The Make It Move: Animation Basics 5-week course at The Art Club is a beginner-friendly introduction to 2D animation, designed for artists who are completely new to animation or have never animated before. This workshop uses guided demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and feedback to teach the 12 principles of animation step by step, helping students build the skills and confidence to create their own animations.
Over the 5 weeks, you will learn to:
Understand the basics of animation, including timing, spacing, arcs, ease in/ease out, and working in 1s and 2s
Explore squash & stretch, volume, and the difference between straight-ahead and pose-to-pose animation
Apply timing, overlapping action, and follow-through to create believable movement
Use anticipation, moving forms, solid drawing, exaggeration, and texture to make animation clearer and more expressive
Explore body mechanics and the fundamentals of character movement through a walk cycle
Use timing, posing, and movement to create a walk cycle with personality
What You’ll Make: A series of beginner-friendly animation exercises including a pendulum, ball bounce, tail-on-ball animation, head turn, anticipation and reaction/take exercises, and a complete walk cycle. The course culminates in a personality walk cycle, bringing together the principles learned throughout the course in a finished character animation.
No previous animation experience is required. This course is designed to give you the tools and confidence to get started!
Participants may join as Active Students with feedback and drawovers, or with a Viewer Pass with access to live sessions and text chat.
MAKE IT MOVE: ANIMATION BASICS
The Make It Move: Animation Basics 5-week course at The Art Club is a beginner-friendly introduction to 2D animation, designed for artists who are completely new to animation or have never animated before. This workshop uses guided demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and feedback to teach the 12 principles of animation step by step, helping students build the skills and confidence to create their own animations.
Over the 5 weeks, you will learn to:
Understand the basics of animation, including timing, spacing, arcs, ease in/ease out, and working in 1s and 2s
Explore squash & stretch, volume, and the difference between straight-ahead and pose-to-pose animation
Apply timing, overlapping action, and follow-through to create believable movement
Use anticipation, moving forms, solid drawing, exaggeration, and texture to make animation clearer and more expressive
Explore body mechanics and the fundamentals of character movement through a walk cycle
Use timing, posing, and movement to create a walk cycle with personality
What You’ll Make: A series of beginner-friendly animation exercises including a pendulum, ball bounce, tail-on-ball animation, head turn, anticipation and reaction/take exercises, and a complete walk cycle. The course culminates in a personality walk cycle, bringing together the principles learned throughout the course in a finished character animation.
No previous animation experience is required. This course is designed to give you the tools and confidence to get started!
Participants may join as Active Students with feedback and drawovers, or with a Viewer Pass with access to live sessions and text chat.
Dates
Mondays - September 21 - October 19
Time
4:00pm - 7:00pm PST
Location
The Art Club - Discord: <https://discord.gg/TZb8wK292j> Blue Classroom
FORMAT
Class meets once a week on Discord.
Recorded Access: Class recordings are provided after the course, viewable for one year for Active & Viewer Pass students.
Active student’s must upload homework to Google Drive folder before the next class begins.
Active student spots are limited to 15 participants, and Viewer access is limited to 50 seats.
THE FACULTY
Nick Leysens is a designer, storyboard artist, illustrator and animator who has been working for the last 10 years in the tv/film, tech, and commercial industries. His clients include Nickelodeon, Warner Brothers, Titmouse, ShadowMachine, Miley Cyrus, Duolingo, Cinemax, Fox, and Adult Swim. Nick studied at the Laguna College of Art & Design. Nick has worked on shows such as Animaniacs, Looney Tunes, BoJack Horseman, Spongebob Squarepants, The Simpsons, Baby Shark’s Big Show, Mike Judge Presents Tales from the Tour Bus, and Clone High.
Nick has taught on the collegiate level for 5 years at the Cleveland Institute of Art and also serves at the School of Visual Arts MFA program as a mentor.
Nick’s Credits
Prerequisites
This is an all levels class. To participate as an Active student and get the most out of the class, Active students need to fulfill the following requirements:
Animation software (Adobe Animate, ToonBoom Harmony, etc.)
