Everyone has a favorite work of animation. Whether it’s one of the Toy Story movies, the stop motion animation of Gumby, or a well-designed video game, animation is ingrained in our culture so there are many animation courses to choose from.
Naturally, this creative field attracts artists and art lovers who want to continue the legacy of other professional animator icons like John Lasseter, Hayao Miyazaki, and Walt Disney.
Are you interested in animation, but spending a lot of time on simple projects like creating a bouncing ball? Explore the online animation courses listed below to get you started on the right track to understanding more complex animation software.
We’ll also look at the skills that are essential to becoming a professional animator, determine how to choose the right course based on your interests, and show you specific examples of which animation courses you may want to take.
Skills You Will Need as a Professional Animator
There are a few crucial skills you will need to become employable in the field of animation. It is an enriching career but requires a lot of patience, creativity, teamwork, and an eye for detail.
Patience
Rome wasn’t built in a day and your animator chops likely won’t be either. That’s okay because the field of animation has many opportunities to help you learn and improve upon past mistakes. Taking online animation courses is a significant step in the right direction.
Creativity
You wouldn’t expect to succeed in an immensely creative field without having a very innovative personality. To be a successful professional animator, you will need to think outside the box. A great animator is always attempting to innovate and improve upon their last project.
Communication
Professional animators rarely work alone. This means you’ll be employed alongside large, diverse teams of other creative individuals. You will need to have excellent communication with your team so that you can communicate ideas effectively and meet deadlines.
What’s the Right Animation Program for Me?
Depending on what interests you most about animation, there are quite a few options for animation courses. Do you want to focus on 3D animation? Or do you prefer 2D? Whatever you initially choose will imbue you with a set of valuable skills and propel you forward to further explore your interests as you embark on your animation career.
Once you determine what subset of animation you’re most interested in, explore the specific offerings of each course related to your interest. What works best for you? Some courses offer high-quality HD video lessons, others that focus primarily on figure drawing, and still others centered around character design.
Also, consider how much time it will take you to complete the animation course. Many courses take a few weeks to finish. Ensure that your daily life isn’t going to be significantly interrupted by a demanding online class. On the flip side, these offline courses are a good creative outlet for those who can’t attend college in person.
Ensure that you fully explore a curriculum and determine which instructor, subject, and learning method will gel with you before you sign up. Then, start learning about animation.
Best Online Animation Courses
Introduction to 3D Animation by CG Spectrum
CG Spectrum is an entirely online creative school that offers many animation programs. This introductory class, taught by experts who have worked on feature animation films, invites animators of all backgrounds who want to improve their skills.
Students will learn the basics of character animation, the nuances of Autodesk Maya, and how the animation pipeline works.
This online course also offers critical one-on-one time with expert mentors who will help you build new skills. Classes contain a maximum of four students, so you are guaranteed to get the attention you need. If you are a hands-on learner, then this is the right introductory class for you.
Learn the 12 Principles of Animation for Games in Maya
With a few hundred students, high ratings, and a criminally low entry price, considering this course is a no-brainer. The class, taught by experienced video game developer Justin Harrison, will give you all the basic information you need to enter the field of animation.
Harrison’s course covers the main 12 principles of animation and also includes a few HD video lessons. One major benefit of this course to your future career is that Harrison focuses on ensuring that his students master the animation software Autodesk Maya.
In this course, you will also receive great pointers on how to become an animator, and you will be awarded a certificate at the end. This is a great first step if you want to pursue a degree in a field such as game design later on.
This is an excellent introductory animation course that is low on cost and high on information.
Complete Animation Course
Professional animator Aaron Blaise teaches this fantastic set of comprehensive courses. Blaise has worked on films including The Lion King, so you can trust that he is a master of 2D animation. An expert in both figure drawing and character design, Blaise will show you how to learn animation like only a true expert can.
Blaise offers this complete version of his online animation course, including sessions on “fundamentals of animation,” and “animated scene approach.” He guides the rookie animator step by step, from the first pencil sketches to finally animating an entire scene.
Blaise is a great instructor, and although you won’t get any personal one-on-one time with him, his animation expertise remains an invaluable tool.
Conclusion: The Benefits of Online Animation Courses
To be a professional animator, you must be creative, innovative, experimental, and patient. The animation courses listed above showcase some of the industry’s best minds at work.
Even if you don’t end up using highly specialized knowledge learned in a 3D animation course, familiarizing yourself with the animation pipeline will pay off as you later seek jobs in the field.
If you’re at all curious about taking an online animation course, there’s no better way to learn the basics. Do your research, choose a course, watch the lectures, and learn animation.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
