6 answers
Lawrence
Student
Kingfisher, Oklahoma
1
Question
Updated
1075 views
How can I start to make digital animation?
I want to be a digital animator, but I don´t know how to start
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6 answers
Gina Cabrera
EC
130
Answers
Hernando, Florida
Updated
Gina’s Answer
Starting a journey in digital animation can be exciting and rewarding. Here are some steps to help you get started:
1. Define your goals: Determine what type of digital animation you want to specialize in. This could include 2D animation, 3D animation, character animation, motion graphics, or visual effects. Having a clear goal will help you focus your learning efforts.
2. Learn the basics: Familiarize yourself with the fundamental principles of animation, such as timing, spacing, squash and stretch, and anticipation. Understanding these principles will provide a strong foundation for your work. Online tutorials, books, and courses can be valuable resources for learning these basics.
3. Choose the right software: Select a digital animation software that suits your needs and budget. Popular options include Adobe Animate, Toon Boom Harmony, Autodesk Maya, and Blender. Explore tutorials and documentation provided by the software developers to learn the tools and features.
4. Practice regularly: Consistent practice is key to improving your skills. Dedicate regular time to practice animation techniques and experiment with different styles and ideas. Start with simple exercises and gradually work your way up to more complex projects.
5. Join online communities: Engage with online communities and forums dedicated to digital animation. These platforms provide opportunities to connect with other animators, seek feedback on your work, and learn from experienced professionals. Sharing your work and receiving constructive criticism can help you grow as an animator.
6. Take courses or attend workshops: Consider enrolling in online courses or attending workshops to gain structured learning and guidance. Many platforms offer courses specifically tailored to digital animation, covering topics such as character design, storyboarding, and advanced animation techniques.
7. Build a portfolio: As you create animations, compile your best work into a portfolio. A portfolio showcases your skills and creativity to potential employers or clients. Include a variety of projects that demonstrate your range and abilities.
8. Seek feedback and learn from others: Actively seek feedback on your work from peers, mentors, or professionals in the industry. Constructive criticism can help you identify areas for improvement and refine your skills.
9. Stay updated: The field of digital animation is constantly evolving. Stay updated with the latest trends, techniques, and software updates by following industry blogs, attending conferences, and participating in online courses or webinars.
Remember, becoming a skilled digital animator takes time and dedication. Embrace the learning process, be patient with yourself, and enjoy the creative journey.
1. Define your goals: Determine what type of digital animation you want to specialize in. This could include 2D animation, 3D animation, character animation, motion graphics, or visual effects. Having a clear goal will help you focus your learning efforts.
2. Learn the basics: Familiarize yourself with the fundamental principles of animation, such as timing, spacing, squash and stretch, and anticipation. Understanding these principles will provide a strong foundation for your work. Online tutorials, books, and courses can be valuable resources for learning these basics.
3. Choose the right software: Select a digital animation software that suits your needs and budget. Popular options include Adobe Animate, Toon Boom Harmony, Autodesk Maya, and Blender. Explore tutorials and documentation provided by the software developers to learn the tools and features.
4. Practice regularly: Consistent practice is key to improving your skills. Dedicate regular time to practice animation techniques and experiment with different styles and ideas. Start with simple exercises and gradually work your way up to more complex projects.
5. Join online communities: Engage with online communities and forums dedicated to digital animation. These platforms provide opportunities to connect with other animators, seek feedback on your work, and learn from experienced professionals. Sharing your work and receiving constructive criticism can help you grow as an animator.
6. Take courses or attend workshops: Consider enrolling in online courses or attending workshops to gain structured learning and guidance. Many platforms offer courses specifically tailored to digital animation, covering topics such as character design, storyboarding, and advanced animation techniques.
7. Build a portfolio: As you create animations, compile your best work into a portfolio. A portfolio showcases your skills and creativity to potential employers or clients. Include a variety of projects that demonstrate your range and abilities.
8. Seek feedback and learn from others: Actively seek feedback on your work from peers, mentors, or professionals in the industry. Constructive criticism can help you identify areas for improvement and refine your skills.
9. Stay updated: The field of digital animation is constantly evolving. Stay updated with the latest trends, techniques, and software updates by following industry blogs, attending conferences, and participating in online courses or webinars.
Remember, becoming a skilled digital animator takes time and dedication. Embrace the learning process, be patient with yourself, and enjoy the creative journey.
I'm excited to put your great advice to good use!
