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Learn How to Animate: 2D Animation for Beginners (Udemy.com)

The Complete Guide to Animation in Adobe Animate

Created by: Siobhan Twomey

Last updated November 2025

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What you will learn

  • You will learn the principles of animation
  • How to animate to make realistic motion.
  • You'll learn the foundation for animating anything.
  • Go from zero animation to a fully finished character animation!
  • I teach you animation techniques and tips that professional animators use in everything they animate
  • By the end of this course you will know principles and techniques that you'll use for the rest of your career if you start animating professionally!
  • Learn the techniques of classical 2D animation
  • Learn Frame by Frame animation
  • Animate by hand
  • Learn how to use Adobe Animate software for 2D Animation

How it compares

Against the other 293 rated Udemy courses in Video Editing & Animation on CourseDuck:

  • Rating4.6 out of 5higher than 74% of them
  • Reviews1,873#19 of 294 by number of reviews
  • Length1.6 hoursshorter than 80% of them
  • Last updatedNovember 2025more recently than 69% of them

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Course Description

This is a COMPLETE beginner's guide to ANIMATION, in ADOBE ANIMATE.

You will learn ANIMATION PRINCIPLES that you need to know in order to be able to animate objects, text, and even characters.

If you want to learn how to animate from scratch, you can start right here with this course. I've made this course for complete beginners, so if you’ve never heard of a key frame or you don’t know what a timing chart is, then this course is for you. This course is how to animate, 101. I also think this course will be great for anyone who has a fair idea of animation, someone who is a beginner animator, and has been using software to make things move around, but who would like to really know the fundamentals and core principles in order to bring their animation to the next level.

These core principles of animation will set you up for life as an animator. You will learn step by step how to create realistic and appealing motion; plus you'll learn why specific animation techniques effectively bring objects to life. And importantly you'll learn when to apply them to your work.

I use Adobe Animate in this course to teach you how to animate. What you’ll be studying is classical, frame by frame hand drawn animation. This is the best way to learn animation principles. And don’t worry if you think that you can’t draw, we are working with basic shapes to animate - to literally bring those shapes to life.

This course starts out with teaching you how to animate with just key frames; and takes you all the way, step by step, through to animating a character jumping. I’ve structured each lesson so that it’s neither confusing nor overwhelming. Because I keep the application of the principles very simple, you’ll have the chance to really get to grips with the concepts and you can do so without having to worry about drawing skills, working with advanced symbols, or with complicated rigs.

The course works progressively towards two final projects. These are important animation projects in every school or university curriculum. In these projects you will progress from key frames to fluid and dynamic character animation. I want to ensure that you feel confident animating a complex character animation with many moving parts, when we get to the final project.

What’s covered in this course

Whether you want to ultimately work in 3D, motion graphics or 2D animtion, you will need to know the things like

  • easing in and out of key frames

  • how to create an ease,

  • why you need to do that - and when you should apply it.

You’ll also learn skills that will not only make you an animator, but will make sure you are a really good animator - skills such as

  • timing and spacing

  • squash and stretch

  • working in arcs

  • working with timing charts

  • how to animate with anticipation, overshoot and settle

Once you are enrolled in the course you have access to the student packs and downloads for each of the projects; plus you’ll have access to me, I’m there to help you along the way and respond to any questions or feedback that you have as well as to look at your assignments and monitor your progress.

I can’t think of a more exciting creative field to be working in and if this course ultimately leads you to pursuing a career in animation that would be amazing. Either way if you want to work as a professional animator, or if you want o use animation s a way to make your own short films; this is the start of a very exciting journey.




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Instructor Details

Siobhan Twomey

My background spans the disciplines of drawing, painting, filmmaking and animation. I studied Film in Dublin, and spent a semester on a scholarship at the Tisch School of the Arts, NYU in New York. I later studied drawing and animation. Since 2005, I have worked in studios in Vancouver and Dublin as a professional Background Designer and Environment Artist. I've also worked as a storyboard artist, concept artist, and I have directed a number of short animated films.

All in all, I've worked for over 15 years as an Artist, Illustrator and Animation Professional. I've provided artwork for studios whose clients include Disney UK, Sony Pictures Animation, HMH Publishing, to name a few.

I also have an ongoing painting and drawing practice, and I paint portraits on commission, and exhibit my work in galleries. My passion is to teach others the whole spectrum of art skills that I've learned and developed over the course of my career.

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Reviews

4.6

1,873 ratings on Udemy

Select a bar to show only those reviews.Select the bar again to show every rating.

By Ryan Marchal on 4/3/2026

Excellent tutorial. I was originally worried due to the short length of the course but I feel like I learned a lot. Straight to the point and great explanations. I used krita instead of Adobe animate and I still feel like this course was well worth it.

By Rory Young on 7/3/2024

This course was extremely helpful in understanding the process of Traditional, 2D Animation. It offered enough information of how animation works and the projects are quick to do, help you get the confidence you need to make your own animation. Really enjoyed the course!

By Emmanuel Chinedu Okwesa on 4/21/2023

Well, to be honest I've not gotten a PC in other to follow up with the teaching, but I have to say I'm pleased with how welcoming I find the atmosphere and very much more curious to learn from one of the best . It's okay Just a quick update on my review, and yes I've finally gotten a laptop convenient enough , very much passed halfway with classes and all i can honest say is Picking this course to start-up my learning journey in animation is probably my best decision I've taken 2023.

By Martin Schmidt on 9/11/2022

Logical step by step course for beginning animation. Each step builds on the next. One thing I would add are call outs that show which commands were used and the current (key)frame. I constantly had to rewind to figure out which command and which keyframe. Also a short lesson to introduce the pen tool would have been nice. Otherwise, a great short introduction

By Erika B on 11/21/2021

This course really show you the artistic perspective (direction, position, form, lines etc) how to do an animation and what it is that makes your animation work. The projects are easy to follow but at the same time demanding. I like the way the course is fragmented. What I was lacking is some short guiding how to use Adobe Animate. I got a bit stuck with the pencil tool doing the arcs but I youtubed my way out of it. Thanks Siobhan for a great course!

By Marcel van Rooijen on 1/13/2021

Great course about the principles of animation. Siobhan tries to explain it so well that is sometimes becomes a little 'foggy'. But by repeating watching the course videos, at the end it becomes clear. It also helps to analyse the course files which can be downloaded. Tip: watch a course video first without doing anything. Than watch the video again and follow along. For me that works best. Looking forward to start the next animation course.

By Clarence Du Bose on 11/21/2020

She is easy to follow

By Great Abraham Mundi on 11/14/2020

Well She is really a teacher, straight to the point and understandable, I am happy I found this course. Enlightening.

By Stefanie Murphy on 10/26/2020

Der Kurs ist wirklich toll und gibt mir endlich einen unkomplizierten Einstieg in die Animation. Alles ist sehr gut erklrt und die Dozentin strengt sich sehr an, den Kurs effektiv zu gestalten. Thank you Siobhan! I really appreciate the course and the effort you have put in creating very effective animation lessons.

By Keith Stewart on 10/25/2020

clear info. calm voice.

By Koel Chatterjee on 10/18/2020

Great mix of explaining concepts and coupling it with enough tips and demos for you to give it a go.

By Bryan T Dalrymple on 10/15/2020

It was ok. I expected much better but it was ok . Thank you

Showing 12 of 100 reviews

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Overall Score : 92 / 100