Learn to Animate: Classical 2D Animation for Beginners from Udemy

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You will learn

If you want to learn how to animate from scratch, you can start right here with this course. I've made this course for complete beginners, so if you’ve never heard of a key frame or you don’t know what a timing chart is, then this course is for you. This course is how to animate, 101. I also think this course will be great for anyone who has a fair idea of animation, someone who is a beginner animator, and has been using software to make things move around, but who would like to really know the fundamentals and core principles in order to bring their animation to the next level.

These core principles of animation will set you up for life as an animator. You will learn step by step how to create realistic and appealing motion; plus you'll learn why specific animation techniques effectively bring objects to life. And importantly you'll learn when to apply them to your work.

I use Adobe Animate in this course to teach you how to animate. What you’ll be studying is classical, frame by frame hand drawn animation. This is the best way to learn animation principles. And don’t worry if you think that you can’t draw, we are working with basic shapes to animate - to literally bring those shapes to life.

This course starts out with teaching you how to animate with just key frames; and takes you all the way, step by step, through to animating a character jumping. I’ve structured each lesson so that it’s neither confusing nor overwhelming. Because I keep the application of the principles very simple, you’ll have the chance to really get to grips with the concepts and you can do so without having to worry about drawing skills, working with advanced symbols, or with complicated rigs.

The course works progressively towards two final projects. These are important animation projects in every school or university curriculum. In these projects you will progress from key frames to fluid and dynamic character animation. I want to ensure that you feel confident animating a complex character animation with many moving parts, when we get to the final project.

What’s covered in this course

Whether you want to ultimately work in 3D, motion graphics or 2D animtion, you will need to know the things like

easing in and out of key frames
how to create an ease,
why you need to do that - and when you should apply it.

You’ll also learn skills that will not only make you an animator, but will make sure you are a really good animator - skills such as

timing and spacing
squash and stretch
working in arcs
working with timing charts
how to animate with anticipation, overshoot and settle

Once you are enrolled in the course you have access to the student packs and downloads for each of the projects; plus you’ll have access to me, I’m there to help you along the way and respond to any questions or feedback that you have as well as to look at your assignments and monitor your progress.

I can’t think of a more exciting creative field to be working in and if this course ultimately leads you to pursuing a career in animation that would be amazing. Either way if you want to work as a professional animator, or if you want o use animation s a way to make your own short films; this is the start of a very exciting journey.

What's inside

Learning objectives

You will learn the principles of animation
How to animate to make realistic motion.
You'll learn the foundation for animating anything.
Go from zero animation to a fully finished character animation!
I teach you animation techniques and tips that professional animators use in everything they animate

By the end of this course you will know principles and techniques that you'll use for the rest of your career if you start animating professionally!
Learn the techniques of classical 2d animation
Learn frame by frame animation
Animate by hand
Learn how to use adobe animate software for 2d animation

You will learn the principles of animation
How to animate to make realistic motion.
You'll learn the foundation for animating anything.
Go from zero animation to a fully finished character animation!
I teach you animation techniques and tips that professional animators use in everything they animate
By the end of this course you will know principles and techniques that you'll use for the rest of your career if you start animating professionally!
Learn the techniques of classical 2d animation
Learn frame by frame animation
Animate by hand
Learn how to use adobe animate software for 2d animation

Syllabus

Introduction

Introduction to Adobe Animate

Technical Aspects of Animation

The Timeline

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Covers the 12 principles of animation, which are fundamental concepts for creating believable movement and expressions in animated projects

Teaches classical, frame-by-frame hand-drawn animation, which is a traditional method that provides a strong foundation in animation principles

Uses Adobe Animate, which is industry-standard software for 2D animation, allowing learners to develop skills applicable to professional settings

Requires learners to use Adobe Animate, which may require a subscription or purchase, potentially posing a barrier to entry for some students

Focuses on animating basic shapes, which is helpful for beginners who may not have strong drawing skills, allowing them to focus on animation principles

Includes projects animating a bouncing ball and a character jump, which are standard exercises in animation education and help build a strong foundation

