A complete guide to OpenToonz & Tahoma2D for 2D animation from Udemy

Do you have a yearning to animate digitally and didn't know where to start or didn't want to spend money on animation programs before you knew if you liked them. Or perhaps you're already paying for animation software and want to try something cheaper or even free. Or perhaps you've already started using OpenToonz or Tahoma2D, but want to know more.

This is why I've made this course. I believe that anyone can learn to animate and enjoy the satisfaction of bringing their characters to life. And with these great programs, you can animate for FREE and this course will show you how.

In this course, I'll take you from the very beginning, with downloading, installing, setting up and understanding both programs. I'll show you all of the tools that you'll need for traditional-style animation. Leading up to showing you how to create your own animations. And you'll be animating within the first 15 minutes of starting the course.

The course will also show you how you can replicate some of the traditional techniques, found in the 12 principles of animation, of straight ahead animation and pose to pose animation, using tried and tested exercises that we'll work through together.

With almost 11 hours of video & 130 lessons and demonstrations, exercises & downloads for each project that I work on, this is the complete guide to getting started with traditional animation with OpenToonz & Tahoma2D.

Here are the topics covered in the course

Installing, setup & walk through of the layout
Understanding projects and scenes
Understanding the differences between drawings, frames, levels & columns
A detailed look at the viewer (the drawing area)
A detailed look as the timeline & xsheet (learning all of its features and how to time out your animation)
A look over all of the drawing tools, understand each feature of them
A look at working with colour, including using gradients & special fills
Using the camera. Placing it, moving it & what the settings mean
Preview & rendering your animation, to different formats
A complete demo looking over my shoulder as I work through an animation exercise in full

What are Students Saying about the Course?

"This is one of the best video tutorials I have ever used. Thorough, perfectly paced, and enjoyable.",Jonathan L

"A very comprehensive guide on OpenToonz. It gives detailed instructions on the various mechanics of the software and explains concepts thoroughly. The most valuable thing about this course to me is the setup of the environment for 2D animation. This is rarely talked about in any user-created tutorials on the web/YouTube. OpenToonz is free and powerful, but only with the right knowledge can you use it's full potential. This course definitely facilitates this.",Jonathan T

"Section 1 and 2 have been the simplest and quickest way for me to begin animating in OpenToonz without getting bogged down in the complexity of the program.",John M

"Awesome job. Your pace of presentation is spot on. ",John T

"Clear, well paced and beautifully organized. Such positive and precise teaching. I am very excited about completing the course. ",Mira

"This course far exceeded my expectations. Also the supplemental support through the DarrenT discord server (which is very active) is a really enjoyable community to assist in my animation learning and development. I'm about 2/3 through the course so far and I've already made my own animated videos that met my modest animation goals prior to joining this course. If you're interested in learning animation, this is a wonderful place to begin your journey, you will be able to bring your art to life very quickly. Whether you plan on animating your own cartoon or show, making animations on top of camera footage, or even making animated memes and gifs, this course will have you producing media even before you finish the course. 10/10 would recommend.",

Piers D

What's inside

Learning objectives

How to draw and animate digitally in these free, open-source programs
How to animate using traditional 2d techniques, but using a digital workflow
In-depth explanation of the core concepts of opentoonz & tahoma2d

Full demonstration of all of the drawing tools that you'll need
Hands-on projects carefully designed to quickly bring students up to speed

How to draw and animate digitally in these free, open-source programs
How to animate using traditional 2d techniques, but using a digital workflow
In-depth explanation of the core concepts of opentoonz & tahoma2d
Full demonstration of all of the drawing tools that you'll need
Hands-on projects carefully designed to quickly bring students up to speed

Syllabus

In this section, you will learn what this course is about, I'll take you on a quick tour of OpenToonz and you'll draw and render your first animation.

In this exercise, I'd like you to create a simple animation, to start to learn the basic animation controls.

These exercises take you through setting up your rooms and details of how to install my room layouts.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Students with an interest in animation, but no experience with animation programs, may consider this course

Learners who want to animate using traditional 2D techniques but desire a digital workflow should explore this course

Aspiring animators with experience in traditional 2D methods might find value in this course

Individuals who are curious about OpenToonz or Tahoma2D and want to explore their offerings may benefit from this course

Those with intermediate experience in traditional animation techniques may appreciate this course as it focuses on digital workflows

This course may be less suitable for individuals who are exclusively interested in modern animation techniques

Reviews summary

Complete opentoonz & tahoma2d animation guide

According to students, this course is a highly recommended and comprehensive guide for learning 2D animation using OpenToonz and Tahoma2D. Learners consistently praise its clear and well-paced instruction, which makes complex concepts easy to understand, particularly for total beginners. The instructor's knowledge and articulate teaching style are frequently highlighted as a major strength, often leading to a quick start in animation. While the course provides valuable content and effective hands-on exercises, a few learners noted minor technical issues such as a difficult-to-follow mouse cursor and occasionally low audio volume. Overall, it stands out as an excellent introduction to free digital animation.

