Ember Art Guild students drawing together

2D Animation: Bring Your Character to Life

April 2027 · Four-week studio

Create a finished animated performance from pose to polish.

Tuition covers all four sessions. Studios are non-refundable.

Put your art into motion.

 

Animation makes every drawing decision matter. In this four-week studio, students learn how timing, spacing, strong key poses, anticipation, follow-through, arcs, overlap, facial expression, and secondary motion create the illusion of life. Students begin with a focused motion exercise, develop a simple character action, add personality and acting, and polish a short 2–5 second performance shot designed to be achievable within the course.

 

What Students will Learn:

Timing and spacing; key poses; squash and stretch; anticipation; follow-through; arcs; overlap; secondary motion; character acting; facial expression; cleanup and presentation.

 

4-Week Project Arc:

Week 1: Timing, spacing, key poses, and squash & stretch.
Week 2: Animate a simple action with anticipation, action, and follow-through.
Week 3: Add personality through posing, expression, arcs, overlap, and secondary motion.
Week 4: Polish and present a finished 2–5 second performance shot.

 

Final Project:

Polished 2–5 second animated character performance shot.

 

Recommended Student / Fit:

Students ages 13-18 who enjoy drawing characters. Previous animation experience is not required, but students should be comfortable drawing digitally.

 

Outcome:

Students finish an actual animated shot while learning principles that improve posing, drawing, storytelling, and character appeal.