Hello Everyone - I'm New!

[araknidkid]

Hi, I'm new here, hence the title "Hello Everyone - I'm New!"

I guess I should tell a little bit about myself. My name's Steve. I'm 16. I'm in the 10th grade.

I LOVE to draw. In class, I find myself drawing all the time. I doodle, I draw comics (which is my main niche, if you will) and I do more serious pieces as well.
I have so many ideas. I have dozens and DOZENS of comics! (I'll have to dedicate an afternoon just to uploading all them comics so you can read them!) However, they are of an...adult...nature. Not so much sexual (though that's not to say there's NOTHING sexual...) but more foul, violent and disturbing. Socially unacceptable subject matter. What can I say, I'm a rebel.

:D

Anyways. My main aspiration in life is to be an ANIMATOR. I do feel that paper has it's limits and what I want to achieve can only be reached through the magic of animation.

Here's what I've got to work with: One PC, A WACOM tablet, an HP scanner, Adobe Photoshop (I almost typed Pohoto Shop xD) and Adobe Imageready. I had Flash MX2004 but I couldn't figure it out for the life of me.

What I ultimately want to do is create funny cartoons. However, I want to start small. I need to learn how to animate. I have basic anatomy and expression DOWN-PACKED!

So...basically, I'm lost. I'm lost and I need guidance. Can anyone tell me..."how" to animate? That sounds like a dumb question but hopefully someone can direct me. Given the supplies I've listed and the programs, I need to figure out how to start animating.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to making visits to his forum frequently!

[pcdoctor]

Wow! Sounds like you have the correct hardware and software.
Here are more hardware recommendations (books).

1. Animation 1 (HT26) by Preston Blair
or
2. Cartoon Animation (The Collector's Series) by Preston Blair
or
3. The Animator's Workbook by Tony White
or
4. The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams

Some also recommend "The Illusion of Life" but I have #2 and #3.
I felt that #4 was too hard for a newbie.

[jtg91]

Welcome to AF araknidkid. pc doctor has some good books for you to get i would recomend The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams as it is what the title is. Now it sounds like your style is to draw traditionaly and then with all the images on to a computer and then animate them so i would also recommend the software toon boom studio, this is an excellent piece of software that follows the traditional methods of animation but on pc.

Now where to start basicaly there are three animations that i know that people use to start off with that is the bouncing ball animation http://www.animationforum.net/forum/showthread.php?t=385&highlight=bouncing+ball
this demonstartes timing and the squash and stretch technique this is basicaly where everyone starts.

The walkcycle is also somewhere where people start, in animation you are going to have to do this so its better to master the technique early it doesnt have to be complecated but just get the basics right. (if you watch cartoons like on nickolodeon you will notice that you hardly ever see this and you never realy see below there feet unless they are standing still this is called limited animation and is what all the weekend cartoons use due to time and money if you can master this technique you can still make awsome animations but without the hard bits)

The emotionless sack is the harder one that takes time all it is is that you have to show several emotions using only a sack kinda like the magic carpet on aladin.

Well basicaly just start very basic you can animate little things like a very very basic character to start with. but dont go to hard as if you go to dificult you may become bord because it will frustrate you so wait to you get your technique and style first, the jump in the deep end.

hope this helps

[pixelmark]

Sounds like you're off to a good start! You've definately found a good place here to help you out. For some Flash basics check this out: http://www.cartoonsolutions.com/store/catalog/Free-Tutorials-sp-29.html

...or you can download Plastic Animation Paper (http://www.plasticanimationpaper.dk/) a FREEE animation software! Welcome, and have fun!

[jtg91]

It doesnt sound like your the flash kinda of guy by the way you like to draw and animate, but if you want to find some good tutorials using flash goto either the one what pixel said or www.cartoonsmart.com

[araknidkid]

Thanks for your prompt and concise replies!

As I've said in my initial post, I'm trying to stay away from Flash because 1. I can't download/buy it and 2. It's really complicated and finally 3. because it's not the style of animation I'm going for.

I'll check out ToonBoom studio, thanks again everyone!

[araknidkid]

Sorry for the double post, but I have an update:

I checked out both ToonBoom and Paper Animation Plastic (or whatever it's called :P).

ToonBoom only offers a trial (which I'm assuming doesn't allow saves and/or is very limited) and PAP offers only the free version which is also very limited.

I'd like to get ToonBoom because it seems to have more features and things like that. Before I start animating though, I need to practice drawing out the frames of some animations on paper first.

I don't know where in the world I'll get 350 dollars from (except from my bank account, I'm saving up for a car) and even then the 50 dollar version is heavily limited.

[jtg91]

well its the price u got to pay to be an animator get the trial and see if you like it 1st though. fair enough the studio express is limited but im sure if you master the software you could work round this.

[pixelmark]

Yeah, with PAP you can pretty much animate like you would with pencil tests, and export the frames as jpegs. I bring those into Flash for coloring and syncing to sound. The home version, which I have allows you to change the lines to blue lines and redraw on top and then delete the bluelines. Toonboom is definately a fuller program, if you don't like Flash so much. Best of luck either way, man!:)

[LanceITP]

Yes. Araknidkid, drawing comics could lead to a job doing Storyboards. (But this is way down the road...)

I have Toon Boom Studio v3.0 (They came out with a new version just a few months after I got it). But I've never seen PAP, so... Anyway, from what others here say, and my experience, I'd say Try Toon Boom. The only limit I know of is that a "TBS" watermark will be attached to all your drawing elements, when you export animations.

[jtg91]

that wont matter though the only problem i could see you coming across is the only 2 pegs limit.

[pcdoctor]

Sorry for the double post, but I have an update:

I checked out both ToonBoom and Paper Animation Plastic (or whatever it's called :P).

ToonBoom only offers a trial (which I'm assuming doesn't allow saves and/or is very limited) and PAP offers only the free version which is also very limited.

I'd like to get ToonBoom because it seems to have more features and things like that. Before I start animating though, I need to practice drawing out the frames of some animations on paper first.

I don't know where in the world I'll get 350 dollars from (except from my bank account, I'm saving up for a car) and even then the 50 dollar version is heavily limited.

With you being a student, you should be able to get an academic version.
Shop around before you buy for the best price.

http://www.academicsuperstore.com/market/marketdisp.html?PartNo=763949&qk_srch=toon+boom