Animation Workshops

Animation Workshops

Tuesday 21 July – Tuesday 1 September

This 7-week course explores how to create an animation through every stage of production and is suitable for all skill levels and ages (9–90).

You’ll learn how to:

• Sketch storyboards
• Design your own characters
• Create looping animations
• Animate characters
• Animate creatures
• Produce a themed animation of approximately 15 seconds

The course focuses on hand-drawn animation, using paper-based techniques that are either compiled digitally or taken home as flip books. It provides a friendly, welcoming environment where anyone interested in animation can experiment, develop new skills and enjoy a creative challenge.

Meet the Tutor

The course is led by Sproutt, a passionate storyboard artist, illustrator and 2D animator.

After three years as a self-taught artist, she has completed four years of animation education at college and university, with her final year still to come. She has been mentored by leading animators including:

• Seb Burnett (Co-founder of Double Cat Productions and former Co-founder of Rumpus Animation, Bristol)
• Bryan Panks (Creator of the Max Bear TV series)

Sproutt has also worked professionally on illustration, storyboard, comic and 2D animation projects for clients.

Her aim is to inspire people of all ages to discover the joy of hand-drawn animation and visual storytelling.

You can see examples of her work on Instagram at @sproutt_art or via her online portfolio.

Equipment

All equipment will be provided.

You’re also very welcome to bring your own stationery if you prefer.

Course Information

Sessions take place on Tuesdays at 1:00pm from 21 July to 1 September.

• £10 per individual workshop
• £60 for all seven workshops (£10 saving automatically applied)
• Workshops 1–6 are 90 minutes.
• The final workshop lasts 2½ hours.

A small number of reduced-price places are available for anyone who would otherwise be unable to attend. If cost is a barrier, please email petra.mansour@curzon.org.uk.

Weekly Programme

Week 1 – Storyboarding & Sketching

Learn gesture drawing and sketching before exploring how these techniques are used to create storyboards. We’ll discuss tone and shape before creating your own storyboard for a short sequence.

Practical: Create and storyboard your own short story.

Week 2 – Character Design & Visual Appeal

Discover how shape and colour influence character design. Learn about shape language and colour theory before designing your own original character.

Practical: Create a character design sheet.

Week 3 – Looping Animations

Explore how repeated cycles such as walking, running or falling rain are animated.

Using lightboxes, you’ll draw each frame of a looping animation.

Practical: Create a looping animation.

Attendees will receive a digital GIF of their completed animation.

Week 4 – The 12 Principles of Animation

Learn Disney’s famous 12 Principles of Animation and understand how they create natural, believable movement.

You’ll apply one of these principles to improve the animation created in Week 3.

Practical: Animate an action using one animation principle.

Week 5 – Animating Characters

Learn how to simplify character designs for animation while maintaining consistency and expressive movement.

Practical: Create a flipbook animation of a character performing an action.

Week 6 – Animating Creatures

Design an original creature or monster and explore how to imagine movement for something that doesn’t exist.

Practical: Create a flipbook animation of your creature, giving it a unique style of movement.

Week 7 – Final Project

Bring together everything you’ve learned throughout the course.

At the start of the session, the group will vote on a shared theme before creating a short animated sequence using your preferred techniques.

Practical: Produce the equivalent of a 15-second animated scene inspired by the chosen theme.