Cartoony
Animation Course for 3D Animators
Pro Animators Mentor You to Be Successful
Our mentors are the heart and soul of Animation Mentor: veteran studio animators who work with you 1:1 every week to push your cartoony animation to the next level.
Why Take Cartoony Animation for 3D Animators at Animation Mentor
1-on-1 Feedback From a Studio Pro
During this 6-week workshop, you'll have live Q&As with your mentor each week, plus assignments designed to build your skills. Your mentor reviews your work and provides you with a video of their feedback so you can improve.
Add Some Variety to Your Demo Reel
Showcase your animation skills by adding cartoony-style shots to your repertoire. Let recruiters know that you have the ability to animate in any style, and take your demo reel to stand out and be noticed.
Live Weekly Q&As
Review available mentors and Q&A times for the workshop, all held in Pacific time, and meet with your mentor each week for guidance and live feedback.
On-Going Rig Access
Keep on-going access to the production-quality character rigs you use during the workshop, so you can keep building your cartoony reel after class ends.
What You'll Be Able to Do
- Master exaggeration, one of the 12 Principles of Animation
- Give your characters dynamic ways to express themselves
- Make a strong, appealing pose that reads clearly
- Break down master animators' poses to learn what makes a great shot
- Bring 2D principles to 3D character animation
- Push poses to their extreme to create dynamic movement and stretch
- Use smear frames and other advanced animation techniques to create appeal and visual interest
- Create shots that are eye-catching for your demo reel
Skills You'll Gain
What You'll Build
Over six weeks you'll create eye-catching cartoony shots, each one designed to add variety and personality to your demo reel.
A Strong, Appealing Pose
A clean, dynamic pose that reads clearly and shows you understand what makes a great cartoony shot.
An Exaggerated Cartoony Shot
A shot built on extreme posing and classic Looney Tunes-style exaggeration.
2D Principles in a 3D Shot
A 3D character animation that brings in 2D principles like smear frames and stretch for visual interest and appeal.
The Cartoony Animation for 3D Animators Curriculum
Exaggeration & Making a Strong Pose
Master exaggeration, one of the 12 Principles of Animation, and learn what makes a good pose.
Exaggeration is one of the fundamental principles you need to master before pushing a pose to its extreme.
- Exaggeration as a principle of animation
- What makes a strong, appealing pose
- The difference between spline and constructional drawing
Breaking Down Poses & 2D Concepts
Break down master animators' poses and learn the 2D concepts that drive cartoony animation.
In this part of the workshop you'll break down master animators' poses to learn what makes a great shot, and explore the 2D concepts behind cartoony movement.
- Break down master animators' poses
- 2D concepts and techniques
- Pushing poses for cartoony appeal
2D Character Animation I
Apply 2D animation principles to create appeal, then learn to apply those techniques in 3D.
Create cartoony animation drawings that bring stories and entertaining actions to the audience. In this lesson you'll amplify your characters and use breakdowns to showcase dynamic character transitions.
- Cartoony 2D drawing techniques
- Amplifying your characters
- Dynamic character transitions
Bringing 2D Principles to 3D Character Animation I
Bring a whole new experience to your 3D animation by taking 2D principles into your 3D shots.
Bring a whole new experience to your 3D animation. This session ties together all the 2D principles you studied in previous sessions and you'll use how to apply that in a character within Maya. Your mentor will demonstrate the workflow and you'll start to block out a shot in Maya using these techniques.
- Applying 2D principles in Maya
- Mentor-demonstrated workflow
- Blocking out a cartoony 3D shot
Bringing 2D Principles to 3D Character Animation II
Refine your cartoony 3D shot in the style of Looney Tunes and Disney's New Old Men.
In this session you'll refine the shot you started in Session 3 and keep pushing your shapes and lines of action. Your mentor will continue to demonstrate their workflow and techniques to bring that extra sparkle to your animation.
- Refining shapes and lines of action
- Pushing cartoony appeal in 3D
- Polishing your final shot
Ready to Start Animating?
A 6-week workshop with weekly live Q&As and 1:1 mentor feedback. Enroll at Animation Mentor.
- 6-week workshop
- Weekly live Q&As + 1:1 feedback
- Taught in Autodesk Maya
- $899 USD
Frequently Asked Questions
Cartoony animation pushes poses and movement to their extreme to give characters dynamic, exaggerated ways to express themselves. Think classic Looney Tunes-style techniques like smear frames, squash and stretch, and strong appealing poses.
Both are stylized forms of animation, but Western cartoony animation, the focus of this workshop, leans on the classic Looney Tunes and Disney tradition of exaggeration, strong posing, and dynamic, expressive movement.
This workshop begins with hand-drawn 2D master studies because cartoony principles are most efficiently absorbed through drawing, then teaches you to bring those same 2D principles into 3D character animation in Autodesk Maya.
Yes. This workshop is aimed at animators who already know the 3D fundamentals. You should have a working knowledge of Autodesk Maya before you begin.
Yes. If you're not satisfied with the workshop, you can request a refund. Review Animation Mentor's refund policy when you enroll.
Plan to set aside time each week for the live Q&A with your mentor plus your weekly assignment so you get the most out of the 6-week workshop.