Reviews summary

Classical 2d animation fundamentals for beginners

According to learners, this course provides a solid foundation in the core principles of classical 2D animation. It is widely praised as excellent for complete beginners, effectively breaking down concepts like timing, spacing, and easing. Students particularly appreciate the practical, hands-on approach facilitated by guided projects, such as the bouncing ball and character jump animations, finding the instructor's explanations clear and easy to follow. Although the course utilizes Adobe Animate, reviewers feel the primary focus remains appropriately on the universal animation principles rather than software specifics. Many consider it a great starting point for those interested in animation as a hobby or a potential career, though some with prior experience suggest it may cover primarily foundational material.

Instruction uses specific software, focus on principles.

"The course uses Adobe Animate, which was new to me but the basics needed were easy to pick up."

"Good to learn the principles using Animate, even if I ultimately plan to use different software."

"While it uses Animate, the focus is definitely on the core animation principles themselves."

"You don't need to be an Animate expert, the course teaches you enough of the software for the exercises."

Instructor explains complex ideas clearly.

"The instructor is fantastic at explaining things clearly and makes potentially complex ideas easy to understand."

"His demos were very helpful and easy to follow along, showing exactly what to do."

"I appreciated how he broke down each step in the process, making animation feel achievable."

"The teaching style is engaging and makes learning the principles enjoyable."

Practical exercises solidify learning effectively.

"The bouncing ball project was great for applying timing and spacing principles in a practical way."

"Animating the character jump was challenging but incredibly rewarding and solidified everything I learned."

"Learning by doing these classic animation projects was very effective for grasping the concepts."

"The projects are well-structured and guide you through applying each principle as you learn it."

Ideal starting point even with no prior experience.

"As a complete beginner, I found this course incredibly easy to follow and not at all overwhelming."

"I've never animated before in my life and this course was the perfect introduction to the fundamentals."

"Didn't know a key frame from a timing chart before, but now I feel confident in basic animation planning."

"The course assumes zero prior knowledge and builds up step-by-step, which was perfect for me."

Builds a solid understanding of core concepts.

"This course gave me a really strong foundation in the 12 principles of animation..."

"I finally understand timing and spacing after taking this course; the explanations were so clear."

"The way the core concepts were explained made so much sense and are applicable beyond just 2D."

"Provides an excellent base for understanding motion, which is crucial for any type of animation."

May be too basic for those with existing skills.

"If you already know the basics of animation principles, this might be too simple or a review."

"Found myself skipping some early lessons as they covered things I already knew from prior self-teaching."

"Great introduction, but not much here for intermediate animators looking to advance specific techniques."

"Excellent for absolute novices, but those with some background might find it moves a bit slow initially."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Learn to Animate: Classical 2D Animation for Beginners with these activities:

Review the 12 Principles of Animation

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Solidify your understanding of the core principles of animation before diving into the course material.

Browse courses on Animation Principles

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Find resources that describe the 12 principles of animation.
Study each principle and its application.
Take notes on how each principle contributes to realistic and appealing motion.

Read 'The Animator's Survival Kit'

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Supplement your learning with a comprehensive guide to animation principles and techniques.

View Adventures in Animation: How I Learned Who I... on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'The Animator's Survival Kit'.
Read the chapters relevant to the course syllabus.
Take notes on key concepts and examples.

Practice animating a bouncing ball

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Reinforce your understanding of timing, spacing, squash, and stretch by animating a bouncing ball.

Show steps

Create a new animation project in Adobe Animate.
Animate a ball bouncing across the screen, paying attention to timing and spacing.
Incorporate squash and stretch to enhance the sense of weight and impact.
Refine the animation based on feedback and observation.

Four other activities

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Create a short animation demonstrating anticipation

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Solidify your understanding of anticipation by creating a short animation that showcases this principle.

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Plan a short animation sequence that utilizes anticipation.
Create keyframes to establish the anticipation pose.
Add inbetweens to create a smooth transition into the action.
Refine the timing and spacing to emphasize the anticipation effect.

Animate a simple character walk cycle

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Apply the principles learned in the course to create a fundamental animation sequence.

