How to Become an Animator
by From the movie screen to video games, almost everyone has heard of animators. And many people probably want to become animators. If you’re one of these people then there are some things you should know about this occupation.
Passion for Drawing
If you really want to become an animator then you have to learn how to draw. Sketches, storyboarding, life drawings, cartoons; etc are all something that you should have a very strong grasp of. And you really need to be at the top of your class when it comes to drawing because you will spend endless hours doing just that.
Many animators draw for hours on end. It is not unheard of for animators to work fifteen to twenty hours a day. Sound like fun? If your answer is no then you should probably look for another occupation.
Creativity
In order to succeed at being an animator, it helps to have a lot of creativity. Being a creative animator can take many forms. You could be an expert when it comes to cartoon characters, or you could be a 3d modeling genius. Or there is always special effects, which can range from computer generated clouds to laser beams for a science fiction movie.
Portfolio
If you’re truly serious about becoming an animator then you need to have a portfolio of your work. You should include several images of your best drawings, computer generated images, and a couple of minutes worth of animations that you’ve worked on. If your portfolio is full of average or below average artwork then no one will ever take you seriously.
You may even want to build your own website and display some of your work on it. But be sure and copyright your work if you do decide to place it on your website, or someone might steal it. A digital watermark over your images might also come in handy.
Good Computer Skills
In the past, an animator needed to be a master at drawing. However, these days you need to be a master with your computer skills as well. You should know Photoshop, 3d Studio Max, Maya, Lightwave, and other similar software programs. At the very least, you should be proficient in Photoshop and one 3d animation package. But the more you know, the better off you will be.
As you can see, being an animator is a lot of work. The hours can be quite cruel, and having great drawing skills is a must. If you do decide to become an animator, you will have to be one of the best if you want to survive in this business. However, if you think you have what it takes then have at it.
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Post Commentnemo
On January 11, 2008 at 12:13 am
How can I know if I REALLY have what it takes to be an animator?
landorf_the_great
On March 17, 2008 at 9:16 pm
cant wait to get started! sounds like funnnnnn
seanzii
On March 30, 2008 at 8:12 pm
this question goes to people currently working in animation.
what are the benefits of being animator.
seanzii
On March 30, 2008 at 8:13 pm
this question goes to people currently working in animation.
what are the benefits of being animator.
theblackcat
On March 30, 2008 at 8:48 pm
is it damn necessry to have superb drawing skills???
Felicity
On April 24, 2008 at 10:48 am
I have great drawing skills and I’ve always dreamed to be an animator! I’ll need to work on my computer skills. Thanks 4 telling me!
artman
On July 22, 2008 at 12:25 pm
i’ve got good drawing skills and like drawing cartoons,so how do i become an animator?
Joshua
On September 29, 2008 at 5:04 pm
I love to draw…
i can draw better than anyone in my school…
i really have a gift..
i cant wait until i become an animator and create my own cartoon..
Portebee
On October 22, 2008 at 10:32 am
I have a question did the animators take a bath?
floatzel
On November 24, 2008 at 12:28 pm
i been drawing since i was little and i always thought about making my own cartoon. i want to do 3D and 2D animations for cartoons and movies. i want to make cartoons like bambi, spirit, jimmy neutron, shrek, madagascar, and much more!
Yazuki
On November 30, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I want to become an animator to change the world. To send a message about life and to become a better person. I think a person who wants to truly become an animator must have heart to what they’re doing purposely… (and have fun)…. that’s why sometime anime become boring because the moral is not deliver right… this is just something i hope people who wants to become an animator truly live up to…. (my hope)…..
stranger
On December 20, 2008 at 9:03 am
how do u improve on ur computer skills?
