World Animation Day: Indian animator shares an easy guide for beginners to dabble with their creativity

October 28th today marks the occasion of World Animation Day Those who aspire to hone their skills in this craft often have the same quintessential queries mdash the fastest way to learn animation the best software or online tools to practise the channels to follow among numerous others But all these do not address the fundamentals that make an animator We reached out to senior animator and filmmaker Kireet Khurana to suggest tips and lessons for enthusiasts and serious beginners alikeA still from the painted animation film Loving VincentYes to art not computersMany have the misconception that software determines animation skills But regardless of how technically proficient you are digital tools are of no help if you donrsquot know how to use them to create the final creative result Khurana says ldquoThe number one thing that any expert in the field will tell you is to study art not technology Run away from computers and software as much as possible at least initiallyA still from the animated film Chicken for Linda using one colour for each character Pics courtesySalvo did it and gkids films on YoutubeTherersquos nothing you can achieve by learning 2D 3D and paint sofware programmes if you donrsquot know how to draw and paintrdquo While the technicals may be learnt through consistent practice over a few months an art foundation takes at least a few years to build ldquoThat is where the focus should berdquo Khurana emphasisesLifedrawing and anatomyA still from Waltz with Bashir Pic courtesyDocplay on YoutubeAnimation is the art of infusing movement into artistic images that are otherwise still Learning lifedrawing and anatomy is crucial Khurana says ldquoIf you donrsquot know anatomy you canrsquot be a great modeller rigger or texturing artist If you donrsquot know gesture drawing you canrsquot be a good animator as animation depends mostly on locomotion muscles and bones of charactersrdquo he explainsBooks over videosA still from Boy and the World Pic courtesyDiff on youtubeWhile a beginner may believe that watching professionals may be a faster way to learn animation Khurana strongly advises reading a host of books which are a continuous source of knowledge He adds ldquoAnimation is a domain where techniques tools and designs are constantly evolving The stronger the fundamentals the better it is in the long runrdquoChoose suitable softwareKireet Khurana File picEventually software does enter the picture It is not randomly chosen but instead based on the assessment of a personrsquos individual style work and creative requirements ldquoOnce a person has done an exhaustive Fine Arts programme they must focus on brushing up their software skillsrdquo the animation veteran tells us ldquoA few examples of ideal software are the 3D tools Autodesk Maya and Blender Da Vinci Resolve and software from the Adobe Creative Cloud like Animate and PhotoshoprdquoNo shortcutsAnimation is very much an art that needs to be given a dedicated amount of time and effort ldquoSo many ask me about quick ways to learn but there are no shortcuts Whether yoursquore going to be a matte painter texture artist lighting artist modeller animator compositor VFX artist or director it will and should take a few years before you get goodrdquo Khurana signs offThe beginnersrsquo guidebookBook recommendationsA still from the handdrawn film The Breadwinner pics courtesyStudiocanalUK and screen international on youtubegtgt Animation From Script to Screen 1990 St Martinrsquos Griffin by Shamus Culhanegtgt The Animatorrsquos Survival Kit 2009 Faber by Richard Williamsgtgt Disney Animation The Illusion of Life 1995 Disney Editions by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnstongtgt Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain 2012 Tarcher by Betty Edwardsgtgt Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist 1982 OUP USA by Stephen Rogers PeckFilm recommendationsA still from The Swallows of Kabulgtgt Boy and the World 2013gtgt Loving Vincent 2017gtgt The Breadwinner 2017gtgt Waltz with Bashir 2008gtgt The Swallows of Kabul 2019gtgt Chicken for Linda 2023Information courtesy Kireet Khurana