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Research walk cycle references.
Plan the key poses for the walk cycle.
Animate the key poses in Adobe Animate.
Add inbetweens to create a smooth and natural walk cycle.
Refine the timing and spacing to achieve a realistic effect.

Study 'Illusion of Life: Disney Animation'

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Gain insights into the history and application of animation principles from Disney's legendary animators.

View Melania on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'Illusion of Life: Disney Animation'.
Read the chapters focusing on the 12 principles of animation.
Analyze examples from Disney films to understand how these principles are applied.

Follow advanced Adobe Animate tutorials

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Expand your knowledge of Adobe Animate by exploring advanced techniques and workflows.

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Search for tutorials on advanced animation techniques in Adobe Animate.
Choose a tutorial that covers a topic of interest, such as character rigging or advanced effects.
Follow the tutorial step-by-step, practicing the techniques demonstrated.
Apply the learned techniques to your own animation projects.

Career center

Learners who complete Learn to Animate: Classical 2D Animation for Beginners will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Character Animator

A character animator specializes in bringing characters to life through movement in animation. This course specifically helps a character animator because it teaches step by step how to create appealing and realistic motion with character animation using key frames, breakdowns, inbetweens, and timing charts. The final project of this course is structured to provide confident experience in animating complex characters, which is crucial for a career as a character animator. The course emphasizes understanding the principles that make motion believable such as squash and stretch, anticipation, overshoot, and settle.

See salaries and explore the career path for Character Animator

Animator

A career as an animator involves creating moving images for various media such as films, television, video games, and websites. This course is an excellent starting point for aspiring animators because it teaches the fundamentals of classical 2D animation, including key frame animation, timing, spacing, squash and stretch, and arc movements. The course also introduces the use of timing charts, which is an essential tool. By learning how to animate basic shapes and progressing to character animations, students build a strong foundation in the core principles of animation. Students will learn to use Adobe Animate, which is industry relevant software.

See salaries and explore the career path for Animator

Freelance Animator

Freelance animators work on a project basis, offering their animation skills to various clients. This course provides the necessary foundational skills in classical 2D animation such as key frame animation and use of timing charts that are needed to begin a career as a freelance animator. The course teaches the use of software such as Adobe Animate, and how to bring shapes to life through animation. This course teaches principles of timing, spacing and arcs which will help a freelance animator produce professional level work.

See salaries and explore the career path for Freelance Animator

Animation Assistant

An animation assistant provides support to senior animators in the production process. This course will be helpful for an animation assistant to learn the foundational skills in classical 2D animation, including key frame animation and basic movement techniques. Assistants will learn how to make use of timing charts, which is a key skill in any animation production. The course emphasizes frame by frame animation using software such as Adobe Animate. This hands-on experience is beneficial for those who want to learn the fundamentals of traditional animation.

See salaries and explore the career path for Animation Assistant

Motion Graphics Artist

Motion graphics artists create animated visuals for digital media. This course helps build a foundation in understanding animation principles that can be applied to motion graphics. While this course uses classical 2D animation techniques, the core concepts such as timing, spacing, easing, and working with arcs are directly applicable to motion graphics. This course helps motion graphics artists learn about key frames, breakdowns, and inbetweens. Also, the course provides practical experience with animation techniques used for bringing objects to life.

See salaries and explore the career path for Motion Graphics Artist

Video Game Animator

Video game animators create animations for characters, objects, and environments within video games. This course helps individuals learn the core principles that are necessary for game animation, even though this course focuses on classical 2D. The course teaches frame by frame techniques, key frame animation, and use of timing charts. Video game animators can use their skills in timing, spacing, anticipation, and arcs for realistic and engaging visual effects in games. The course's focus on character animation also helps prepare students for creating dynamic characters.

See salaries and explore the career path for Video Game Animator

Storyboard Artist

A storyboard artist creates visual representations of a film or animation's scenes. This course may be useful to storyboard artists because a strong understanding of animation principles, such as timing, spacing, and character movement, enriches their storyboards. The skills learned here are helpful to tell a story through effective motion that is essential for conveying the director's vision. Storyboard artists can benefit from applying these principles in planning and visualizing sequences. The course offers insight into how keyframes and inbetweens work to create fluid action that a storyboard can visually show.