Hugh Fisher
On January 19, 2009 at 9:00 pm
i like it in the bum
Saix
On February 13, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Hugh Fisher fails at life
anyway, I would love to do this… the description fits me perfectly.. I would die to be an animator and get Neota onto television :’D
CHIKI
On February 14, 2009 at 11:33 am
To improve on your computer skills is very simple, first learn all you can about computers, you know, look up stuff on the web
Also buy, download, and try different things that have to do with drawing or photography (many of these thing are listed in the article). Lastly i would say that if you’re serious about an animation job then the school you go to will probably have a computer/ technology class. For example ITT Technical Institute of Drafting and Design is a school that helps with many different career fields like this, they’ll know how to help you with the both improving your drawing technique and with the computer stuff… PEACE!
Kimberly
On April 8, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Is being an animator a peice of cake or really hard? and how much do you make a week, month, and year?
Author
On April 11, 2009 at 7:09 pm
Depends on your definition of hard. There’s long hours, lots of drawing (traditional and computer); etc. As for money, I’ll give you an example. One person I knew who majored in animation interned for a company for a few months. After her internship, she was offered a job for around eight dollars an hour. She would have worked around sixteen hours a day, seven days a week. This is entry level for the record. And this doesn’t mean that every company is going to start you off at eight dollars an hour. It just depends on how big the company is, your skill level, your determination; etc.
collin
On April 30, 2009 at 2:13 pm
this is awsome I love to draw it is prettty cool I love the computer
dharmendra singh
On May 2, 2009 at 10:20 am
Good morning i want become a animator but i am not getting the
way from where to start.i have no tallent for drawing but i can draw.I need a lot of money for my family that we are suffering
in a very critical condition from a long time, also became debtor in the market,i am in the last stage now .i can try hard
for these job this is my dream.lets see what happens.
p-o-r-k-y
On May 4, 2009 at 7:47 pm
going to school for this real soon! I cant wait!!
i think its gonna be fun! p-o-r-k-y.deviantart.com
veryconfusedartstudent!!!
On May 22, 2009 at 2:06 am
I am a student at Parson’s School for design and declared my major recently in illustration (animation is a subset of the illustration department) and I am afraid I made the wrong choice!! I went there originally for fashion and have been drawing fashion drawings for years; I do it literally all the time! But recently I felt an animation career (specifically working for Pixar) would offer more depth and substance than a fashion career would. I still don’t know if I made the right choice is there any way I could get the best of both worlds?
kity
On May 26, 2009 at 6:05 pm
i love drawing, im good at it, i cant get photoshop to work tho but i have paint(online) and window movie maker,im working on videos, but how do you BECOME a animator?
iCrownStudios
On May 29, 2009 at 4:13 pm
i love cartoons
im actually animating my own and im only a teen
iCrownStudios@Youtube
Katie
On June 3, 2009 at 2:14 pm
I really,really want to become an animator, but it sounds hard. I’m just a 9 year old kid,and I want to start early so I don’t have to do the hard stuff later so can I just do it an easier way? Do I have what it takes to do it?
Katie
On June 3, 2009 at 2:27 pm
I have a picture I want to animate, but I have to draw it the same(but not the part I want to move). How do I trace it exatly like the first one(*again* but not the part I want to move)?
Aaron Conor
On June 3, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Katie, this may help you: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Flipbook
Katie
On June 4, 2009 at 9:50 am
Dear Aaron Conor,
I tried that web sight, but it said it doesn’t have something like that. I tried some computer animation, but I always mess up on the backgrounds, and I either exit out, or start all over again. It’s starting to make me angry! What to do, what to do. Do you think you know what to do??? Please help me!!
from,
Katie
Katie
On June 4, 2009 at 10:07 am
Dear Aaron Conor,
*Sigh* I tried animating my picture on a paint thing on the computer,but that didn’t work. On YOUTUBE, I saw on a video this person had red lines to trace over to help, I tried it and couldn’t find it. Do you know how to do it Aaron???????? If so please,please,PLEASE help me. I’m just a 9 year old girl, but I want to pracitce(mabey even start early so I don’t have to do the hard stuff later).
from,
Katie
P.S.
