Introduction to Hand-Drawn Animation using Procreate Dreams

Bring Drawings to Life: Intro to 2D Animation in Procreate Dreams Course Level: Absolute Beginner | Platform: iPad & Apple Pencil Step into the traditional animation studio and learn how to turn simple sketches into characters filled with life, weight, and emotion! This course guides beginners through the essential mechanics and acting principles used by classical studio animators. Using Procreate Dreams on the iPad, you will master the exact 3-step production pipeline—Keys, Breakdowns, and In-Betweens—trusted by the industry for over a century. Course Syllabus & Project Modules Module 1: Interface Tour & Canvas Setup Master your digital studio. Learn to navigate the timeline, manage drawing tracks, configure onion skin filters, and use quick gestures like the three-finger swipe to stay organized. Module 2: The Bouncing Ball (The Blueprint) Tackle the core physics of animation. Discover Squash and Stretch, keep drawing volumes perfectly consistent, and learn to time your work on professional Twos. Module 3: Advanced Bouncing Ball (Arcs & Decay) Send your animation traveling! Learn how nature moves along curved paths (Arcs) and implement physics using Energy Decay—making each bounce smaller as it loses steam. Module 4: The Pendulum Swing (Cushioning) Explore fixed-pivot body mechanics. Map out a balanced "pizza slice" guide track to master Ease-In and Ease-Out, clustering drawings at the peaks to create a floating "hang time" effect. Module 5: The Character Head Turn (Acting) Cross the threshold into genuine character performance. Rotate facial features across a 3D sphere, use a bobbing arc to simulate head weight, and implement a Blink Break to bridge a happy-to-sad emotional expression shift. Module 6: The Obstacle Course (The Final Sandbox) Combine your skills into a multi-tiered video game level! Separate your moving actor track from a static platform map, master Anticipation (crouching before a leap).