Life drawing is essential for animation students. This course introduces students to the drawing techniques required for understanding human form and anatomy. Focusing on the human skeletal structure, students will capture the basic anatomy, gestures, and dynamics of live models through quick sketches and detailed figure studies. Students will also explore the principles of life drawing with emphasis on proportion, gesture, weight and line quality. In addition, students will engage in drawing exercises to capture the essence of movement and expressiveness, to develop their ability to convey emotion and personality through form.
This introductory course is a launching point into 2D animation. Students will explore the foundations of the 12 Principles of Animation alongside the practical application of 2D animation software. Students will apply the key principles of animation, including squash and stretch, exaggeration, easing, anticipation, and follow-through to create fluid animations. Upon course completion, students will possess a strong understanding of the animation principles, and the technical skills required to produce animated sequences, setting a solid foundation for future animation studies.
This course introduces students to the foundational creative concepts and technical skills required to create compelling and memorable characters for 2D animation. Students will learn the art of character design as a harmonization of anatomy, construction, weight, silhouette, gesture, expression, style, and basics of form. The course will also touch on character development and visual storytelling elements. By the end of this course, students will be able to apply the foundational principles of character design to create unique characters for their animations.
In animation, storyboards and animatics serve as blueprints to previsualize and guide every aspect of a production. This introductory course takes students through a progressive, learning journey in previsualization. Starting with creating a basic storyboard and a simple animatic, students will advance to more sophisticated storytelling techniques including action blocking. Students will integrate camera work, dynamic compositions, lighting, sound, and editing into their storyboards. Students will produce digital storyboards and animatics, by applying knowledge learned from lectures, hands-on projects, and feedback from industry experts.
This course will equip students with the knowledge and skills to utilize digital drawing and painting skills to create original characters and environment designs. By developing both a distinctive artistic style and the adaptability to work within established industry standards, students will gain the necessary tools to succeed in the field of animation. Additionally, the course will delve into colour theory and its role in storytelling and creating a mood or tone, providing students with a comprehensive understanding of this essential aspect of visual communication.
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of layout and background creation for 2D animation. Students will construct an environment and stage for their scenes to play out with a focus on composition, perspective, staging, cinematography, and colour theory. Students will also explore the relationship between backgrounds, characters and props. In addition, students will use lighting to enhance their compositions and create a sense of atmosphere and cohesion. Students will produce immersive environments, and consistent layout designs that help convey the worlds in which their characters exist.
Rigging and compositing are essential components of the animation pipeline. In this foundational course, students will create and prepare character rigs for animation with a focus on building flexible and functional rigging systems to enhance character movement and expression. Students will use compositing to integrate animated elements into their environments, including layering, keying, and colour correction. By combining rigging and compositing, students will gain a holistic understanding of the production process. Students will manage and organize assets, troubleshoot rigging challenges, and create visually cohesive scenes.
Return to the drawing studio! In this course, students will build upon the foundational drawing skills acquired in Drawing for Animation 1. This course delves deeper into the complexities of human anatomy, movement, and expression. Students will capture the human muscular structure, lines of action and movement of live models through gesture sketches and detailed studies. Students will refine their observational skills while exploring more advanced drawing techniques and concepts. This course highlights the importance that drawings are expressive, consistent, balanced, and volumetric.
Building on the foundations covered in Animation and Digital Tools 1, students will further explore the principles of timing, rhythm, and spatial dynamics. By analyzing and replicating the movements of real-world creatures, students will learn to create believable and engaging character animations. Through the development of walk cycles, expressions, and character sequences, they will refine their ability to convey emotions, personality, and story through animation. Students will continue to hone their skills using industry-standard animation software, exploring advanced features, techniques, and workflows.
This course builds upon the concepts and skills introduced in Character Design 1. Students will deepen their understanding of character development and animation techniques to create unique and engaging characters. Emphasizing the dynamic interplay between character design and storytelling, students will explore concepts such as personality traits, character expression, performance, emotional arcs, and visual motifs. The course will also touch on the importance of human diversity and representation in character design, ensuring characters are inclusive and respectful of a diversity of identities. These values will assist students in creating authentic characters that resonate with audiences and contribute to meaningful storytelling.
