Blender Animation Course - BEGINNER TO PRO

How to download Blender?

Go to: https://www.blender.org/download/

Click download.

Automatic download will start.

If automatic download does not start : Click ''download manually'' link above.

Double click on the downloaded file.

Select the accept agreement option.

Click on the next options that appear.

In this way, you can download blender.

This lesson includes an introduction to the blender interface and the shortcuts we will generally use.

1. I: Insert Keyframe

2. X or Delete: Delete

3. Alt + I: Delete Keyframe

4. Shift + D: Duplicate selected keyframes in the Dope Sheet or Graph Editor.

5. G: Grab/Move

6. S: Scale

7. R: Rotate

8. Ctrl + Z: Undo

9. Shift+ Ctrl+ Z: Redo the last undone action.

10. Ctrl + C: Copy

11. Ctrl + V: Paste

12. Numpad + . : Frame selected (focusing object)

13. A: Select all

14. Middle mouse button (mmb): Rotation the scene

15. Shift + MMB: Pan scene

16. N: Open or close the Properties region

This part includes timeline shortcuts and general animation user interface.

You are going to learn insert keys, keying sets and general key controls.

H: hide

Alt+H: unhide

This lesson is for those who have used Maya before and want to use its interface.

Edit -> Preferences -> Keymap -> Industry Compatible

W: Move tool

E: Rotation

R:Scale

F: Frame selected (Focus object)

Straight Ahead Animation: The animator creates a sequence by drawing or animating each frame in chronological order, starting from the beginning and progressing towards the end without planning every detail in advance.

Pose to Pose Animation: The animator plans key poses first and then fills in the intervals later. This method allows for more control over the character's performance and helps maintain consistent proportions and movement.

You can download course files from attached link.

Materials for each course topic are available in chapters. You can download each Lesson after watching it.

In this lesson, you will start making your first animation in blender using the pose to pose technique. The aim of the course is to enable you to learn and reinforce the principle you have learned by directly experiencing it on the blender. At the end of the lesson, you will have created the key (main) animation poses with the ball rig.

Squash and Stretch: Animation principle involving deforming a character or object to emphasize weight, impact, or flexibility. Squashing reduces volume, while stretching elongates, adding dynamism and conveying movement convincingly.

You can download course files from attached link.

Materials for each course topic are available in chapters. You can download each Lesson after watching it.

In this lesson, we continue the previous animation exercise by adding the squash and stretch principle. At the end of the lesson, you will learn how to add inbetween poses and make the animation dynamic in blender.

Timing and Spacing: Timing refers to the number of frames used for an action, determining its speed. Spacing involves the distribution of those frames, affecting the smoothness and rhythm of the animation.

Graph Editor: A tool in animation software used to visualize and adjust the timing and spacing of keyframes. It displays curves that represent changes in attributes over time, offering control for refining animation movements.

In Blender, the Graph Editor is a powerful tool used for fine-tuning the animation curves that control the interpolation of keyframes.
Within the Graph Editor, you can adjust these curves to change how the animation interpolates between keyframes, which affects the speed and timing of the animation. The shape of the curve dictates the acceleration and deceleration of the animated properties.

(Shortcut- V: Handle type / T: Interpolation mode)

The terms Bezier, Linear, and Constant refer to the types of interpolation between keyframes:

Bezier:

This is the default interpolation mode in Blender. Bezier interpolation uses handles to create a smooth curve between keyframes, which results in a more natural and gradual transition. You can manipulate the handles to adjust the easing in and out of each keyframe, giving you precise control over the animation's velocity.

Linear:

Linear interpolation creates a straight line between keyframes, which means that the change between values is consistent and even. There is no acceleration or deceleration in the movement, and the speed is constant. This type of interpolation can sometimes appear mechanical or less natural but is useful for certain types of animations.

Constant:

Constant interpolation means that there is no gradual transition between keyframes. Instead, the value holds steady until the next keyframe, where it abruptly changes to the new value. This creates a 'stepped' look in the Graph Editor and is often used for creating a stop-motion or 'pop' effect in animations, where you want an element to hold its position and then instantly change.

In this lesson, we will continue with the previous animation exercise, focusing on applying the Timing principle. By the end of the lesson, you will learn how to adjust the timing between poses and make the animation more dynamic using the Graph Editor.