See salaries and explore the career path for Storyboard Artist

Visual Effects Artist

Visual effects artists create imagery for film, television, and other media. This course may be useful for artists who want to understand the fundamental principles of animation. Although the course teaches 2D animation, the underlying concepts such as timing, spacing, easing, and the creation of realistic movement are all relevant to visual effects work. The course emphasizes practical, hands on experience in bringing images to life, which is useful for creating complex visual sequences.

See salaries and explore the career path for Visual Effects Artist

Educational Content Creator

An educational content creator develops learning materials for various platforms. This course may be useful for content creators who seek to enhance their educational content with animated visuals. The course teaches core animation principles, such as easing, timing, and spacing, which can help create engaging educational content that effectively explains complex concepts. The course's hands on approach to 2D animation may help make educational materials more appealing and easy to understand.

See salaries and explore the career path for Educational Content Creator

Art Director

The art director guides the visual style and images in various creative projects. This course may be useful for art directors seeking a more nuanced understanding of how animation is created. The course teaches key frames, inbetweens, timing charts, anticipation and arcs. Learning fundamental principles will inform the art director’s vision. A strong foundation in animation, such as this course provides, can help with developing engaging visual direction.

See salaries and explore the career path for Art Director

Illustration Artist

Illustration artists create still images for a wide range of media. This course could be helpful for an illustration artist who seeks to enrich their illustration work, or who wishes to transition to animation. The course can help an illustrator learn about principles of timing, spacing, and character movement through animation. The course enhances artistic skills in dynamic visual storytelling. The techniques of key frame animation taught in this course may help illustrators understand how to create sequential images that suggest motion and action.

See salaries and explore the career path for Illustration Artist

Instructional Designer

An instructional designer creates engaging and effective learning experiences. This course may be useful to an instructional designer who wishes to use animation in their courses. The course covers techniques such as how to use timing charts, and how to create key frames. The principles of squash and stretch, anticipation, overshoot, and settle, as taught in this course, can each be used to illustrate concepts in instruction. The hands on experience in animating will help the instructional designer understand the power of using motion to clarify abstract concepts.

See salaries and explore the career path for Instructional Designer

Digital Marketing Specialist

A digital marketing specialist creates and implements strategies to promote products and services. This course may be useful for specialists who wish to use animation in marketing materials. The principles of animation, such as timing and spacing, can enhance motion graphics for web banners or social media. Learning how to make use of timing charts and working with dynamic movement will help a marketing specialist create eye catching visuals that capture the attention of customers. The course may help those who wish to add animated content to their campaigns.

See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Marketing Specialist

Web Designer

A web designer creates the layout and visual presentation of websites. A foundation in animation, such as this course provides, can help a web designer create more compelling and engaging user experiences. The course covers principles of timing and spacing, which is useful for designing subtle animations for transitions and interactions. The course may help web designers incorporate animation into their projects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Web Designer

Game Designer

A game designer creates the rules, mechanics, and overall experience of video games. Although this course teaches 2D animation, it may be helpful to a game designer in understanding the principles of timing and spacing that are important for game animation. The course covers the fundamentals of animation, which may give a game designer an understanding of how visuals can enhance game play. Game designers may use this to inform in-game movement, in game transitions, or user interface design. The use of key frames or timing charts may be relevant for game designers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Game Designer

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Learn to Animate: Classical 2D Animation for Beginners.

ADVENTURES IN ANIMATION

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Is considered the bible for animators. It covers all the fundamental principles and techniques of animation in great detail. It's a valuable resource for understanding the 'why' behind animation techniques, adding depth to the course material. Many animation schools use this book as a core textbook.

Adventures in Animation: How I Learned Who I...

Hardcover

Learn to Animate

Classical 2D Animation for Beginners

What's inside

Learning objectives

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Reviews summary

Classical 2d animation fundamentals for beginners

Activities

Career center

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