2D Animation or 3D Animation What Should I Learn?

Do you recall those childhood days when we all used to eagerly wait for our favorite cartoon shows on tv like The Jungle Book, Tom and Jerry, Duck Tales, Scooby Doo etc? These Animated sequences and films are created by Animators. There are huge demands for Animators for creating cartoons, E-learning contents, corporate promotions etc.

But most of the times people often get confused what they should learn 2D Animation or 3D Animation. That is why here we are going to discuss about Animation and which one is suitable for students to start their career. Furthermore, what are the benefits of joining animation training institutes?

What is 2D Animation?

2D Animation movement is created in a two- dimensional artistic space. It creates characters, storyboards, and backgrounds in two- dimensional environments. It is the oldest form of commercial animation. Few 2D Animated movies are The Lion King, Alice in Wonderland, The Little Mermaid etc. Some of the famous cartoon shows like Duck Tails, The Jungle Book, Tom and Jerry are 2D cartoons.

What is 3D Animation?

3D Animation can be defined as a process of generating three – dimensional moving images in a digital environment. It is a type of animation which uses computer-generated images to create animated scenes. 3D Animation has much more depth as compared to 2D, and it looks much more realistic. Some of the famous 3D Animated movies are The Incredible, Kung Fu Panda, The Adventures of Tintin, The Good Dinosaur, Bal Ganesh etc.

Which one is better – 2D or 3D Animation?

Students often get confused over 2D or 3D animation they should learn. But we would suggest to go from 2D to 3D. There is a demand for both 2D/3D Animation but you need to consider some more factors. Some of them are: –

• 2D Animation is less expensive and take less time to learn in comparison to 3D animation, which is very expensive.
• There is necessity of high configuration technologies for 3D Animation but for 2D Animation normal computer is enough.
• There are very good freelancing job opportunities for 2D Animator, and Digital Artists.
• Nowadays schools are also using E-learning to teach their students and for that 2D Animation they are using. That is why companies need 2D Animators.
• In 3D animation, as long as you have a strong understanding of the 12 principles of animation your creations are going to be excellent, regardless of whether or not you know how to draw. That is kind of the perfect thing about it; while you may not be the best traditional artist, you can still create excellent animations regardless.

Best Ways to Learn 2D and 3D Animation

Both 2D and 3D animation can be learned by either joining animation courses and classes in online or classroom mode. There are countless animation training institutes all over the world teaching the next generation of 2D and 3D animators.

Receiving instruction from trained and industry-experienced mentors is recommended if you want to quickly learn all the features of both animation techniques, including the various software applications used today. With the help of professional training, you refine your talent, learn new software programs, master important techniques, and much more. You’ll also on live projects alongside other aspiring artists with their own talents and goals.

Some of the Best 2D Animation Software Programs

1.  Adobe Animate CC (Earlier known as “Flash”)

It is a computer animation program used to create a variety of animated content such as animated cartoons, advertisements, games, and additional interactive content to publish on various platforms such as HTML5 Canvas, Flash Player & Air, WebGL, or custom platforms such as Snap SVG.

2.  Synfig Studio

It is one of the best 2D software which is available for free but has the strength of an industrial software. It allows users to create powerful animations without having to graph and sketch frame by frame. Animations can be created with the help of bitmap and vectors in Synfig Studio and all this can be done just by adopting.

3.  Crazy Talk Animator

It is a new method to make 2D animations. It uses drawing features alongside with lip sync features that allows users to add 3D features to your 2D animations. It is one of the advanced tools used for better performance. It is one of the easiest 2D software available online.

4. OpenToonz

It is based on the software “Toonz”, was developed by Digital Video S.p.A. in Italy and customized by Studio Ghibli. It is open source and can be used by anyone free of charge, no matter whether the purpose of use is commercial or not. It is compatible with 4 types of scanning black-and-white, colored, with or without binarization. Effects like wavy distortion and affected incident light can be easily created with it.

5. Antics 2-D Animation

It can be used by both animators and graphic designers. It is a unique tool which is based on the use of vectors. This is a full-sized cartoon animator and a user-friendly tool for the artists. It also helps in the production of the animation created via it.

Some of the Best 3D Animation Software Programs

1. Maya

It is often known as Autodesk Maya is an animation and modeling program used to create 3D (three-dimensional) full-motion effects, films, TV shows, and video games. It combines the natural laws of physics to control the behavior of virtual objects in computer animation. Joining Autodesk Maya training courses can be beneficial for every 3D Animator and it will help you produce videos that are more life-like than has been possible with less sophisticated programs.

2. 3Ds Max

It is a professional 3D computer graphics program for making 3D animations, models, games and images. Because of its outstanding modeling competencies, it is a flexible plugin architecture and can be used on the Microsoft Windows platform.

3. Cinema 4D

It is a professional 3D package. Learning Cinema 4D is the best choice for you, in case if you want to create advanced 3D graphics but need a helping hand to ensure you create jaw-dropping graphics quickly and easily. Tools found in Cinema 4D Studio are user-friendly and intuitive.

4. Houdini

It is a 3D animation application software developed by Side Effects Software based in Toronto. Its exclusive attention to procedural generation distinguishes it from other 3D computer graphics software. It has been used in various feature animation productions, including Disney’s feature films Frozen and Zootopia; the Blue-Sky Studios film Rio.

5. Blender

Blender is a professional, free and open-source 3D computer graphics software used for creating animated films, interactive 3D applications and video games, visual effects and art, 3D printed models etc. It’s features also include 3D modeling, UV unwrapping, texturing, raster graphics editing, rigging and skinning, particle simulation, soft body simulation, sculpting, animating, rendering, motion graphics, video editing and compositing etc.

Career Options for 2D and 3D Animators

The animation industry in India is fast-growing. Animation, gaming & web design professionals work on full-length animated movies, create TV commercials, education CDs, work in the advertising industry or as web designers in various companies.
Some of the job roles in animation are:

1. 2D Animator
2. 3D Animator
3. Key Frame Animator
4. Image Editor
5. Modeller
6. Character Animator
7. Texture and Layout Artist
8. Lighting Artist
9. Story Board Artist
10. Background Artist
11. Clean Up Artist
12. Rigging Artist
13. Rendering Artist
14. Digital Ink and Paint Artist

As per Payscale, Junior animators or trainees could get between Rs. 10,000-15,000 per month. With two to four years’ experience they can earn Rs. 25,000- 40,000. A well-experienced animator who has a good portfolio of excellent animation work could easily get Rs. 60,000-1,20,000 per month.
According to the BLS, “the demand for animators is expected to grow about 8%, from 2012-2022”.

Do not jump into this field just because you saw a movie and got inspired. For that matter do not jump into any field unless and until you are absolutely sure you are made for it and will find the work to be an enjoyable and not just a mere RESPONSIBILITY.

Rising interest in games and animated movies is one of the primary drivers of this market. One of the major growth trends in recent decades is the outsourcing of animated content. Many companies in Asia have been established to get outsourced work done in the animation field.

It is of utmost importance that an animator should be well versed in latest software which can be possible by learning them from an animation training institutes in Delhi. Similarly, individuals with great passion, patience and strong desire to learn and adapt new techniques is all what required to become a successful animator.