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Leave a Comment / Getting Started with Animation

Getting Started Isn’t Always Smooth

Learning animation is exciting, but let’s be honest—it’s also a bit overwhelming at first. With so many tools, techniques, and tutorials out there, it’s easy to fall into traps that slow your progress or kill your motivation. The good news? You’re not alone, and most beginner mistakes are completely fixable. Let’s walk through five of the most common pitfalls—and how to sidestep them as you grow.

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1. Skipping the Fundamentals

It’s tempting to jump right into making cool character scenes or effects, but animation has a foundation for a reason. The 12 Principles of Animation (Affiliate link) are the building blocks of everything you’ll ever animate.

  • Why it’s a mistake: Without the basics, your animations may look stiff or confusing—even with good software.
  • How to avoid it: Start simple. Master bouncing balls, pendulums, and walk cycles before moving to complex scenes.

2. Trying to Learn Too Much Software at Once

It’s great to be curious, but bouncing between programs like Blender, Toon Boom, and After Effects all at once can lead to burnout.

  • Why it’s a mistake: You’ll spend more time watching tutorials than actually animating.
  • How to avoid it: Pick one beginner-friendly tool (like FlipaClip or Krita) and stick with it for a while.

3. Focusing on Style Over Motion

It’s easy to obsess over how your characters look—but animation is about how things move.

  • Why it’s a mistake: Great-looking characters won’t matter if their motion feels lifeless or confusing.
  • How to avoid it: Prioritize strong poses, clear timing, and expressive movement. Draw stick figures if you have to—just make them move well.

Alt text: Illustration of two young people with dark hair, both wearing white t-shirts and jeans, interacting in front of a large computer screen. One person is sitting on a chair using a laptop, while the other is crouched nearby, watching. The computer screen displays colorful graphics, icons, and cartoon characters. There are potted plants on the floor and additional windows with images and text in the background, creating a creative and collaborative atmosphere.

4. Comparing Yourself to Professionals

Scrolling through Instagram or YouTube and seeing polished animations from industry pros can make beginners feel discouraged.

  • Why it’s a mistake: You’re comparing your day one to someone else’s year ten.
  • How to avoid it: Use those animations for inspiration, not measurement. Focus on your progress, not perfection.

5. Not Animating Enough

Ironically, the biggest mistake isn’t a technical one—it’s just not animating often.

  • Why it’s a mistake: Animation is a muscle. If you don’t use it, it won’t grow.
  • How to avoid it: Practice a little every day. Even 10 minutes of animating a simple object can help you improve over time.

Want to keep learning? Here’s something worth checking out:

Final Thoughts

If you’ve made any of these mistakes—good. That means you’re actually trying. Every animator stumbles at the beginning. The key is to keep moving, stay curious, and treat every misstep as a lesson. Animation is a long game, but every frame you draw gets you closer to telling stories the way you’ve imagined them. So give yourself permission to start messy, and grow proud.

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