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2D Animation Foundations

Online 2D animation course taught by professional film and game animators

Overview

Learn 2D Animation from the Animators Behind Iconic Films and Shows

Bring characters and scenes to life by mastering the art of 2D animation! Learn to create the illusion of movement while navigating Toon Boom Harmony, the industry-standard software used by studios worldwide.

Why Study 2D Animation at CG Spectrum?

  • Master Hand-Drawn Animation: Create dynamic, character-driven animations.
  • Learn Industry-Standard Tools: Gain proficiency in professional techniques and software.
  • Mentorship from Industry Experts: Train with animators behind iconic films and TV shows.
  • Flexible Study and Payment Options: Tailor your learning to suit your schedule.

Dive into both modern and traditional animation workflows to develop hand-drawn-style animations from scratch. With personalized guidance from world-class professionals, you'll gain the skills and confidence to stand out in the competitive animation industry.

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Our Difference

Master Your Skills. Master Your Future.

Whether straight out of high school, changing careers, or upgrading skills, our career-focused 2D animation courses help you build practical job skills that are required in the industry.

badge_mentor_bronze Industry Mentors Learn from the best! Our instructors are seasoned industry pros and bring real-world knowledge to the classroom, ensuring you're equipped with the skills that studios demand.  
badge_mastery_bronze Outcomes Our goal is to make you job-ready. You'll graduate with technical skills and a deep understanding of the animation industry, making you a valuable asset to any studio.  
badge_community_bronze Community Join an active community and network with peers, mentors, and industry professionals. Our strong industry connections can help you access job opportunities post-graduation.  
Course Information

Everything You Need To Know

Quick Overview
Course Structure
What You'll Learn
Tuition & Payment
certificate-bronze-03 Qualification Industry certificate  
trimesters-bronze-02 Study Load

20hrs/week

 
calendar-bronze Program Length

9 months

 
online-bronze-01 Delivery Mode Online live classes
Custom video lectures
Personalised mentor feedback
 
tuition-bronze-01 Skill Level

Beginner to Intermediate
No entry requirements

 
start-date-bronze-02 Start Dates
January 6, 2025 February 3, 2025 March 3, 2025
 

Your pathway to the film and games industry

The 9-month Foundations Course is the first half of our Career Track, helping you pave your pathway into the creative industries. Gain foundational skills and knowledge that will prepare you for advanced industry training.

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Want to take your education higher?

Did you know that the subjects you complete in the career track courses can be used to apply for credit toward our accredited degrees and diplomas in the same discipline? 

The skills and knowledge you build in any industry-certificate course can be transferred into academic credits through our Advanced Standing and Credit Transfer process. So, if you decide to take your studies to the next level, know that your prior learning will be recognized.

Compare your options and find out which course is right for you.

Term 1: 12 weeks

Foundations 1: Essentials of 2D Animation

Starting with the 12 Principles of Animation, you'll learn 2D animation fundamentals step by step and start animating your first 2D pieces: the bouncing ball, flour sack jump, and a walk cycle that brings your animated character to life. You'll discover how to create an animated scene packed with personality and emotion, while also creating the illusion of three-dimensional space; learn key features of Toon Boom and get familiar with drawing tools, posing, timing, spacing, the timeline, and X-sheet. 

What You'll Learn
  • How to make your own 2D animations from scratch
  • Use Toon Boom Harmony software
  • Apply the 12 Principles of Animation
  • Create animated scenes using the most efficient workflows
Weekly Breakdown
  • 2D Animation Introduction and Overview
  • Bouncing Ball Animation Exercise
  • Adding a Tail to the Bouncing Ball
  • Drawing Fundamentals
  • Flour Sack Animation 01
  • Flour Sack Animation 02
  • Flour Sack Animation 03
  • Animating a Walk 01
  • Animating a Walk 02
  • Animating a Walk 03
  • Animating a Simple Character Take
  • Animating a Complex Character Take
Term 2: 12 weeks

Foundations 2: Core 2D Animation Principles

This term focuses on drawing skills, advanced physical human and quadruped animation, plus animating pantomime and simple dialogue scenes. You'll study the greats and discover what makes their work so captivating, learn the importance of silhouettes, how to use a variety of timing in your story, and gain speed creating thumbnails and key poses.

