Animation Certificate

Learn the basics of 2D computer animation in this hands-on course designed for aspiring animators interested in working in this rewarding and challenging field. Students will learn the techniques and principles of animation and will apply these principles to short animated pieces of their own. Beginning with basic animation exercises and progressing quickly to more complex character animation, this course teaches the craft of animation and the art of entertaining an audience with moving pictures. By the end of this course, every student will have a portfolio of several short animated pieces and a solid grasp of industry-standard software.

Students continue to explore 2D Animation principles and techniques using industry standard tools. This advanced course focuses on character animation and storytelling as students apply principles of timing, weight, anticipation, posing, silhouette, and mood. The course also examines animation shorts and films for critique and to train the “animator’s eye”.  

What is good design? Line, space, balance, value, texture, perspective—these are just a few of the elements and principles that designers engage with to create strong design solutions. This course provides a thorough introduction to visual elements, language, and applications fundamental to 2-dimensional design. Through weekly assignments, students apply design principles using digital or traditional media. This course builds confidence in the design process for beginners and professionals by focusing on perception and thinking, historic and current references, and craftsmanship. Instruction includes design projects, online lectures, online discussion, process, and critique.

Discover the principles and techniques of 3D animation in Maya. Students establish a working knowledge of Maya’s suite of animation tools, as well as build a foundation for approaching both cartoony and realistic animation. Beginning with basic exercises designed to teach proper animation technique and culminating in a final character animation project, students gain an understanding of the tools and techniques required to create eye-catching animation.

Take your Maya skills to the next level for a variety of applications including film, tv, video games, and visual effects. Autodesk Maya is the industry-standard 3D software package for film, tv, video games, and visual effects. This course advances the student’s production of three-dimensional, computer-generated animation utilizing Autodesk Maya. Through weekly Zoom meetings, students work under the guidance of instructor expertise to develop their own 3D animation projects. Topics include modeling, texturing, lighting, animation, and rendering.

Have your own idea for a cartoon? A little character design goes a long way. In this course, students learn to create believable, interesting characters with human traits for cartoons and animation. Instruction covers staging, silhouette, posture, structure, costume, color, and shapes. Students also explore the art of popular cartoonists, animation characters, and design types. In addition, students learn how to apply these skills in various market segments such as advertising, animation, gaming, and beyond.  

Color is emotional. A color resonates based on memory, cultural bias, and personal preference. Artists and designers alike communicate effectively through choice of hue, saturation, and value. In this course, knowledge and understanding of color are developed through weekly exercises and homework projects. Through lecture, demonstration, critique, and practical experience, students investigate color theory; fundamental elements, principles, and terminology; color systems, color modes; and more. Students develop an investigative process for problem-solving, revising, and inventing through the application of color as it exists in physical and digital worlds.

Deepen your understanding of color systems and their strategic applications across design disciplines. In this course, students expand beyond foundational principles to explore how color operates in professional contexts such as fashion, interiors, graphic design, gaming, product design, and branding. Through practical, software-integrated assignments and industry-specific critiques, students refine their palettes and develop advanced visual fluency with color. Artists and designers with foundational color theory knowledge are encouraged to enroll.

Whether your interest is in producing digital interfaces or animated content for social media, you need to start with the basics and become familiar with the digital tools of the trade. Students will be introduced to digital design-specific applications that are used by design professionals in areas of multimedia, animated graphics, UX/UI and web design – Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Animate, Adobe XD, and Adobe Dreamweaver.

The ability to produce vector graphics is a “must-have” skill for any modern artist or designer. Adobe Illustrator is the world’s leading vector graphics application used for producing professional-quality logos, package design, signage, and so much more. This hands-on course introduces students to the basics of working with Illustrator to create compelling designs.

Adobe Photoshop isn’t just for photographers. Its multitude of applications makes it a go-to tool for creatives.  This course teaches a comprehensive understanding of Photoshop and how digital imaging and is used in various professional applications. Students learn the basics of interface elements, keyboard shortcuts, and file management before diving into more advanced topics such as masks, selections, color correction, and layering techniques to create various effects.  Through hands-on projects, they develop essential skills to paint digitally, retouch images, and manipulate photos. This course is recommended for anyone who wishes to develop technical foundations for a range of digital art and design careers.

Our human tradition of storytelling now exists in a digital media environment where millions have access to multimedia tools and the opportunity to instantly connect with a global audience. From TikTok to YouTube, people are telling their digital stories. This hands-on course covers the tools to better understand, produce and communicate within this shared media environment. Over 10 weeks, students produce compelling and emotionally engaging digital stories in the form of a web page and companion 3 - 5 minute video. Students are encouraged to approach their stories from their own unique perspectives and may combine text, images, video, interactivity, music, and other media. Topics include emerging digital storytelling forms of AI, AR and VR.

Want to draw, but the blank page scares you? Then start here. Through demonstration, class exercises, and critiques, students in this beginning course learn the elements of drawing and composition. Students create finished drawings with attention to line, shading, composition, perspective drawing, and positive versus negative space.

Curate your body of work and get your talent noticed in the marketplace. In this required course, advanced students enrolled in the Animation, Motion Graphics, or Digital Drawing and Illustration certificate program create a portfolio from work produced throughout their course of study. Students will receive individualized critique and guidance in technical and conceptual development. Students work independently and collaboratively to create a professional-quality portfolio demonstrating relevant skills and experience for their chosen industry.

Why draw from a photograph or magazine when you can draw from life itself? Observing and drawing the live model allows the artist to learn about proportions, foreshortening, light and shadow, and the fundamentals of drawing. This beginning/intermediate course places emphasis on the structure and proportion of the human form. Using a variety of drawing media, students are instructed in a gesture as well as long and short poses.

Don’t just consume media. Deconstruct, analyze, and evaluate what you see online or hear or in print to understand it. In this course, students look at the media through a historical lens and the cultural values presented from Medieval paintings to tomorrow’s deep fakes to understand the past, present, and future. Students explore its impact on daily life, questioning what is in the frame, how it is constructed, and what may have been intentionally or unintentionally left out of view. Through lectures, presentations, online dialogue with classmates and more, students develop an understanding of visual language and the ability to decode the symbols disseminated by media.

Storyboards help the designer, art director, producer, director, and client visualize a finished work. This course concentrates on translating a concept, idea, image or story into a sequenced visual format. Students develop knowledge and skills to create storyboards for advertising, feature films, television, animation, and game design. Under the guidance of instructor expertise, they develop all aspects of a concept, including characters, backgrounds, storytelling, and a final storyboard.