Computer with microphone (camera optional)
Access to Google Drive
Access to Discord
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We focus on the building blocks of animation, introducing spacing, squash & stretch, arcs, ease in/ease out, straight ahead vs. pose to pose, working in 1s and 2s, and maintaining volume.
Assignment: Active students animate a pendulum and a bouncing ball, focusing on spacing, timing, squash & stretch, arcs, and volume.
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We focus on timing, overlapping action, and follow-through, exploring how different parts of an object can move at different rates and continue moving after the main action has stopped.
Assignment: Active students animate a tail attached to a bouncing ball, applying timing, overlapping action, and follow-through. -
We focus on anticipation, moving forms, solid drawing, exaggeration, and texture. Students learn how to prepare the audience for an action, maintain believable forms while moving, and push poses and movement to create stronger animation.
Assignment: Active students create a head turn and a short reaction/take, focusing on anticipation, solid drawing, and exaggeration.
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We focus on body mechanics and appeal, exploring how the body shifts, balances, and moves through space. Students learn the fundamentals of constructing a walk cycle while considering weight, rhythm, and posing.
Assignment: Active students create a basic walk cycle, focusing on body mechanics, weight, timing, and clear poses. -
We focus on using the principles of animation to communicate character and personality.
Assignment: Active students create a personality walk cycle that combines the principles covered throughout the course, creating a finished character animation with clear and expressive movement.
Who is this Workshop for?
Make It Move: Animation Basics is designed for artists who are new to animation or have never animated before. If you’re an illustrator, character designer, or simply interested in learning how to bring your drawings to life, this workshop provides a beginner-friendly introduction to the fundamentals of 2D animation. No previous animation experience is required, just a willingness to learn, experiment, and make things move! :)
Outcomes
By the end of this workshop, students will be able to:
Understand the fundamental principles of 2D animation, including timing, spacing, arcs, squash & stretch, and ease in/ease out
Apply animation principles to create clear, believable movement and maintain volume throughout an animation
Use anticipation, overlapping action, follow-through, exaggeration, and solid drawing to create more expressive and convincing animation
Understand basic body mechanics and apply them to character movement and walk cycles
Use posing, timing, and movement to communicate personality and character
Active Students will receive feedback and drawovers throughout the workshop to improve timing, spacing, movement, posing, and overall animation quality.
What You’ll Make: Active Students will create a series of foundational animation exercises, including a pendulum, bouncing ball, tail-on-ball, head turn, reaction/take, and walk cycle, culminating in a polished personality walk cycle that demonstrates the principles learned throughout the workshop.
The Make It Move: Animation Basics 5-week course at The Art Club is a beginner-friendly introduction to 2D animation, designed for artists who are completely new to animation or have never animated before. This workshop uses guided demonstrations, hands-on exercises, and feedback to teach the 12 principles of animation step by step, helping students build the skills and confidence to create their own animations.
Over the 5 weeks, you will learn to:
Understand the basics of animation, including timing, spacing, arcs, ease in/ease out, and working in 1s and 2s
Explore squash & stretch, volume, and the difference between straight-ahead and pose-to-pose animation
Apply timing, overlapping action, and follow-through to create believable movement
Use anticipation, moving forms, solid drawing, exaggeration, and texture to make animation clearer and more expressive
Explore body mechanics and the fundamentals of character movement through a walk cycle
Use timing, posing, and movement to create a walk cycle with personality
What You’ll Make: A series of beginner-friendly animation exercises including a pendulum, ball bounce, tail-on-ball animation, head turn, anticipation and reaction/take exercises, and a complete walk cycle. The course culminates in a personality walk cycle, bringing together the principles learned throughout the course in a finished character animation.
No previous animation experience is required. This course is designed to give you the tools and confidence to get started!
Participants may join as Active Students with feedback and drawovers, or with a Viewer Pass with access to live sessions and text chat.
