Class description: This class is intended for students ages 6 and above. Throughout this course, students will be exploring different drawing techniques in digital form. Animation basics will also be covered. Students will learn fundamentals such as line, shape, form, perspective and details, how to use layers, brushes and functions in their digital programs, and how to animate simple smooth movements. This way, students will be able to create fun drawings and animated short stories by themselves.
How is the class run? Students are expected to have tools and software ready before class. The teacher will give a lesson at the beginning of class. When the lesson is done, students will apply the knowledge to their own works. The first few classes will cover basic introduction to the world of digital art and animation, students will be required to follow along with the teacher. After mastering the fundamentals, they will work on their own projects: either a digital drawing or an animation project which will tell a short story. The same techniques will be applied to each students’ project, but the result will be unique.
How is digital art/animation generally made? Every artist has a slightly different process, but often, people begin with a sketch on their digital canvas. Artists will then draw over the sketch on different layers, which depending on their style will either be line art or coloring.
It takes much longer to create an animation project. Animation is made up of many frames. Each frame is like a simple digital drawing. How smooth an animation looks depends on the chosen frame rate. For example, many artists use 12 frames per second. This means that to make a 1-minute-long animation, 720 frames must be drawn. However, using these digital tools, not every single frame has to be hand-drawn. With patience and determination, your artist can make their story alive.
About the teacher:
Emily Xiao is a digital artist who has been drawing for over 10 years. She specializes in concept art and character design, as well as being an animator. During the 2022-2023 school year, Emily taught digital art class at CCLS. She and her students were able to make two large projects, as well many smaller projects, varying across animation, digital painting, and graphic design. Emily hopes this digital art course can inspire and educate younger students in this art medium.
Hardware:
- iPad or tablet (OS 12.0+/Android 2.2+ and 10 GB space available). A phone or laptop can also work, but it is recommended to not use a phone.
- Stylus (as long as the stylus works with the device then it is fine), optional (if you don’t want to use your fingers to draw).
Software:
- Flipaclip (free animation app)
- iBisPaint, AutoDesk, etc. (free drawing app, any can work as long as they have layer functionality)
Laptop alternative: Krita (free drawing app, which can also be used for animation)
Time:
- 3:20pm – 4:05pm OR
- 4:15pm – 5:00pm