Building on the skills acquired in Visual Development and Concept Design 1, this advanced course will delve deeper into digital drawing. Students will also be introduced to generative AI and photo-bashing techniques. Students will refine their illustration abilities and explore working in different genres. Focusing on storytelling and visual narrative, students will convey emotions and ideas through their artwork. This course will also expand upon colour theory, exploring its application in creating dynamic and visually appealing compositions. Students will create and pitch a pitch-package with a fully conceptualized idea, characters, and environments.
This course builds upon the creation of complex environments for animation covered in Background Design 1. Students will develop immersive and convincing animated worlds with scene planning, environmental storytelling, visual hierarchy, cinematic composition, and camera movements. Emphasis is placed on maintaining continuity of style while applying principles of structural drawing and perspective to both background and prop design. Students will refine their ability to design backgrounds that support the narrative and emotional tone of animated scenes. By the end of the course, students will create cohesive, story-driven environments that contribute to the overall aesthetic of a production.
This course builds on the foundational rigging and composition skills covered in Animation Production 1. Students will delve deeper into the technical and creative processes of animation production by creating increasingly advanced rigging techniques for complex characters and props enabling more pipeline friendly and practical techniques. Students will also expand their compositing skills by integrating visual effects, layering, lighting, and rendering techniques to create polished, cinematic scenes. Students will also streamline workflows and solve production challenges as they complete projects that simulate real-world animation pipelines.
Storytelling and communication are essential skills in the animation industry. Students will explore narrative structures, character development, and world-building techniques to craft compelling narratives. They will also further develop communication strategies and work collaboratively in teams. This course will centre around Indigenous storytelling and animation. Students will present ideas to diverse audiences and weave stories into presentations. The course also explores how storytelling can be used as a means to share, support, and produce cultural and community resilience. Through practical exercises and projects, students will visually and verbally convey complex concepts, fostering their success as professional animators.
In this reinforcing course, students will continue to develop their skills to enhance their understanding of the human form while working with drawing the figure in perspective. Students will apply their knowledge of figure drawing while refining their ability to capture the human figure with dynamic gestures, tone, and lighting. Through practical exercises, students will apply their life drawing techniques to drapery, clothing, and accessories as they contour to the human form. Students will also integrate caricature and colour to create more dynamic drawings, stronger poses, and a sense of life and motion within their character work.
This course reinforces the animation principles of movement with a focus on timing, spacing, and easing. Building on their life drawing and animation skills, students will refine their ability to transition smoothly between character poses. By incorporating techniques such as anticipation, extremes, and overlapping action, students will create fluid and realistic animations that capture the essence of motion. Through experimentation and iteration, students will gain a thorough understanding of how to execute these animation principles to bring characters to life on screen.
The concepts and skills developed in the previous Drawing for Animation courses culminate in this course. Students will further develop their ability to translate the nuances of the human form observed through clothing, costumes, and drapery. Consideration will also be given to how props can be integrated with the figure. Students will create more natural and realistic poses. Students will develop their own unique style using caricature and exaggeration to push poses and create compelling illustrations. Value, tone, and color will be incorporated to convey realism and mood within one’s work.
In this course, students will advance their knowledge and skills to create more dynamic and finalized animations. By culminating previous concepts, such as visual storytelling, character and background design, the conveyance of emotion through character expression and performance, and utilizing strong compositions and staging. Students will create action scenes and sequences that demonstrate believable motion and timing. Through a combination of practical exercises and critiques, students will refine their ability to create finalized scenes that are ready for compositing, creating memorable animated sequences that leave a lasting impression on their audience.
Everyone communicates, but are they doing it well? Communicative competence takes practice and self-awareness. In this foundational course, students will learn through discovery and project-based activities to practice approaching situations critically and collaboratively. By developing their communication skills, students will improve their interpersonal ability, intercultural competence, and digital fluency to prepare for success in the workplace and beyond. The strategies students will gain in this course will be useful throughout their program and in their chosen industry.