Can I Learn Animation On My Own?

Of course, you can learn animation on your own, but there’s no substitution for classroom experience, a good instructor, and personal feedback. There are many self-taught professional animators in the world, including Victor Haegelin and Lwazi Msipha. Although many professional animators went to art school or leveraged another type of education to learn animation and enter the workforce, you’ll find many who did not. There are many reasons why people opt for the self-taught route, and there are many advantages and disadvantages to consider when making this decision. If you’re considering taking the self-education route, read this article first to help you get an idea of what you’ll be facing. Every animator’s path to the profession is different, but there are common threads. Becoming an animator is hard work any way you look at it, and taking the self-taught route is certainly no different. 

Advantages of Self-Teaching Animation

You’ll find that there are many advantages to teaching yourself animation. The most popular advantage is saving money. Learning animation can get expensive very quickly and very easily. When you are self-teaching, the monetary costs of learning are greatly reduced. Some of the more common costs self-taught animators need to account for include software purchases or subscriptions, drawing supplies like sketch pads, pencils, and mobile devices, and additional memory storage. Some of these things you may already have, but you may wish to purchase dedicated supplies or equipment. Another advantage is saving time. An animation degree can take between two and six years, an apprenticeship can take months to two years, and a certificate program or bootcamp can take months to a year. Self-teaching yourself animation puts you in charge of your learning timeline. Depending on your schedule, learning style, and other personal learning factors, you may be able to stay on pace with one of the more traditional options previously mentioned or move faster.

One of the main reasons students opt for self-teaching is because it’s cost-effective. A quality animation education can cost thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the chosen educational path. Being able to keep that money and avoid debt is a priority for many people. The idea of money standing in the way of achieving their dream of working in animation is distasteful to self-taught animators, and they work hard to learn their craft and gain credibility and acceptance among their peers. Another reason people are self-taught is because time is precious and fleeting. Many people don’t feel there are enough hours in a day to take care of what needs to be done, but teaching yourself gives you more freedom with how you choose to allocate your time. 

Animation Self-Teaching Tools

There is an abundance of animation self-teaching tools available to those who wish to become self-taught animators. One of the most commonly used resources is YouTube. This video streaming platform allows users to upload and consume video content on a wide variety of topics. Here you will find free channels that are dedicated to animation and learning animation. These can be helpful when learning how to use various animation software, solving animation challenges, and learning different animation techniques. Some channels will offer high-quality content, while others will not, so you’ll have to choose wisely. 

You will need to be proficient in multiple animation software, so start with learning the most common and popular animation software. Some of these include Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk Maya, and Blender. To become fluent in the various software tools, consider leveraging on-demand courses. On-demand courses and tutorials can be found on learning platform sites like Skillshare and Masterclass, vendor sites like Adobe and Autodesk, and professional training facilities like Noble Desktop. Sometimes these resources are offered for free, but many of them do come with a price tag or subscription. When enrolling in on-demand classes be sure to note your access window, as some courses only allow you access for several months and others offer lifetime access. 

Other self-teaching tools include free seminars, conferences, podcasts, and animation challenges. Seminars, webinars, and articles are very helpful in providing you with an understanding of the practical uses of animation tools and techniques, while also answering questions you may have regarding your studies. Podcasts can help inspire you and give you different perspectives on how to approach animation professionally and ways to get your work noticed. Participating in animation challenges allows you to see what other animators are doing, sharpen your designs, and engage in a little healthy competition. Animation challenges are a fun way to practice your skills and interact with others.

When you leverage self-teaching animation tools like on-demand learning platforms, you should be prepared to use lots of supplements to gain a deeper understanding of animation concepts and design topics to get the desired effects. Also keep in mind that many free resources do not provide the depth that will help you have a comprehensive understanding of animation tools and techniques, much less fluency in animation software. You’ll need to know what employers are looking for so you can focus on current in-demand animation skills. Interacting with current animation professionals can give you an insider’s point of view that you can use to help guide your studies. Lastly, strongly consider enrolling in a demo reel development course to refine and polish your demo reel. While degrees are not a requirement to enter into the animation workforce, a strong demo reel is. A demo reel development course will get you some much-needed feedback and can even be instrumental in helping you develop your voice and style.

Drawbacks to Learning Animation on Your Own

Learning animation on your own is an admirable undertaking, and those who can accomplish this massive feat should be commended. But on the other side of that self-reliant coin is a lot of hardship and isolation. Unfortunately, when you learn animation on your own, you’re bound to run into a few drawbacks. One of the biggest drawbacks is inexperience. If you have no prior experience with animation, it can be very difficult to discern which resources are going to help you learn and grow and which ones are a waste of time. It’s also difficult to pinpoint a starting point. There are a lot of technical skills involved and figuring out where to start when certain tools build upon others isn’t always apparent. When you’re learning on your own, you’re often isolated from other students, so it’s important to try to create or find a community to help you navigate the tough spots and stay motivated. There is a low level of accountability, so you have to be motivated to continue learning. It’s easy to procrastinate, slack off, and completely abandon your studies when there is no one looking over your shoulder holding you accountable for staying on track with your animation studies.

Finding high-quality on-demand courses can be tricky when utilizing some of the many on-demand learning platforms like Udemy and Coursera. These on-demand course aggregation sites can be tricky. It’s hard to know what you’re getting and whether or not the course will be beneficial to reaching your animation goals. Not knowing what you need to learn makes it difficult to choose a course. A lack of guidance can make learning animation on your own hard. When you run into roadblocks, a mentor or instructor is invaluable. They can provide you with much-needed personal feedback, answer questions, and help you navigate projects and coursework. You will also have to combat a low threshold of accountability, inconsistent motivation, and scheduling issues. 

Alternatives to Learning Animation on Your Own

If you’re still trying to decide whether or not you want to attempt the self-taught animation journey, you need to know that there are alternatives that can relieve some of the stressors that accompany it. Structure and guidance are invaluable when learning animation, and many alternatives like this Motion Graphics Certificate course include this guidance. Live online courses are a great choice when you’re not near a school or don’t have enough room in your schedule to accommodate a commute. These courses give you a wider range of facility options because you can learn from anywhere in the world while also giving you access to live instructors, real-time personal feedback, and coursework assistance. In-person training is the most traditional alternative, and it’s widely accepted as the most efficient and effective way of learning new skills. Choosing this alternative requires you to physically meet at a location to earn a Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate. You’ll have a live instructor to give you hands-on guidance, be able to fully interact with your peers and instructors in a distraction-free environment, and have many opportunities to collaborate with your peers on coursework.

Apprenticeships are another alternative, but these are more similar to on-the-job training than to school. Apprentices need to already have a foundational understanding of animation and how to use animation tools. While most apprenticeships include some classroom work, they all require apprentices to do the work of an animation professional under the mentorship of a professional animator while adding to their skillset. These programs also sometimes guarantee employment for a period or help place you in an entry-level animation job. Every learning option has its drawbacks, but it’s possible to give yourself a leg up when you enroll in a course with a live instructor who can interact with you in real-time. Internships are very similar to apprenticeships, helping you gain valuable animation experience and learn career-ready skills. They don’t, however, guarantee you a job or pay very much. Most internships only offer a relatively small stipend, college credit, or experience to add to your resume. You can also find internships more easily than apprenticeships.