10 Free Animation Classes to Learn Motion Graphics Like a Pro

Discover new animation techniques to build your animation portfolio, or simply to add to your creative skill set

As Walt Disney once famously said, “Animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive." And thanks to versatile tools like After Effects, Photoshop, and Procreate, learning how to animate has never been easier.

In honor of World Animation Day (October 28), we're sharing 10 free animation classes to help you explore motion graphics. Learn how to design, edit, and share your creative ideas alongside industry-leading experts who are passionate about their craft.

Start with the basics of motion graphics to deepen your knowledge in the field, next explore everything from animated typography and photography, before diving into specific animation techniques.

These free classes will be available until November 3, 2022. After that date, you can access the classes by signing up to each teacher's full course. Click the red links to access the free class page, and click the play button on the video player to watch.

1. Free Class: What is animation?

In a world so saturated with digital content, it can be hard to grab your audience's attention. Upgrading your skill set by learning to animate your images adds a dynamic edge to your content, and is sure to stop a viewer while scrolling.

Before you get started, in this free lesson, animator Caroline Kjellberg (@caroline_kjellberg) shares an introduction to the history of animation, including an overview of different types. You'll learn about 2D vector, 3D, and stop-motion, and more.

2. Free class: Basics of Motion

Before diving deeper into animation, it’s important to have a basic understanding of motion. Motion is an illusion created by the succession of still images, known as frames. The more frames, the smoother the animation.

In this free lesson, visual artist RYLSEE (@rylsee) gives you an overview of the basic principles of motion, to help you understand how to create animations. He explains how adding different effects and adjustments can make a motion graphic appear more seamless and realistic.

3. Free class: Types of Photograph Animation

When it comes to photograph animation, there are two main methods: stop-motion and post-animation. With stop-motion, you have to move the object in real life in front of the camera. In post-animation, you're essentially photographing individual pieces and those pieces are moved afterward digitally.

In this free lesson from creative photographer Andre Rucker (@andrerucker), you'll learn about the different types of photograph animation. He gives you a detailed overview of each process, and the pros and cons of both to give you a better idea of which method works best for your project.

4. Free class: Making the Script and the Storyboard

Good storytelling is key to good animation. Before creating your motion graphics, it’s important to outline the scenario in a storyboard. This step allows you to create an animation that follows a sequence of events, and is unified in its ability to tell a story.

In this free lesson, animation director Victor Haegelin (@patagraoh) teaches you how to define your animation project by crafting a script and storyboard. Step by step, you will learn how to draw each frame by hand.

5. Free Class: Techniques in After Effects for Creating GIFs

Animated Instagram stickers and GIFs have become an integral part of social media culture. They have become a new way to express ourselves without the use of words. Making your own stickers and GIFs is like contributing to this new digital language.

In this free lesson, designer, illustrator, and animator Alex Foxley, (@alexfoxley) teaches you how to create a GIF in After Effects. He starts with animations he’s already made, and takes them apart in layers to show you how he made each individual one.

6. Free Class: Animated Typography in After Effects

Animated typography gives new life to words and phrases. By combing illustrations, typography, and animation, you’re able to transmit emotion and liveliness in your messages. Whether it’s for a brand, business, or just as a personal project, it’s a great skill to add to your creative toolkit.

In this free class, graphic and motion designer Mat Voyce (@matvoyce) teaches you how to create kinetic typography.

Dive right into After Effects with a step-by-step demonstration on how to animate an illustrated quote (created in Adobe Illustrator). By the end of the lesson, you'll know how to make your composition expand in size and shrink in a loop to give the illusion of bouncing.

7. Free class: Waves and Psychedelia in After Effects

Another way to experiment with animated typography is by exploring different styles and aesthetics. There are infinite combinations of effects and color palettes that allow you to transmit a range of emotions—or, in this case, a range of vibes.

In this free lesson, graphic designer Borja Holke (@holke79) teaches you how to create an animated logo for “Good Vibes”. Learn how to transform a simple text in the shape of waves, and animate it to scroll sideways in a loop. Discover how to add a psychedelic touch by incorporating alternating colored backgrounds.

8. Free class: Animate in After Effects

Another creative way to explore animation is by combining it with portrait photography. It’s as simple as experimenting with gradients and patterns in Photoshop, creating several variations of your portrait and saving them as PNGs, before animating them in After Effects.

In this free lesson, visual artist Klarens Malluta (@klarens) teaches you how to create an abstract portrait using PNG animation.

Discover how to make a six-second animation of a psychedelic-looking portrait. Learn how to compose a loop of frames, add a simple background, and how to adjust it to appear both striking and seamless.

9. Free Class: Preparation for Animation - Photoshop Assets

After creating the graphic assets you want to use in your animation, it’s important to build a timeline with each frame. This involves opening the frames in Photoshop and grouping them in the order you want them to follow.

In this free lesson, illustrator and animator Yukai Du (@yukai_du) demonstrates how to design each frame and prepare them for animation in After Effects. Learn how to take a digital illustration, and experiment with the layers to create the effects you want to animate frame-by-frame.

10. Free Class: Connecting Objects and Expressions in After Effects

Creating an animation in which you connect objects and text is a practical way to showcase a product and its features and its benefits—or any other concept and the details it entails. For animators, it’s an effective tool to use for clients when they ask for information-specific motion graphics.

In this free lesson, Michael Tierney (@tierney.tv) teaches you how to create an animation connecting a product with its features, using simple icons, minimal text, and photography. He uses the example of connecting headphones to Bluetooth and battery life icons.

Remember, these online classes will be available to watch for free until November 3, 2022. After that date, if you want to see the classes, you will need to sign up for the teacher’s full course.

Discover more online animation resources

If you want to continue building on your newfound motion graphic skills, explore all of Domestika's online animation courses, and read on for more...

- If you’re interested in video games, learn what game environment design is, and how to get started.

- If you’re a Plus or PRO member, learn how to become a freelance animator with career advice from Caroline Kjellberg.

- And for inspiration, don’t miss these 10 must-watch animated movies and series in 2022.