The instructor is highly knowledgeable, articulate, and offers strong support.

"The teacher is knowledgeable and articulate."

"Darren's courses are always top-notch and this one is no exception... highly recommend."

"The supplemental support through the DarrenT discord server (which is very active) is a really enjoyable community to assist in my animation learning."

"The teacher clearly knows the program inside and out, making complex topics easy to digest."

Perfectly structured for total beginners to quickly start animating.

"Section 1 and 2 have been the simplest and quickest way for me to begin animating in OpenToonz without getting bogged down in the complexity of the program."

"This is very useful for total beginners like me."

"If you're interested in learning animation, this is a wonderful place to begin your journey, you will be able to bring your art to life very quickly."

"This course will have you producing media even before you finish the course."

Provides a complete and in-depth guide to OpenToonz & Tahoma2D.

"A very comprehensive guide on OpenToonz. It gives detailed instructions on the various mechanics of the software."

"I learned so much... amazing how in-depth the course is and how you guide students."

"It is a good course that gives a full guide on OpenToonz & Tahoma2D."

"Very detailed, very clear, very helpful, very informative... an excellent intro to OpenToonz."

The course excels in its clear, concise, and well-paced delivery.

"This is one of the best video tutorials I have ever used. Thorough, perfectly paced, and enjoyable."

"Clear, well paced and beautifully organized. Such positive and precise teaching. I am very excited about completing the course."

"Fantastic course... pace is perfect, explains concepts clearly and makes it so easy to follow."

"Everything is explained very well... it is easy to understand what the instructor is showing you."

A few learners noted slight issues with mouse visibility or audio volume.

"One problem, very difficult to follow the instructors mouse. There is no mouse cursor highlighting."

"The only thing that I feel that can be improved is the audio quality. Sometimes it is very low... This makes it hard to listen to."

"I found myself straining to hear occasionally due to the low audio levels."

"I had trouble tracking the mouse cursor at times, which made some steps less clear."

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 A complete guide to OpenToonz & Tahoma2D for 2D animation with these activities:

Gather animation resources

Show steps

Organize and expand your collection of useful animation resources.

Browse courses on 2D Animation

Show steps

Bookmark helpful websites and articles
Follow animation artists and studios on social media
Join online animation communities

Review the 12 principles of animation

Show steps

Strengthen your understanding of the fundamental principles of animation.

Browse courses on Animation Principles

Show steps

Read articles or watch videos about the 12 principles of animation
Analyze animated films and identify how the principles are used

Follow online animation tutorials

Show steps

Expand your knowledge of animation by following online tutorials.

Browse courses on Animation Techniques

Show steps

Find online tutorials for specific animation techniques or software
Follow the tutorials step-by-step
Experiment with the techniques you learn

Six other activities

Expand to see all activities and additional details

Show all nine activities

Read The Animator's Survival Kit

Show steps

Gain valuable insights and practical advice from a renowned animator.

View The Animator's Survival Kit: Runs, Jumps and... on Amazon

Show steps

Purchase or borrow a copy of The Animator's Survival Kit
Read the book thoroughly and take notes
Apply the principles and techniques you learn to your own animation projects

Practice drawing exercises

Show steps

Improve your drawing skills by completing a series of guided drawing exercises.

Browse courses on Drawing Fundamentals

Show steps

Find drawing exercises online or in books
Set aside time each day to practice
Critique your work and make improvements

Connect with experienced animators

Show steps

Seek guidance and support from experienced animators.

Browse courses on Mentorship

Show steps

Attend animation events and meetups
Reach out to animators online
Ask for feedback on your work

Join an animation study group

Show steps

Enhance your understanding and improve your skills by collaborating with other animation students.

Show steps

Find or start an animation study group
Meet regularly to discuss animation topics and techniques
Share your work and provide feedback to others

Attend an animation workshop

Show steps

Enhance your skills and learn from industry professionals by attending an animation workshop.

Browse courses on Animation Techniques

Show steps

Research and find animation workshops
Register for a workshop that aligns with your interests
Attend the workshop and participate actively

Create an animated short film

Show steps

Solidify your understanding of the animation process by creating your own animated short film.

Show steps

Develop your story and characters
Create your storyboard and animatic
Animate your film

Career center

Learners who complete A complete guide to OpenToonz & Tahoma2D for 2D animation will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

We haven't picked any books for this reading list yet.

A complete guide to OpenToonz & Tahoma2D for 2D animation

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

Traffic lights

Save this course

Reviews summary

Complete opentoonz & tahoma2d animation guide

Activities

Career center

Reading list

Share

Similar courses