 2D animation can involve characters or abstract visual effects created on a two-dimensional plane with something as simple as Microsoft Paint or pen and paper.
3D animation uses digital modelling to allow creators to build three-dimensional models in a virtual space. Although some familiarity with modelling tools is beneficial, many assets are ready to use, allowing even beginners to dive into this medium. 13-year-old teens leverage popular game engines like Grand Theft Auto (GTA) to create animated shorts and even full-length films!
Claymation uses sculptures out of materials like clay or plasticine and then photographing them frame by frame to create motion. This style gained popularity with films like "Wallace & Gromit" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas". Stop-motion animation can also employ other materials such as paper cutouts or even household objects. For instance, many creators use LEGO bricks to create engaging and imaginative films, a technique often referred to as "brickfilm."
Understanding these types of animation lets you decide which path to start, and you need very little when you have a big imagination. Animation can be created using virtually any medium!
Start With The 12 Principles Of Animation
Once you've picked a medium and started playing around with it, you'll probably want to level up the quality of your projects. The 12 principles of animation is a popular framework used in art schools to create more convincing animations using simple (yet difficult to master) techniques:
- Squash and Stretch - To give the illusion of weight and volume as objects move. Think of a bouncing ball: it squashes when it hits the ground and stretches as it lifts off.
- Anticipation - Prepare the audience for an action to improve its impact—for example, a character drawing back their leg before kicking a ball.
- Staging - The presentation of a scene so it's unmistakably clear using camera angles and composition as you would in a film to highlight what's important.
- Straight-Ahead Action and Pose-to-Pose - Straight-ahead action uses drawing frame-by-frame from start to finish, while pose-to-pose uses keyframes. Combining both offers fluid and controlled movement.
- Follow Through and Overlapping Action - This principle makes movement more natural. When a character stops, body parts can continue to move—a scarf in the wind, for instance.
- Slow In and Slow Out - Refers to the acceleration and deceleration of movement, like a car gaining speed or coming to a halt smoothly.
- Arc - Natural actions follow an arched trajectory. Whether it's a pendulum swing or a character's head turn.
- Secondary Action - Adds depth by supporting the main action. For example, a character walking might be swinging its arms or whistling a tune.
- Timing - Proper timing makes the physics of your animation believable: fast motions for quick actions like a punch and slower timing for gentler motions.
- Exaggeration - Emphasizing actions or emotions. For example, a character's surprise with enlarged eyes and a dramatically open mouth for comedic effect.
- Solid Drawing - Refers to the form and weight of the characters. Even in 3D, you must ensure your figures have depth and dimension.
- Appeal - Lastly, characters must be engaging. Appeal doesn't mean cute or pretty but interesting and well-designed.
A great way to work on applying the 12 principles to your animation can be to start with a reference video: identify key poses, draw in-betweens for smooth transitions, and add details to improve quality.
Animation Is An Art
Once you learn these fundamentals, you'll find it's only the tip of the iceberg. Animation is an art form that rewards continuous learning and development. For example:
- Consider learning to draw. You just need a sketchbook to start. Then, a graphic tablet can be a valuable tool for colorizing, editing, and creating animations.
- Experiment with different software: programs like Adobe After Effects, Blender, and Toon Boom offer various 2D and 3D animation features depending on what you aim for.
- Learn more about the animation process, from scripting and storyboarding to rendering and production management.
Building your skill set not only refines your technique but also opens pathways to a professional career in animation.
Like exercise, the key is to progressively take on harder challenges.
In 2024, there are plenty of online communities to share your progress while keeping yourself committed, and you can find all sorts of tutorials on YouTube and other social media platforms.
You Don't Need Money To Start
The beauty of animation lies in its accessibility: you don't need to invest heavily in gear like graphics tablets or expensive software when free tools like Krita for 2D animation or Blender for 3D offer robust starting points.
It's important to avoid falling into the procrastination trap by endlessly studying or buying costly courses. While education is vital, practical experience is irreplaceable. Walt Disney honed his skills through evening classes and correspondence courses—far from today's digital learning resources―but quickly shared his work.
Whether working solo or collaborating with a team, managing a project from idea to delivery is crucial to learning how to overcome creative challenges. It doesn't mean you need to complete a 1-hour feature film to consider yourself an animator: just take baby steps and don't wait to share your work!
Conclusion
Animation is for everyone, regardless of background or experience. Start where you are with the tools available and grow from there, one creative challenge at a time. The journey should feel as rewarding as the destination, but you must still walk the talk.
Financially speaking, the animation industry is constantly evolving and offering plenty of opportunities for skilled animators. If you're a student, don't hesitate to join an animation program because there are many job prospects available that make this field not just a passion but also a viable career path. You also don't need to work for a studio to make a living, it’s never been easier to just build your own and use distribution channels like Instagram or Tiktok to acquire work.
For those who are considering a career switch later in life, there's an abundance of resources aimed at helping you make the transition smoothly: online courses, workshops, and boot camps can offer you the skills needed. Even if animation is a hobby you wish to pursue more casually, there's a wealth of free and affordable resources to guide your learning journey further.
