Where To Learn 2D Animation? (step-by-step guide)

The beauty of animated movies and shows can inspire many to pursue a career in animation. However, coming into the industry completely fresh can be daunting. Maybe you are a teenager who wants to get a head start in things, or much older but want a career switch.

Whichever path you want to take to animation, we have made this video to give you an idea where you can learn 2D animation and start your journey. Without further ado, let us jump right into the video!

What Is 2d Animation

Apart from learning animation for passion, it can be a real career path to take as the use cases of 2D animation are abundant in the industry. So, not only will you be doing something you love, but it is also a viable career option that you will get paid for.

Another reason could be that as an artist, whether illustrator or graphic designer, learning to animate can be a great skill to have.

Adding to that, learning the animation of any subject, be it human, animal, environment or otherwise requires deep knowledge of the subject and it can help you improve your illustration skills along with your animation skills. Two birds, one stone. Bingo!

Where To Learn 2D Animation?

Okay now that we have the basics covered, let’s move onto the good stuff. Where can you learn 2D animation?

There are many routes to take in order to learn 2D animation and they are all viable and can very well lead you to where you want to go, be it professional in a studio, as a freelancer or casual commission work for an extra buck.

The reason why you can go with any of these paths is because when it comes to creative fields you are mostly likely being judged on your portfolio, not on whether you have a diploma or not. With that being said, let’s take a look at these different paths: 

1. Art School

There is an idea that going to an art school to learn animation or otherwise can be a waste of money and time and that you can learn all they teach you on Youtube, with student loans and useless modules being strong arguments to this.

However, this idea does not take into consideration that some people need to be held accountable in some shape or form to commit to learning something.

Going to classes everyday and working on projects constantly or facing the consequence of failing can be a great incentive to those who struggle with procrastination and it can do them wonders and help them progress if they commit just enough to not fail.

Another great reason to learn 2D animation in an art school is the fact that you get to do a lot of networking that can help ease you into the industry. 

There are a lot of animation art schools out there, most prominent is Calarts. The animation program is four years long.

According to the website the first year would include courses in life drawing, color and design, storytelling and character animation—both traditional and CG.

The second year’s program is all about dialogue, sound effects and music. And so on and so forth, the school’s curriculum slowly builds up your skill level until you can make a full animated movie .

One very noteworthy thing about Calarts is that students make an animated film each year.

You can check some of the students’ films on the school’s website as well as check the school’s program in more depth.

There are other art schools that offer animation programs such as Ringling College of Art and Design, Savannah College of Art and Design and University of Southern California that are also worth checking for more information.

A lot of students who get accepted in these colleges make videos either talking about the experience or showing the sketchbook and portfolio that got them accepted.

If you consider going to art school we highly recommend you check them out.

2. Self Taught

Being self taught has never looked more appealing to people. With art schools being very expensive and sometimes not being laser focused on what people truly want to learn, being self taught can be people’s only way of pursuing their dream to become animators, especially since having a degree is not a requirement to get into the industry. 

Today we have platforms such as YouTube which will do more than enough to properly introduce you to the basics of art and animation. All you have to do is type ‘animation tutorial’ in the search bar and bam! you have countless high quality videos teaching you everything you need to know to begin your journey.

Art tutorials are also easily accessible. Websites that help you practice your gestures and poses are plenty.

However you do need to understand that this will not take you to the highest levels and you have to go a little further than YouTube and free stuff.

Workshops given by professionals in the field and purchasable video courses are a great way to take your learning to the next level. Ideally you want to find an animator whose work you like and find out if they are either holding a workshop or providing video or online courses. These courses usually go into the depth you need to become a professional. 

3. Online Courses

Online courses work a lot like a regular college course except you are at the comfort of your own home and not spending an unimaginable amount of money to learn animation. Here are some great online courses that you can take.

Pluralsight: 2d Animation Courses & Tutorials

Pluralsight  has a wide variety of 2d animation courses whether for games or films, you will surely be able to find a course that specializes in the field you wish to go into. From rigging a character in Unity to animating CC dynamic anime action. Pluralsight has it all!

Cg Spectrum: Advanced 2d Animation Diploma

CG Spectrum’s 2D animation advanced course is the course to take if you want to go from a hobbyist to a professional. This course is serious business and at the end of it you will be getting a certificate. This course is not cheap, but it is full commitment and if you truly commit to it you will come out of it with a lot of value. 

Animation Mentor: 2d Animation For Beginners

For something a little cheaper and more suited for those who want to start from scratch, this course might just be the one for you. This course will teach you traditional animation using modern tools and will last 6 weeks. 

Casual Classes On Skillshare

If you want something of quality but want something that doesn’t require your full attention you will find courses on Skillshare, an online learning platform, with plenty of bite sized lessons. Basics Of Hand Drawn Animation By Johannes Fast is one of the courses that might be of interest to you depending on where you are at. 

4. Books

If you are someone who prefers to get their knowledge from books, fear not there are books that can teach you about animation.

For instance The Animator’s Survival Kit by  Richard Williams where he talks about his experiences in the industry as well as going over some animation principles and definitions.

Another more technique based book is Timing For Animation by John Halas, Harold Whitaker, & Tom Sito that go more in depth in the specificity of frame and timing of animation.