Animation (Algonquin College)

Life Drawing for Animation I

Life drawing is a fundamental skill for creating believability in our animated drawings of motion. Through the use of casts and models, the student is introduced to the sight measurement technique and gesture drawing. Emphasis is on maintaining proportions, foreshortening and the development of good drawing skills that can be applied to the animation process. Warning: Nude models are used in all of our life drawing classes.

Animation Design I

Animation design deals with the staging or environment that the animated character interacts with, whether it be a living room or forest location. The use of perspective plays a major role in the creation of these location designs. Students are introduced to layout and design for animated productions. Students learn the basics and history of perspective and structured drawings. Other topics include how to get research material and shot composition.

Animation Practices and Principles I

The animation industry now relies on multiple tools in the production process. Students learn the principles of animation and how to apply them to classical, 3D and 2D tradigital animation assignments. Students explore the interfaces, controls and general techniques of multiple software programs in the creation of animated projects.

Environmental and VIsual Problem Solving I

The ergonomics of design and the understanding of aesthetics through real world observation are essential skills for the animator. Students explore the foundations of design through the creative process. Using individual and group studies, students solve problems using creativity, imagination and the ability to visually communicate their ideas.

Animation Drawing I

Animation drawing is the backbone of the industry. Using mostly traditional drawing techniques, complemented by 2D tradigital, students apply the basic principles of animation and drawing through simple, object-oriented assignments. Focus is on the fundamentals of timing, spacing and the `cartoon’ physics of motion.

Communications I

Communication remains an essential skill sought by employers, regardless of discipline or field of study. Using a practical, vocation-oriented approach, students focus on meeting the requirements of effective communication. Through a combination of lectures, exercises, and independent learning, students practise writing, speaking, reading, listening, locating and documenting information, and using technology to communicate professionally. Students develop and strengthen communication skills that contribute to success in both educational and workplace environments.

Life Drawing for Animation II

Animated sequences are created by caricaturing the movements of real human bodies. Students hone their sight measurement and gesture drawing skills. Landmarks of the human form are explored through the study of human anatomy. The identification and comprehension of the body’s muscles and bones allows students to create drawings that show a sense of accuracy and solidity of form. Warning: Nude models are used in all of our life drawing classes.

Animation Design II

A good layout artist is able to evoke an emotional response from their audience. Students create more advanced layouts that include a firmer grasp of perspective drawing. Topics such as ellipses and exterior layouts are studied. Students work on storytelling by creating an exterior forest layout and an interior front hall with a stair case, which focuses on inclined planes.

Animation Practices and Principles II

Students investigate character movement by applying the basic principles of animation to more complex animated movements such as shifting weight and walks. Topics include squash and stretch, anticipation, follow-through and overlapping action, and appealing motion. Students study all aspects of animation using traditional and 2D tradigital tools.

Animation Drawing II

Students learn to develop the principles of animation to a higher level. Studies include animation of more complex actions. Body mechanics and action analysis are emphasized to raise students’ observation skills and understanding of complex movement. Traditional and 2D tradigital tools are utilized.

Character Design I

Designing characters with appeal, originality and emotion is a critical skill of a good character designer. By exploring different character designs and styles, students gain insight into the construction and structure of character design. Silhouetting, posing, acting, as well as creating character rotations elevate students’ drawing skills.

Design Thinking

Human-centred approaches are among the best methods of generating innovative solutions for people at work, at home or within your community. Design thinking is a user-centred method of creative problem solving applicable any time you need to generate new ideas. It is about embracing mindset shifts and tackling problems from the user’s perspective. Students learn the five-step process while involving the user each step of the way. Through research discussions and analysis, students work, first independently, then with a team, to emphasize with their users, define a problem, and then ideate, prototype and test an original solution that places people at the heart of a challenge.

Scriptwriting for Animation

Students are introduced to the basic concepts of screen writing. Students analyze animated and live-action stories to determine the characteristics of effective screenplays. Students also write their own eleven-minute screenplay featuring original, animated characters.

Life Drawing for Animation III

Illustration of three-dimensional drawing involves the utilization of shading. By using simple lighting techniques, students add light and shadow to the surface planes of the body. Gesture drawing is further developed, along with an exploration of muscles in motion through a series of movement exercises. Warning: Nude models are used in all of our life drawing classes.

Animation Design III

The ability to draw an environment from any angle is a skill needed by any good layout artist. Students use three-point perspective and employ a variety of camera angles in their layouts. Storytelling in design takes the forefront as students work on a room with personality assignment.

Character Animation I

Pantomime acting is an integral part of animation. It allows the audience to “instantly read/know” what motivates a character’s actions. Students make a character appear to think and make decisions based on external forces or internal motivations. Important animation building blocks, such as timing, moving holds, posing, staging, beats/phrasing, appeal, personality, solid drawing, simplification of form and the use of straights against curves are explored. Active participation in the Ottawa International Animation Festival is recommended to all students.