What You'll Learn
  • Identify what makes or breaks a scene
  • Leverage anatomy principles in your work
  • Create your own compelling pantomime animation
  • Bring creatures to life with believable movement
Weekly Breakdown
  1. Introduction to Drawing the Human Figure
  2. Drawing the Quadruped Figure
  3. Quadruped Walk: Rough Animation  01
  4. Quadruped Walk: Rough Animation 02
  5. Biped Run in Perspective 01
  6. Biped Run in Perspective 02
  7. Acting for Animators
  8. Creating a Pantomime Situation 01
  9. Creating a Pantomime Situation 02
  10. Study and Analysis of Animation Greats
  11. Short Character Monolog 01
  12. Short Character Monolog 02
Term 3: 12 weeks

Foundations 3: Professional 2D Animation

By this stage, you’re ready for more advanced aspects of 2D: creating appealing characters, solid drawings, expressive acting and FX animation. Increase your technical skills while working towards creating a polished dialogue scene. Finish the course by finalizing your animation projects for your portfolio and exploring next steps with your mentor.

What You'll Learn
  • Gather & analyze reference
  • Create unique character performances
  • Stage & animate emotional action
  • Convey realistic expressions
Weekly Breakdown
  1. Introduction & Overview
  2. Personality Walk 01: Keying
  3. Personality Walk 02: Breakdowns & Cycles
  4. Personality Walk 03: Polish &
    Progressive Walk
  5. Pantomime 01: Setup & Keying
  6. Pantomime 02: Breakdowns
  7. Pantomime 03: Polish Pass
  8. Drama Monologue 01: Setup & Keying
  9. Drama Monologue 02: Keys & Breakdowns
  10. Drama Monologue 03: Overlap & Follow-through
  11. Drama Monologue 04: Polish Pass
  12. Character Acting: Review & Final Pass

Download the Course Guide

Your creative journey begins here! Download our comprehensive course guide and discover the exciting educational opportunities that await you.
Monthly
Upfront
SAVE 10%

Group Class

$1,222 USD/mo
$9,999 USD
CG Spectrum’s small group classes provide an ideal learning environment for aspiring artists to grow their skills and connect with peers. With a maximum of 4 students per class, the intimate setting ensures personalized attention from experienced industry mentors.

  4 students max class size

  Students are assigned mentor

  Group interaction & collaboration

Private 1:1

$1,711 USD/mo
$13,999 USD
Learning 1-on-1 with CG Spectrum provides personalized guidance from industry experts, tailored feedback, and flexible scheduling. This focused approach helps students master skills, build competitive portfolios, and prepare for careers in games, film, and animation.

  Private dedicated mentor

  Students choose their mentor


  More dedicated time per week

Don't Put Your Future On Hold

Financing shouldn't stand in the way of pursuing your dream career. No matter where you are in your creative learning journey, our financing options have been designed with you in mind.
Mentors

Learn Directly From Film & Game Mentors

To be the best, it helps to learn from the best. All 3D modeling classes are taught by professional 3D modelers with years of experience.

Student Testimonials

Get The Education Your Deserve

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"One of the best decisions I've ever made for my career.

I've learned and grown so much throughout this program and I loved the resources in the CG Spectrum community, such as finding new job opportunities and meeting other students and mentors. I took advantage of everything CG Spectrum had to offer and as a result, I landed my dream job at my dream company (Dreamworks). Thank you CG Spectrum!"

 

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Tiffany L  |  3D Animation

 
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"The career program was invaluable!

I knew changing careers would have included things such as resumes, applications, networking, etc. The biggest thing I needed to understand was the nuances of the animation industry, etiquette for approaching recruiters, and what type of roles there were. These sessions really helped guide me, and explained how to approach my showreel and the subsequent application processes."

 

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James B  |  3D Animation

 
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"I’d take the course again if I could!

