Introduction to 3D Animation by AnimSchool

Learn the essential principles behind convincing 3D motion through focused exercises with bouncing balls, objects of different weights, simple character performances, overlap, walk cycles, and turns. The course combines technical Autodesk Maya workflows with practical animation principles that form the foundation for more advanced character animation.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Control timing and spacing to create clear, believable movement
• Animate convincing weight, gravity, drag, and momentum
• Apply arcs, ease in and out, squash and stretch, and exaggeration
• Use overlap, secondary action, follow-through, and delayed movement
• Give simple animated objects personality and intention
• Create a basic walk cycle and introductory character turns
• Work with Maya projects, keyframes, tangents, animation curves, and playblasts
• Refine animation using the Graph Editor and critique-based feedback

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Completion of AnimSchool’s Introduction to Maya course or equivalent working knowledge of Autodesk Maya
• Tools: Autodesk Maya

📝 Description

Introduction to 3D Animation teaches the fundamental principles used to make objects and simple characters move with clarity, weight, and appeal. Rather than beginning with complex character acting, the course focuses on carefully structured exercises that isolate the most important components of animation.

Students begin with the bouncing ball, using timing, spacing, arcs, gravity, squash and stretch, and ease in and out to understand how motion is created. Variations involving balls of different weights demonstrate how timing and trajectory communicate mass and physical force.

The exercises then progress from purely mechanical motion to performance. A ball with personality introduces intention, anticipation, exaggeration, and simple storytelling through movement. Lessons on overlap and follow-through explore how connected parts continue moving at different rates, helping animation feel flexible and natural rather than rigid.

Later lessons introduce the fundamentals of bipedal locomotion through a walk cycle and a series of character turns. These exercises help students understand rhythm, balance, weight transfer, body mechanics, and the coordination of different body parts.

Alongside animation principles, the course develops practical Autodesk Maya skills, including project and workspace management, AutoKey keyframing, hotkeys, Graph Editor workflows, tangent editing, curve cycling, and playblasting. Lecture sessions introduce the concepts and workflows, while the critique sessions examine animation exercises and demonstrate how shots can be evaluated and improved.

The resulting skills provide the technical and artistic foundation required for more advanced courses in AnimSchool’s 3D Animation Track and Program.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Beginning animators who want a structured introduction to the principles of 3D animation
• Maya users who understand the software basics but need to develop practical animation skills
• Artists preparing to study character animation, body mechanics, or animation for film, television, and games
• Self-taught animators who want to strengthen their understanding of timing, spacing, weight, and locomotion

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

AnimSchool is an accredited online school specializing in 3D animation, modeling, and rigging. It was founded in 2010 by David Gallagher, an animator, rigger, and former Character Development Supervisor at Blue Sky Studios. AnimSchool courses are taught by working industry professionals with experience at major animation and visual-effects studios.

🏁 Final Result

• A collection of foundational 3D animation exercises demonstrating bouncing-ball mechanics, contrasting weights, personality, overlap, follow-through, a walk cycle, and character turns
• A practical understanding of the core animation principles needed to continue into character animation and body mechanics

📢 Guys, this is a Group Buy campaign, check the GBC forum thread to get access

You can find the course preview in the download section below.