Animation is a favorite pastime, hobby and career for tens of thousands of people. An animator can work in a variety of different places such as film, TV and video games. However, you don’t have to work as an animator to enjoy the hobby of creating your own models or animations. It is a craft that can take a long time to master, but if you work hard and remain dedicated, you can do it.
So this sounds great, but how do you become an animator? Well there are a number of different paths to take, depending on how serious you want to get with animation. This article is going to take a closer look at getting started with animation and give you some tips and ideas to help you begin.
It is Easier to Get Started Than Ever Before
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The good news is that there has never been a better time to get started with animation. There are a variety of different and affordable software options out there to get started, and most standard modern computers can handle the more simple animated tasks, such as working with 2D. If you want to work with 3D models for animation, you may need something a little more powerful.
So while anyone can start animating at home, there is a bit of a catch. The catch is that while it is easy to get started with animation, it can take a very long time to learn and master the art. Just like any skill, learning to be a great animator won’t happen overnight, and you need to start small.
Start Simple
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Before you want to join the ranks of Disney animators, you need to start with the basics. Before you ever try and create your own finished animations, it is important that you learn the terminology, the software needs, the hardware needed, and the basic principles and techniques that are involved.
The first things you should be animating is something simple like a ball bouncing or some other basic animation. Doing this, plus constantly learning about things like key frames and aspect ratios, will help you develop a solid foundation.
Decide Your Path
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From there, you will have to decide what steps you need to take to continue in your journey with animation. Do you want to work traditionally or digitally? Are you interested in 2D, 3D or stop-motion? While you can focus on all of them, some people prefer to pick one and really become an expert.
The tools, books and available courses will differ depending on what style or type of animation you are working with. So once you have chosen what path you want to take, you can start to use and purchase the tools needed for your hobby or career.
Practice Practice Practice
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Once you have chosen a goal for your animation, chosen a style of animation to work with, and have the necessary tools, it is time to start grinding. You need to practice as much as you can in order to see the improvements in your animation that you are hoping for.
With all the innovations and improvements out there, animators never stop learning or practicing. There is always something new to master or improve upon, no matter how good you might be. It is a constant process of improving yourself and your skills, whether you just want to create passion projects or are being paid for your work.
Hopefully this article has given you some great tips and advice to get started with animation, whether you want to take it up as a hobby or hope to start a career out of it.