I can’t praise CG Spectrum enough for the quality of teaching and dedication to their students. Mark was by far the best mentor I’ve ever had. He really took the time to help design the course around what it is that I wanted to get out of it. I’ve studied other animation courses in the past, but none even come close to the depth and speed of development as CG Spectrum."

 

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Ned C  |  3D Animation

 
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"To better understand the industry, I enrolled at CG Spectrum.

There I was able to create a demo reel and build connections with professionals that ultimately led me to my first opportunity as an animator at Sony Imageworks. I have to give a HUGE shout-out to CG Spectrum’s Career Development Manager. She was the person who guided me through the entire application process. I honestly believe I would not have gotten this opportunity without her help."

 

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Jasmeet S  |  3D Animation

 
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"CG Spectrum has been an instrumental part of my growth.

CG Spectrum has helped me sharpen my skills, acquire new ones and strengthen my character animation abilities. This is an invaluable experience for anyone looking to take their skills to the next level."

 

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Phil M |  3D Animation

 
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"It's been extremely helpful for my portfolio and my confidence as an artist!

I've learned so much about not only animation, but the thought process an artist goes through when creating a piece."

 

shravani-kulkarni 
Shravani K |  3D Animation

 
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"Getting access to industry mentors is huge.

There's a world of information out there, but nothing compared to talking to someone in the know. CG Spectrum was one of those places. I really liked the 1-on-1 format. It was the first time I had an experienced animator open my scene file. It was what I needed to get over some technical hurdles."

 

Kyle Dahl 
Kyle D  |  3D Animation

 
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"I learned more in 9 months than other students do in 2 years.

The level of education I have received is unlike any other school I've come across. What separates CG Spectrum from other schools is that the mentors are not only talented professionals in their own right, but they also care about your success as an artist both in school and after you graduate. CG Spectrum is incredible, I cannot recommend it enough."

 

David-Jon-Nelson 
David N |  3D Animation

 
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Join Our Alumni at World Class Studios

Our mission is to train highly skilled graduates ensuring they are prepared for a successful career.  Take the first step towards joining our alumni at world-class studios creating work that inspires.

FAQ's

Questions? We Have Answers

What are the prerequisites for this 2D animation course?

Age Minimum
T
he general minimum age to be able to enroll in our industry certificate courses is 16. We require parent or guardian consent during the enrollment process for applicants under 18.

Students under 16 will require a further assessment before they can officially enrol. This may include an interview with a course advisor and the creation of a study plan to ensure they have considered how they will manage a college-level workload.

English Proficiency
We expect our students to have a good understanding of written and spoken English. There’s no specific ’level'; however, you must be able to understand video tutorials in English (no subtitles) and speak with your mentor in English during your live Q&A session.

Computer Literacy
To be successful in this program, you will need basic computer skills and a computer that meets the minimum specifications (see next question).

What are the 2D animation software and hardware requirements?

Software:

Toon Boom Harmony Premium will be required to take this course.  Instructions for how to obtain a license with a student discount will be provided upon enrollment.

Hardware:

You will need a computer that meets the minimum system requirements for Toon Boom, and a graphics tablet (see 2D animation software and equipment).

What 2D animation careers can I explore post-graduation?

This course gives you an excellent understanding of 2D animation fundamentals. Depending on your level of commitment, skills, and portfolio pieces, you may be ready to start applying for entry-level artist positions.

To further hone your skills and increase your hiring potential, the 2D Animator Specialization is recommended. It covers more complex techniques and includes an entire term dedicated to career development and building your portfolio to prepare you for junior 2D animation jobs such as:

Students also gain access to additional career services to support them in their job hunt. The CG Spectrum community is another great resource—you can network and find out about game development job vacancies through graduates and mentors already working in the industry. 

Discover more about these 2D animator jobs, tips, salary expectations, and other animation and digital art careers here:

Discover More

Looking For Something Else?

Check out our full range of courses with study options for all skill levels, from short introductory courses, specialized industry tracks and accredited degrees and diplomas

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