Principles of Animation

This course teaches you the fundamentals of animation. In this context, ‘animation’ refers to the process of creating an illusion of motion and change by rapidly displaying a sequence of static images or frames that differ only slightly from one another. This digital art course begins with an introduction to animation. We outline the uses of animation, which include entertainment, education and advertising. Animations can be created using traditional hand-drawn techniques, 2D or 3D computer graphics, stop-motion animation and other techniques. The methods used are determined by the desired style, budget and purpose of the animation. This course goes through the 12 principles of animation that serve as the foundation for all modern animation.

The design of animated characters is an important part of the process because it helps bring the story and characters to life in a way that engages and entertains audiences. This course teaches you how to draw appealing characters and explains how ‘sheets’ are required to create consistent designs across multiple animations. We show you how to make believable walk and run cycles that are also essential for bringing your characters to life. We also discuss animation key poses, which are necessary for creating effective and believable animations, and lay out the basics of motion graphics and the best methods to generate them.

This course is ideal for animators, storyboard artists, sound designers and anyone interested in a career in animation. It provides a firm grasp on the established and fundamental principles of animation, the various types of animation and the tools and techniques used in today’s animation industry. This training will enable you to create your own animated content, ranging from simple animations to complex short films. Sign up to learn how the principles of animation inform modern digital art and learn a valuable new skill.