This, this, and this may help. You may also want to check out Blender since it's not only free but it's got tons of nice features.

Or OpenToonz, for 2D animation!

True! Though Blender can do 2D animation too.

Yep yep, though they continue to point out it's intended for "Story art and 2D concept design" right on the website, rather than full fledged professional 2D animation.

Of course, the 2D demos look amazing! (helps to have a lot of REALLY talented artists on staff willing to put in way more time than normal to make something look great) And I use Blender for a lot of my 3D work and video editing. But for 2D production, OT's still my go-to.

That's cool. Some folks don't know Blender can also do 2D (which I think is pretty neat), but OpenToonz looks really cool and is probably what Steamfox wants.

Okay. That gives me a much better idea of where to begin. I was under the impression that computer animation was as involved as the old fashioned Paper/Celluloid process goin on a hundred years old now, but the digital process is a bit simpler. What I was hoping for was a sort of "Animation Studio in a box" type affair that could be plugged into a PC, but it seems the technology still has some catching up to do. I'll check out OpenToonz for sure.

I'm glad to be of some help! I hope things work out for you!

Basically, the tablet is another input device like a mouse or a keyboard, only you use the stylus directly on the screen. What you can do with it depends on what other programs you have in your computer. If you wanted to draw animation directly into the computer, you would also need one of the many animation programs like Harmony. You can draw with it in conjunction with a graphics program like Photoshop.

One day we seriously need to get together so I can show you the system and you could give me some hands on advice on how to calibrate the thing, and get the tablet up and started. I like the idea of being able to "Draw" directly on the tablet which might save me a lot of paper, then be able to pull and tug features into form as I'd prefer. Heck... I'll even throw in Lunch and a trip to Fry's if we need t get parts.

The first question for you would be, what paint program do you use? Gimp? Krita? Photoshop? Clip Studio Paint?

What I do is scan your paper in, and then use the graphic program to ink it digitally. In Gimp, I scan it in (this is Linux I'm on, so it's XSane direct-import into Gimp). Then, create a new layer, grab the pencil or pen tool, and stroke... stroke... stroke...

Currently, I'm using "Paint 3D" which came with the massive upload of Windows 10 when they "Hijacked" my system about three years ago. Microsoft says they will not support Windows Paint any more, so as the one program goes "Obsolete" I'm learning how to use Paint 3D bit by bit. There are features in both programs I like, but they're both not as detailed and intricate as the Photoshop 10 program I had on the now "Extinct" E machine. I hear that Photoshop NOW has to be Rented which is a pity because of the financial situation I'm in.

Now I have heard and read a lot of good things about Linux, and one of my friends is a devoted user of that system, so maybe I can get some helpful hints from him as well. My artistic "Contemporary" whom I call "The Major" has been using GIMP for years now. At his suggestion I tried downloading the program into my system, but instead of an image I got a complicated looking grid and numbers. I was absolutely intimidated, and I had to remove the program in order to make more space on my hard drive.

But in a Nutshell... After all this, I'd prefer much more to become a better illustrator than become an animator. Once I accomplish one, the other should follow soon after. Right?

I'd try FireAlpaca first to get your feet wet. This is free.

Gimp I know has a steep learning curve that has softened up through the years. I'm in the "using it for decades" camp (since version 0.9!), so I've gotten to know it. I should write a tutorial...

Heh! I'll Buy that tutorial if you ever write it.

I'll add looking into FireAlpaca to my "Things to check out now" list. Thanks.

Heh, maybe. But there are books out there! https://www.gimp.org/books/ for more info.

Honestly, you have most of what it takes to get started aside from one of the animation programs. There's a lot of them at this point or at least there's a lot of programs with modules that are good for animation. A lot of the little short stuff I've been seeing come out of the fandom has been using PaintShop Pro (PSP) and Clip Studio Paint (CSP) which seems to have a great combination of layout and drawing tools that are allowing people to hand-animate short subjects really readily: Fuzzamorous ( https://www.furaffinity.net/user/fuzzamorous ) in particular has displayed some really great techniques leveraging digital tools to do quick animations.

Okay. Checking out Fuzzamorous' page here on FA, I can see what you mean about him using PSP and CSP. I played with the original "Clip" waaay back when I got into computers in the late 1990s, and so I'm a bit familiar with the way those programs work. Of course things have changed quite remarkably in these past 25 years or so.

If I recall correctly, FA limits it's animated submissions to one minute or less, so short loops like those seen on Fuzzamorous' page would fit right in. I have a few animators I follow here on FA like " Jibbin_Kodiyak", "Tirell" and "Puhskinti" too.

As  mkaz said, the key requirement for doing animation is having a suitable software package. The one you want depends upon whether you're interested in doing 2D or 3D animation.

Here's a list of free animation applications and another list.
* I would suggest Pencil2D for starters to "get your feet wet" for 2D animation as it's aimed at beginners.
* Krita can also be used for 2D animation as well as digital art.
* While Blender is a very powerful package for 3D rendering and animation, my experience with it is that the learning curve for it is more like a cliff for a complete beginner. I would caution against using Blender initially unless you located and followed some online tutorials on YouTube or similar, it's not an application that you can just jump into and do stuff quickly in.

Like I mentioned above, if you're getting into 2D animation, OpenToonz is a great option, closing in on the capabilities of Toonboom Harmony, for 2D.

Thanks for that - I see there's a Linux implementation of OpenToonz as well as Windows / Mac, so I might give that a go sometime.

Okay. As soon as things permit, I will absolutely check out OpenToonz and Pencil2D because I see a lot of "Pencil Test" style animations on YouTube. So now I have a better idea of where to go from here.

Hey, Steam!! If You ever need any help with Blender, Clip Studio, or Toonboom I would be happy to help! Note me if You have any questions about the above OR (which I write second because I'm not sure what's Your experience with traditional animation) if You have any questions about animation as a whole or need some feedback on Your early work I'm an animation and software teacher and would be happy to give You some pointers. In that case don't hasitate to note me!

Oh! I might just have to take you up on that offer as I really like your character designs and your artistic style. Now I understand the "Genius" behind the "Crazyness" in your illustrations as to me, those rounded forms might be easiest to animate. Once I get this thing up and going again, I'll be sure to drop a note your way.

Great OvO/ Note me when You are up for it and I'll send You my discord!

I have no idea Steam...

V.

Neither do I, but some of the advice from the others above have given me a better idea of what it takes to get started.

Would love to se animated films made bye you. Hope to se your iconic caracters brought to life.

Me too. But it seems the process is a bit overwhelming to me. Maybe with the right teachers, and just a little more time. Maybe...