Expressive Techniques for Character Animation

A course by Memé Candia , Graphic Designer and Animator

Graphic Designer and Animator. Las Heras, Argentina.
Joined March 2019

Turn your characters into actors packed with emotion and create animated scenes full of life

100% positive reviews (121)
2,954 students
Audio: Spanish
Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch

Turn your characters into actors packed with emotion and create animated scenes full of life

Graphic designer and 2D animator Memé Candia, who breathes life into campaigns for brands like Disney XD, Cartoon Network, and Coca-Cola, believes that if animated characters don't look realistic, they end up being nothing more than moving shapes.

In this course, Memé teaches you how to master your characters' facial expressions using acting techniques to create realistic scenes full of emotion. By the end, you'll know how to express yourself through the many faces of your animated characters.

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What will you learn in this online course?

20 lessons & 18 downloads

Initial Concepts
4 minutes, 46 seconds
Audio Clip and Idea Development
16 minutes, 47 seconds
The Importance of Context
15 minutes, 7 seconds
Verbal and Body Communication
13 minutes, 16 seconds
Character Design
13 minutes, 45 seconds
Turn around
13 minutes, 37 seconds
  • 100% positive reviews (121)
  • 2,954 students
  • 20 lessons (3h 32m)
  • 18 additional resources (4 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: Spanish
  • Spanish · English · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Produce a five-second animation acted out by a character of your creation.

Projects by course students

Who is this online course for?

Animators, illustrators, designers, and animation enthusiasts who would like to create expressive characters.

Requirements and materials

Basic animation knowledge is required for this course, as well as some previous experience with character animation.

In terms of materials, you need a camera, a graphics tablet, and your preferred animation program for drawing freehand, sequencing images, and importing audio.


Reviews

2,954 Students
121 Reviews
100% Positive ratings
  • More reviews

Memé Candia

A course by Memé Candia

Teacher Plus
Graphic Designer and Animator

Memé Candia is a graphic designer and professional 2D character animator from Mendoza, Argentina. Her first experience with animation was at Vlexus studio, where she produced content for television before ultimately deciding to dedicate herself to it full time.

Throughout her journey as a freelancer and collaborator with several advertising studios, she's had the opportunity to work on campaigns for brands like Disney XD, Cartoon Network, Coca-Cola, Uber, and Nike. She currently works alongside her friends and colleagues in her own animation studio, Bonkers Animation.


Content

  • U1

    Hello!

    • Presentation
    • Influences
  • U2

    Preproduction

    • Initial Concepts
    • Audio Clip and Idea Development
    • The Importance of Context
    • Verbal and Body Communication
    • Character Design
    • Turn around
    • Expressions Sheet
    • Expression Sheet 2
  • U3

    Let's Start Animating!

    • Recording the Reference
    • Identification and Drawing of Keyframes
    • How to Go from One Keyframe to Another 1
    • How to Go from One Keyframe to Another 2
    • Animation Study 1
    • Animation Studio 2
    • Vocalization
    • Clean-up
  • U4

    Final Render and Creation of a Reel

    • Final Render
    • Tips for Putting Together a Reel
  • FP

    Final project

    • Expressive Techniques for Character Animation

What to expect from a Domestika course

  • Learn at your own pace

    Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.

  • Learn from the best professionals

    Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

  • Meet expert teachers

    Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

  • Certificates
    Plus

    If you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.

  • Get front-row seats

    Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.

  • Share knowledge and ideas

    Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.

  • Connect with a global creative community

    The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.

  • Watch professionally produced courses

    Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.


FAQs

Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.

All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.

The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.

You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
Expressive Techniques for Character Animation. Illustration, 3D, and Animation course by Memé Candia

Expressive Techniques for Character Animation

A course by Memé Candia
Graphic Designer and Animator. Las Heras, Argentina.
Joined March 2019
  • 100% positive reviews (121)
  • 2,954 students