5 Animation Resources Beginner Animators Should Bookmark
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
TL;DR – Learn More About Animation from These Resources
Learning the fundamentals of animation is essential even when you’re doing 3D animation.
When you’re struggling to find poses and angles, always look for references!
Animation projects can be overwhelming, especially as a beginner, so equip the right tools to lay out the groundwork for a successful project.
Learning animation can be overwhelming; there are so many things you need to learn and know before embarking on your first animation project. One might say to just join an academy and call it a day, but what if you’re just curious, an aspiring animator who wants to learn at their own pace?
Here are some good animation sites to get you started!
Table of Contents
Explore the Basics of Animation with These Mentors
There will be a lot of animators who will tell you to learn the basics of animation before tackling any sort of animation project. There are so many free resources you can visit. These are what we recommend:
i. Learn the Fundamentals of Animation
When you go through books of animators, have you ever noticed a repetitive lesson that appears in every book, which are the 12 principles of animation? It is said that every animation has these 12 principles in mind; without them, the animation may lack the movement and dynamics that we often see from animated shows.
Animators can revisit these principles through Alan Becker’s and TipTut’s tutorials that are all available for free for aspiring animators to learn and explore.
ii. Study 2D Hand-drawn Animation
If you are a Disney fan, you would recognise this name: Aaron Blaise. He is one of the legends who created Disney's classic hand-drawn animations. So, if you love classic Disney’s art style, Aaron Blaise has made his lessons and knowledge free on his official YouTube Channel, even providing free live courses with him.
iii. Experiment with 3D Animation
Much like 2D, 3D animation has its own principles to be implemented when creating 3D work. Similar to Aaron Blaise, there is a go-to 3D animator who shares his knowledge for free on YouTube, Sir Wade Neistadt. His goal is to make animation more accessible, so he loves to teach aspiring animators to join the animation industry, whether professionally or for fun.
iv. Learn Poses, Movements, and Angles
Poses and angles can be tricky to get right. Even experts need a bit of referencing when drawing, so here are some animation references you can check out:
Contain clear human poses including costume references.
Has animal, facial expressions, environmental and close-up hand poses.
Scott Eaton's Bodies in Motion
Dynamic poses and motions from different angles.
For artists who need a specific pose and angle, there are customisable angles and poses.
v. Other Resources to Spark Inspirations
When you’re feeling stuck, what better way to spark animation inspiration than to check out how other artists create their art? It might even change how you work on your art:
Keep Your Animation Projects Organised
There are several components to animation projects, so it’s important to get your organisation down before even starting them. Factors like where you should store versions of your scenes or which task you should prioritise are all things that need to be prepared before everything becomes overwhelming or a mess.
All in One Place for Project and Progress
Having a space for your animation work is one thing, but how do you know your progress and which part you focus on next? When it comes to tools for animators to manage their animation projects, it’s important that you don’t have to end up switching tools and software. Doing so will only lead to potential confusion.
Let’s say a recipe online. The ingredients and steps are all on one page, including pictures and videos as visual aids. What happens when all of these components are in separate tabs and pages? You would miss an ingredient or a step. So, it’s important that even for animation projects, it’s better to have everything on one page for peace of mind.
For example, TESSR’s Scene Hub. You can upload multiple renditions of scenes while being able to access the progress and keep track of comments for each, rather than a collection of feedback.
Seamless Feedback Session
Ever felt frustrated when you don’t seem to understand what the comments and feedback are about for your work? Especially for visual work. It’s easy when they’re beside you, and they can point with your finger to what part needs fixing. But you can’t exactly do that online, and with factors like schedules not aligning, you can’t call them for a quick video call. Feedbacks are rarely quick.
So, to make this process easier, find visual feedback tools that allow markups and comments directly on your scene. Even better if they can draw on it as well. Like our TESSR Review, for instance, it allows users to use shapes and draw on scenes and even mark video frames to be more specific when giving feedback.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I learn animation on my own?
Yes, it is possible to learn animation on your own without formal education. There are plenty of resources available online that are free and accessible for anyone who wants to try out this skill.
Is it too late for me to learn animation now that I’m no longer in school?
It is not too late at all! Learning does not have an age limit. What’s needed is just a willingness to learn. So, take the time to learn the fundamentals before venturing into a personal animation project of your own.
Author Bio
With a background in Arts English, Adilla has been a casual writer for various hobbies, like parodies of animated shows and plots for board games. She loves to read anything and everything from fantasy stories to articles on tips and tricks. Now an advocate for mental health and effective project management for the creative industry. Currently, Adilla resides in Malaysia and is a creative writer at TESSR. To know more about her, check out her LinkedIn.