Can my Art Teather help me to draw,sketch,and animate so that it’s eaiser to do it in the future??
Katie
On June 4, 2009 at 10:11 am
P.S.S.
Get to me asap(as soon as possible)Aaron.
from Katie
Rachel
On June 30, 2009 at 4:09 pm
I really want to become an animator and I have extreme talent in art, I’m at the top of my class and people always turn to me when they need help. Even though I have all this talent I dont have very much experience with ditigital art programs…is it possible to have an animation career without having much to do with computers?
Curly
On July 12, 2009 at 4:30 pm
There’s this animation program that’s free to download on the web, it’s called Pencil – it’s pretty easy to use as well, y’all should give it a try. I think there’s also some tutorials on how to use it on Youtube. Hope that helps!
JoshClinks
On September 1, 2009 at 3:40 am
I can’t believe it, wow. 15-20 hours?!
I need to kick it up If I ever want to get to this point. All I do is draw cartoon and Anime. I need to do some realistic stuff too.
Spri
On November 2, 2009 at 5:06 pm
I find it funny how people write these kind of things to try and discourage others from becoming an animator as well. They’re afraid of competition, so try not to get intimidated by this post.
varun
On January 6, 2010 at 7:27 am
The most important qualities required for an animator
1.Creativity(Your own ideas that can change the world)
2.Love for computers(If u dont love computers this is not the right career for u)
3.Drawing(Not really necessary but if u have that artistic talent its an icing on the cake.As i said creativity is the most important quality)
VINAY
On October 1, 2010 at 9:00 am
HI, I AM VINAY AND MY DREAM IS TO BECOME AN ANIMATOR IN FUTURE . BUT I DON’T KNOW HOW TO START .LOTS OF QUESTIONS ARE THERE IN MY MIND THAT WHAT IS THE FEE,WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO AN ANIMATOR ,HOW CAN I START.
IF YOU CAN TELL THAN TELL ME ON MY ID:VINAYSRI11@INDYAROCK.COM
THANK YOU.
satya
On December 5, 2010 at 8:21 am
hai,can u explain clearly how to become an animator.?
k-man
On January 17, 2011 at 5:17 pm
This is all wrong I’m in studying right now at animation mentor and you don’t need to be good at drawing at all!!!!!! Every mentor told me you don’t. a mentor told me that in his studio best animators in his studio can’t draw at all and they do around 60 shots in one movie while others rarelly do 30 some just do 15 shots with really tight deadlines in the film like tangled they only had 6 months to animate the while film, hope this helps ^^
Julisa
On January 25, 2011 at 11:24 am
I am really good at drawing and can develop stories really well. My computer skills are not that savvy yet so that’s my only challenge. The thing about me is that I have all these stories in my head that I want to expose to the world, not just on life but of humanity, spirituality, and the concept of love. I’ve seen great books on these subjects and I want to create visual representations that people can appreciate. So many ideas, yet the process will be difficult. I mean, not only is the field competitive but you have to get your idea across just right for others to understand it. I’ve run into several challenges before (on videos for class and such) and in animation, it’s going to be more tedious because you have to create EVERYTHING. Nevertheless, I’ve always been passionate about what I want to do and if there are difficult peaks, then I have to cross them. That’s just the reality of it.
Blackrose
On June 28, 2011 at 12:08 am
I want to be an animator so badly.. I love to draw.. but the problem is that I can’t draw realistic things, nor background.. I have no experience in Photoshop.. I only have 1 year.. no like half year to lean all that.. but I must study for tests like TOEFL, TOEIC, SAT, DELE, etc.. in which I’m really bad at.. I don’t know why but my grades in this year was terrible.. don’t know what happened to me.. I’m really desperated.. I want to cry like crazy.. I always dream about making my own animations in Japan.. I’m in crisis…;;;