How to Become a 2D Animator—Interview with an Expert

Animation is one of the most sought-after skills in the current job market. It’s an exciting and growing industry that offers a lot of opportunities for one to showcase their creativity. It has grown into a $270 billion industry.

If you’re a beginner, you probably have many questions, such as how to get started, what type of animation style to get into, what tools to use, and so on.

To address all of the above and more, we sat down with Ali Murtaza, MotionCue‘s 2D animation director.

He’s been working with us for the past seven years and has done some amazing work!

In a casual conversation, we uncover his journey into the field of animation and ask him to share some wisdom for beginners on how to get started.

Let’s get to it.

 

So, Ali, how did you get into animation?

It’s a long story but I’ll try to keep it short. So, I started my career as a UI/Graphic designer, but I was drawn to animation and a colleague encouraged me to get into it.

Sometimes, we find ourselves in a career that we slowly realize isn’t for us. So if something else piques your interest, go for it.

I was lucky that my colleague pushed me to take the leap, and I haven’t looked back since. So far, I’ve completed 300+ projects for really cool brands and I’m loving it to this day.

 

Good to know you’re following your passion, but which animation style is your favorite?

2D animation/motion graphics are always going to be my number one choice, but I’d love to get better at cel animation. It’s really something.

Way too complex though.

 

What about inspirations? Tell us about some of your favorite animators.

I come across really good work every now and then. But a few of my favorite animators are Ben Marriot, Markus Magnusson, and Deekay.

If I’m not animating, I’m usually hoping that at least one of these guys is also appreciating my work. Fingers crossed!

 

 

Deekay is the best and the video is top-notch. Talk to us about your favorite animation project you did at MotionCue.

That’s a tricky question. It’s hard to pick from the many projects I’ve completed at MotionCue. The entire design and animation team put in a lot of effort into each video.

I believe my ONE favorite project is yet to be made. Not sure when but soon, I hope. But if I had to choose, Linkgraph would definitely make it in my top 3.

 

(Check out more of our work here)

For this, I had to synchronize the music beats with the motion graphics. It was challenging but fun.

 

That’s some slick animation right there. What software do you use to make this stuff?

I use Adobe After Effect (Ae) for my animations. It has all the functions I could wish for. And I think it’s the perfect software for both beginners and experts.

 

Ae sounds great, but it may be a bit pricey for beginners. Are there any free alternatives for it?

I don’t think there’s any software that can compare to Ae. It’s the whole package. It has plugins for VFX, motion graphics, regular animation, you name it. These types of features are hard to get for free. If you’re a student, you could get a discount on your subscription.

With that said, you will find some alternatives for Adobe Animate (Ai), such as Krita, OpenToonz, Synfig, ProCreate for iPad, and so on.

 

Oh, okay, cool. Now let’s talk about hardware. What sort of system do you use?

I’m using a desktop computer. It’s an AMD Ryzen 7 with 32 GB RAM, NVIDIA GTX 1650, and some additional SSDs and HDs.

 

All right, what are the minimum system requirements for animation?

You don’t really need a high-end PC to start with basic animations. The minimum requirement for Adobe software is Intel or AMD Quad-Core processor with 16 GB RAM.

Obviously, the more the better. But if you don’t have high-end equipment, it’s fine. I’ve created 4K videos for a client on a 13” Macbook pro with 16 GB RAM and it worked out all right. I later installed an SSD to speed things up. I still use it sometimes.

 

Now that the technical stuff is out of the way, talk to us about how aspiring animators can learn animation in Ae?

There are loads of cool courses. Motion Beast from Motion Design School and After Effects Kickstart from School of Motion are my favorites.

These courses have it all, from basics to pro-level stuff. Just practice every day and you’ll get the hang of it. YouTube is also a great way to learn almost everything without spending a penny.

And I’d suggest everyone to grab a copy of The Animator’s Survival Kit by Richard Williams (no, not the tennis coach).

It has detailed information about timing, animation principles, walk cycles, movement, and many other core fundamentals.

It’s like the animation Bible in my opinion.

 

Any other tips on how beginners can hone their craft?

I think learning the basics first and practicing over and over again is all it takes. Just keep looking up tutorials and follow along.

Anyone who wants to get better should also stay up to date with the latest trends and technology. Keep an eye on other people’s work, too. Check out different design platforms and look at portfolios.

Join communities where you can talk to people with similar interests. This will help you discover new techniques and motivate you to try new things.

 

That’s great advice. So, what online communities/platforms would you recommend?

Dribble and Behance are top-notch. You can showcase your work, build your portfolio and also get feedback from all around the world. Plus, it’s a great way to get noticed.

 

Thanks for giving us your time, Ali. We can tell you’re passionate about your craft and it was fun chatting.

Thanks for having me. Hope the readers find this useful!

 

Well, that’s a wrap, folks! Hope this conversation gave you some insights on how to become an animator. And good luck with kickstarting your career in animation. See you out there.

Read more: 12 Best Motion Graphics Videos That Will Inspire You