3D Animation I

The computer has become the standard viable tool in the creation of animated features. Using the Maya interface, students apply the fundamentals of animation through simple exercises that include the bouncing ball, a blade of grass and a pendulum. Focus is on the application of the principles of animation, such as squash and stretch, timing and motion, anticipation, acting, reacting, follow-through and overlapping action, slow in and slow out, exaggeration, secondary action and appeal. Students recognize the art of lighting, rendering and modelling as a key component of animation, by discussing three-point lighting, basic modelling and the application of rendering techniques.

Animation Design IV

For the purposes of performance, animators need guides to create consistency of characters in different views, along with a range of emotions. These guides are called “model packs.” Students can choose to work on character design or layouts. Students focus on character design model sheets (rotations/turnarounds) and explore location designs. Layout students work on pan backgrounds.

Character Animation II

How an animated character delivers a line of dialogue is as important as why. The emphasis is on sound, lip sync and dialogue acting involving body and facial expressions. Through a series of exercises that begin with character animation syncing up with sound, students learn body and facial acting and how to make a character talk. Focus is on strong story-telling poses, accurate mouth shapes and proper facial expressions.

Life Drawing for Animation IV

When animating a scene, animators start planning their action by creating thumbnail drawings. These drawings are quick gesture sketches of the motion they are going to animate. Students create thumbnail drawings of the human form in motion through the use of “flipping” technique. The study of anatomy and gesture techniques are continued and refined. Focus is also on more advanced shading skills. Warning: Nude models are used in all of our life drawing classes.

3D Animation II

Students begin to explore character locomotion. Exercises include walks, runs, acting and reacting. Focus is on the understanding of balance and weight of a character, beats/phrasing, as well as how and why a character anticipates a move. Students understand the clarity of design, shape variation and the value of structured characters in design. Focus is on strong shape association relative to character personality and basic rigging techniques, including placement of skeleton, joint hierarchy, forward and inverse kinematics and constraints.

General Education Elective

Visit the general education electives site for details about how to select these courses.

Students choose one course, from a group of general education electives, which meets one of the following five theme requirements: Arts in Society, Civic Life, Social and Cultural Understanding, Personal Understanding, and Science and Technology.

Life Drawing V

Drawing figures is enhanced by the practice of observational skills. Topics include tonal drawings, such as how to draw drapery, muscular and skeletal studies of animals and humans, expressive gesture drawing and creating animated drawings through pose association exercises. Mixed media, such as conte and pastels are introduced. Warning: Nude models are used in all of our life drawing classes.

2D Digital Animation I

Focus is on creating animation utilizing industry standard animation software, such as Toon Boom Harmony. Becoming familiar with posing and animating pre-made rigged characters assist in preparing students for the type of situations they encounter in a studio environment.

Independent Study I

This modular-based course allows students to focus their efforts on a particular animation discipline. Students form a plan with their instructors to develop their skills in animation, rigging, layout, storyboarding, special effects or other areas so they can concentrate on developing a portfolio specific to the job they wish to pursue in a studio.

Masterclass I

Students are exposed to many aspects of animation through lectures, step-by-step instruction and guest speakers from the animation community. Topics covered include colour theory, advanced timing techniques, storyboarding, rigging, composition, character design, modeling and a wide range of other topics.

Gesture Drawing for Animation I

Gesture drawing is the backbone of the kind of expressive solid drawing that animation requires. Focus is on developing quick dynamic sketching of the human form by analyzing the model and recreating poses with fluid lines. “Pushing the pose” through use of exaggeration and expressing an emotional state are also explored. Warning: Nude models are used in all of our life drawing classes.

Life Drawing VI

Students hone their life drawing skills through a continued study of expressive gesture and long pose drawing. Emphasis is on professional quality rendering through exercises that focus on rhythm, dynamic drawing and exaggeration. Warning: Nude models are used in all of our life drawing classes.

Business Studies for Animation

Students gain insight into business practices and the principles of operating a small business. The course culminates with the development of an Electronic Press Kit for their short films. The course remains current through the exploration of emerging trends and issues that impact the industry. Guest speakers from a variety of representative businesses are invited to share their experiences and insights with students.

2D Digital II

Continuing on what the students learned in 2D Digital 1, students continue to explore 2D digital software with more advanced techniques including augmenting pre-made rigs.

Independent Study II

Students continue to develop their skills through learning modules in animation, rigging, layout, storyboarding, special effects or other areas so they can concentrate on developing a portfolio specific to the job they wish to pursue in a studio.

Masterclass II

Students learn many aspects of animation through lectures, step-by-step lessons and guest speakers from animation professionals. Topics covered could include advanced perspective techniques, 3D polish, lighting, acting for animation and a wide range of other topics.

Gesture Drawing for Animation II

Students continue to learn to develop quick dynamic sketching of the human form to express action and emotion. Warning: Nude models are used in all of our life drawing classes.