20 things you can expect as a traditional (2D) animation student that they never tell you:
you will love your rough drawings more than your clean
if you don’t flip your drawings your teachers will know. oh they will know.
you will draw an insane amount of detail at first in hopes to impress your teachers. don’t. they’ll get you to inbetween that shit and it’s not fun. trust me, there’s a reason successful cartoon shows have nice, simple, clean designs.
line weight is hella important. as is colour theory.
storyboarding is not easy. it’s actually in demand rn because of how time consuming/difficult it is. lots of fun though especially if you’re a creative person.
the animator’s survival kit is your bible. doesn’t matter that thing weighs as much as a small child. take that shit with you everywhere. it is now your baby.
glen keane is considered a deity amongst animators.
your teachers will likely look hella young but irl be much much older. this seems to be a side effect of working in kid’s shows for over 10 years. it is a good thing.
every animator knows the impending dread of deadlines. yes, this includes your teachers. it is likely many of them will be working at studios/their own projects the same time as teaching. that is why they are immortal and their wisdom incomparable.
speaking of deadlines, say goodbye to a regular sleeping pattern and balanced lifestyle
if your wrist starts to ache like a bitch then start drawing more with your shoulder. loosey goosey baby. loosey goosey.
life drawing is essential. don’t skip that shit. anatomy is important. even if your character has six arms and five eyes you still need to be able to make them move.
you are regarded as a dying breed amongst the 3d kids. that’s ok. give them a pencil and paper and ask them to animate a 4 legged walk cycle traditionally. see what happens.
however if you’re anything like me, maya will look like a foreign language to you.
srsly wtf is maya? what sacrifice to the animation gods must i make to understand this program?
watching your favourite cartoons and animated movies regularly is important not only to motivate but is essential bonding time with your classmates. only now everyone wants to talk about how beautiful the backgrounds in steven universe are as well as cry over the character designs.
perspective is hard. period.
there is always that one kid in class who’s already done their 10,000 drawings and are untouchable. those are the ones to sit near in the hopes you can try and get some of that raw talent to rub off onto you.
coffee/energy drinks/sugar will rise to the top of your already crumbling food pyramid.
you improve lots. and some days something will just click and all of a sudden you’re firing out 40 frames an hour.
and finally no. 21 the most important thing of all: bring a blanket and something squishy to sleep on and leave them at school. there will be emergency nap times. sometimes weekly. sometimes daily.