Ease In/Ease Out: Animation principle involving gradual acceleration at the start (ease in) and deceleration at the end (ease out) of a movement. This creates a more natural and visually appealing motion, mimicking real-world physics.

In this lesson you are going to learn how to use reference for your animation. You will be able to practice the information you learned in previous lessons. In the previous lesson, we looked at the bouncing of a normal weight ball in parts, in this lesson we will make a light ball animation. In this lesson, you'll see specifically how timing can add weight or lightness to an animation.

And, This is the main video I referenced, I prepared the animation reference based on this video for better understanding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6Wgv0wFKV8

Follow Through and Overlapping Action: Follow through is the continuation of motion after the main action has stopped. Overlapping action is the tendency of parts of the body to move at different rates, adding realism. Together, they contribute to more natural and dynamic animations.

Overshoot is when an object moves past its target before settling into its final position, adding weight and realism by mimicking inertia and momentum.

Overlap involves different parts of an object or multiple objects moving at distinct times or rates, creating fluid and natural motion by suggesting that elements have independent movement.

Moving Hold keeps objects or characters visually engaged with minimal movements even when they're not actively moving towards a new position, maintaining the illusion of life and preventing static scenes. These techniques are crucial for creating dynamic, realistic animations, enhancing the viewer's engagement by applying principles of physical motion and subtle lifelike movements.

In this lesson you will learn how to apply this principle with the ball tail rig. After giving the general main poses to the tail, we will create a fluent and realistic animation by adding overlap.

The Onion Skin tool in animation is a feature that allows animators to see multiple frames simultaneously, aiding in the process of creating smooth and consistent motion. When enabled, it displays a faded version of previous and/or upcoming frames, often resembling the layers of an onion, hence the name. This feature helps animators maintain proper spacing and timing between frames by providing a visual reference of adjacent frames. It is particularly useful for tasks such as character animation, where understanding the movement progression is crucial for achieving realistic motion.

Arcs: Animation principle involving the use of curved paths for movement, mimicking natural motion and adding fluidity. Animating along arcs contributes to more realistic and visually pleasing animations.

In this lesson, we will observe how important the arc principle is with ball platform animation and we will apply many of the principles you have learned so far. As the first part, we will place the main poses.

In this part of the lesson, we will add inbetweens and smooth out the arcs using the graph editor. At the end of the lesson, if the arc is broken, you will clearly observe that the fluidity of the animation is broken.

Anticipation: Animation principle where a preparatory movement precedes the main action, highlighting the upcoming action and adding realism. It helps the audience anticipate and engage with the character's movement.

The "Ball Tail" project showcases the dynamic and realistic movement of a ball with a trailing tail, utilizing advanced animation techniques to enhance visual appeal. Overlap is demonstrated as the tail moves independently of the ball, creating a fluid and lifelike motion that suggests flexibility and weight.Together, these techniques bring the animated ball and its tail to life, offering a compelling study of motion principles in a simple yet effective animation project.

Exaggeration is a fundamental principle of animation that involves amplifying certain features or actions beyond their real-life counterparts to enhance visual appeal, emotional impact, or storytelling effectiveness. It's not about distorting reality but rather about emphasizing elements to make animations more engaging and expressive. This technique can be applied to movements, facial expressions, or character features, making the animation more dynamic and appealing to the viewer. By exaggerating aspects of motion or appearance, animators can convey emotions, intentions, and nuances more effectively, adding depth and personality to characters and scenes. This principle is key to transcending the limitations of reality to create an animated world that is vibrant, lively, and capable of communicating complex messages in an intuitive and entertaining way.

You can download course files from attached link.

Materials for each course topic are available in chapters. You can download each Lesson after watching it.

We will make an exaggerated but fluid animation using the ball legs rig and we will place the important main poses in the first part of the lesson.

in this lesson I chose ''vector'' as handle types.

Edit ->Preferences ->Animation ->F Curves -> Default Handles -> Vector

In this part of the lesson, we will add intermediate poses and polish them. We will adjust the smoothness of the movement in the graph editor and make the animation more animated with some fine touches.

In this lesson, I show you how to add the eyes in the reference video to the animation. We will start by creating a mesh and make the model of the eye, then we will edit it in edit mode and add material. Afterwards, we can easily add it to the animation with dynamic parent add. We use the dynamic parent when we want the character to hold an object and connect it to the main rig.