Lawrence
Jiadi Tang
Animation
17
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Jiadi’s Answer
Hi Lawrence, starting an animation is incredibly fun and here is couple tips on starting your own:
1. Come up with a story:
If you’re interested in crafting a narrative piece, the first and foremost step is to come up with an engaging story! Regardless of its intricacy or simplicity, you must love it because you’ll likely invest a significant amount of time working on it. The story holds immense significance because, ultimately, it’s what people remember. I’ve encountered artists with limited animation skills, yet their stories are truly captivating. I can confidently assert that a compelling narrative can certainly compensate for technical shortcomings.
2. Online Tutorials:
Once you have a compelling story, the technical aspects of animation come into play. Begin by exploring tutorials on the 12 principles of animation, a fundamental theory applicable to various animated mediums. Numerous online tutorials cater to this topic. Additionally, selecting a software that aligns with your artistic style is crucial. Once you’ve made this choice, embark on the exciting journey of animation and let your creativity flow!
1. Come up with a story:
If you’re interested in crafting a narrative piece, the first and foremost step is to come up with an engaging story! Regardless of its intricacy or simplicity, you must love it because you’ll likely invest a significant amount of time working on it. The story holds immense significance because, ultimately, it’s what people remember. I’ve encountered artists with limited animation skills, yet their stories are truly captivating. I can confidently assert that a compelling narrative can certainly compensate for technical shortcomings.
2. Online Tutorials:
Once you have a compelling story, the technical aspects of animation come into play. Begin by exploring tutorials on the 12 principles of animation, a fundamental theory applicable to various animated mediums. Numerous online tutorials cater to this topic. Additionally, selecting a software that aligns with your artistic style is crucial. Once you’ve made this choice, embark on the exciting journey of animation and let your creativity flow!
Beatriz Lorenzo Botella
VFX artist
13
Answers
Santa Monica, California
Updated
Beatriz’s Answer
Hi Lawrence,
Software differs if you're talking about 2d or 3d animation. Having said that, there's educational licenses and learning paths in almost all the software websites.
I'd start with simple exercises like a bouncing ball and really simple stuff.
As you continue your practice, you can train your eye watching your favorite styles of animation and learning from real life. Really thinking about motion and asking yourself a lot of questions.
There's a book "the animator's survival guide" by Richard Williams, maybe you can find it in the library, it's a good book and its principles apply to both 2d and 3d animation.
Hope this helps.
Software differs if you're talking about 2d or 3d animation. Having said that, there's educational licenses and learning paths in almost all the software websites.
I'd start with simple exercises like a bouncing ball and really simple stuff.
As you continue your practice, you can train your eye watching your favorite styles of animation and learning from real life. Really thinking about motion and asking yourself a lot of questions.
There's a book "the animator's survival guide" by Richard Williams, maybe you can find it in the library, it's a good book and its principles apply to both 2d and 3d animation.
Hope this helps.
Ibrahim elrity
1
Answer
Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt
Updated
Ibrahim’s Answer
Hi Lawrence
As a motion graphics team lead for more than 12 years I can tell you that you have to start with Adobe after effects, if you can buy yourself a licensed copy it will be good if you can't you should try a free version (ask me if you don't know how), on after effects you will have thousands of tutorials online, lots of free courses and a super start with 2D animation shape animation, and even 3D animation.
Pubs of the above helps you for a good start.
As a motion graphics team lead for more than 12 years I can tell you that you have to start with Adobe after effects, if you can buy yourself a licensed copy it will be good if you can't you should try a free version (ask me if you don't know how), on after effects you will have thousands of tutorials online, lots of free courses and a super start with 2D animation shape animation, and even 3D animation.
Pubs of the above helps you for a good start.
John Alston
Dishwasher
7
Answers
Kernersville, North Carolina
Updated
John’s Answer
Honestly, I would say -- have a ball move.
You could have a circle on top of a Flannelgraph and take photos (Stop motion / I use the -USB 2.0 HD Pro Widescreen Video Full 1080p Webcam branded by StopMotion Explosion.
You could draw a ball bouncing on the ground with a USB drawing board ( I like XP Pen and Artisul tablets) and animation software.
PENCIL2D (free), Rough Animator (7 USD), and Digicel Flipbook (20 USD for entry- LITE version) are my favorite 2D animation software.
CGI is rough in that there are very few low-cost options, but Blender/Blender For Artists are free, and Akeytsu seems to be using the lowcost/free educational licenses now. I like to animate and sculpt with different programs. Metasequoia is what I use because it's very intuitive for moving polygons around. (Starts at 50 dollars)
Motion Graphics is a type of animation that I personally dislike, I think because A) I think the speedy workflow gives non-animators unrealistic deadline expectations. If 20 years ago, someone said, you know, I need three weeks to complete this one minute shot- I want pretty much all my 720 drawings (animated on twos _double frame!) to be good, I feel like the more "let the artist breathe" would be in play.
Or it would be sent to south Korea (not complaining- they animate Family Guy!)
But now, I see listings for "a minute in two weeks" and people expecting "plenty of time" and then when you talk to them, they're like "I need a two minutes of film footage in a week and a half" and it's.. the goalpost has been moved.
B) Motion Graphics is everywhere. Splashscreen of something moving in a commercial (MG!), weird fonts (MG), crudely drawn characters moving stilted (MG!)
So when I say, you can just draw a path in Synfig/Tupitube/Moho/etc...you've drawn the circle. You keyframed the movement, and you tell the computer how fast to move it. It probably takes 26 minutes to do it right.
Now, I'll just mention the commercial software humans care about, by how much they care about it.
10. Unity Engine
9. Unreal Engine
8. Blender- sure it's amazing and free, but very hard to use
7. Houdini
6. Moho Pro (used by Cartoon Saloon)
5. TVPAINT (right here seems on ice, below here things are rare on listings)
4. DRAGONFRAME - the most lauded Stop Motion software
3. Adobe Animate (hey, here's the motion graphics software everyone cares about!)
2) Autodesk Maya (PRICEY, but the CGI industry uses it extensively)
1) Toon Boom Harmony (basically if it's animated commercially, it's probably using this software)
Hope this helps!
You could have a circle on top of a Flannelgraph and take photos (Stop motion / I use the -USB 2.0 HD Pro Widescreen Video Full 1080p Webcam branded by StopMotion Explosion.
You could draw a ball bouncing on the ground with a USB drawing board ( I like XP Pen and Artisul tablets) and animation software.
PENCIL2D (free), Rough Animator (7 USD), and Digicel Flipbook (20 USD for entry- LITE version) are my favorite 2D animation software.
CGI is rough in that there are very few low-cost options, but Blender/Blender For Artists are free, and Akeytsu seems to be using the lowcost/free educational licenses now. I like to animate and sculpt with different programs. Metasequoia is what I use because it's very intuitive for moving polygons around. (Starts at 50 dollars)
Motion Graphics is a type of animation that I personally dislike, I think because A) I think the speedy workflow gives non-animators unrealistic deadline expectations. If 20 years ago, someone said, you know, I need three weeks to complete this one minute shot- I want pretty much all my 720 drawings (animated on twos _double frame!) to be good, I feel like the more "let the artist breathe" would be in play.
Or it would be sent to south Korea (not complaining- they animate Family Guy!)
But now, I see listings for "a minute in two weeks" and people expecting "plenty of time" and then when you talk to them, they're like "I need a two minutes of film footage in a week and a half" and it's.. the goalpost has been moved.
B) Motion Graphics is everywhere. Splashscreen of something moving in a commercial (MG!), weird fonts (MG), crudely drawn characters moving stilted (MG!)
So when I say, you can just draw a path in Synfig/Tupitube/Moho/etc...you've drawn the circle. You keyframed the movement, and you tell the computer how fast to move it. It probably takes 26 minutes to do it right.
Now, I'll just mention the commercial software humans care about, by how much they care about it.
10. Unity Engine
9. Unreal Engine
8. Blender- sure it's amazing and free, but very hard to use
7. Houdini
6. Moho Pro (used by Cartoon Saloon)
5. TVPAINT (right here seems on ice, below here things are rare on listings)
4. DRAGONFRAME - the most lauded Stop Motion software
3. Adobe Animate (hey, here's the motion graphics software everyone cares about!)
2) Autodesk Maya (PRICEY, but the CGI industry uses it extensively)
1) Toon Boom Harmony (basically if it's animated commercially, it's probably using this software)
Hope this helps!
Avirup Ray
Student
39
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Avirup’s Answer
Start with some YouTube videos on animation, it doesn't have to be tutorials. It could be scenes from your favorite Cartoon/Anime. Find an animation piece that motivates you. Next find a animation platform (blender is a good one) and while learning your way around the platform try to recreate your favorite animation.