So you want to get into the animation industry? Awesome. You’re going to love it. Statista reports that in 2021 the size of the global animation market increased by 5% to over USD 372 billion.

The figure is expected to grow by almost 60% in the next nine years, with increasing expansion across multiple media. The estimate reflects the increasing demand for animation content.

But before you begin, there are some things we need to address. We have some tips for you on how to stand out as an animator in today’s world, so let’s get started.

Master Your Art

You are the artist. You have to master your craft. You must practice, practice, and practice some more. Don’t just go through the motions. Think about what you’re doing and how it affects the final product.

Learn from other artists that inspire you, but don’t be afraid to try new styles or techniques as well. If something doesn’t work out the way that you want it to when drawing characters in an animation program like Maya or 3D Studio Max (or any other software), don’t let it discourage you. Instead, keep trying different things until something sticks with your audience.

Pursue Specialization

In the world of animation, you will find many people who are trying to do the same thing. This means that it is important for you to develop a niche and focus on a specific area of animation. By becoming an expert in that area, you can offer your clients something they can’t get elsewhere, and that makes all the difference.

To pursue a specialization in animation, you can consider enrolling in an animation course that focuses on a particular area of interest. Animation schools and courses offer a range of specializations, such as character animation, motion graphics, visual effects, or 3D modeling.

These courses provide students with comprehensive training in the specialized area, including hands-on experience with industry-standard software and tools.

By completing a specialized animation course, one can gain the knowledge and skills necessary to stand out in the competitive world of animation and increase their chances of success in the field.

Develop Your Unique Style

Developing your unique style is one of the most important things you can do to stand out in the animation world. Your style is what makes you different from other artists, and it will help people remember you and your work.

In a report by Movieweb, the story of Disney’s highly acclaimed animated film, Lilo & Stitch, was detailed. This particular film was the 42nd animated movie released by Disney in 2002. Despite initial expectations from viewers, the film was a commercial success, grossing over $270 million. Notably, the film incorporated hand-drawn animation and watercolor backdrops, a technique that had not been utilized by the studio since the 1940s.

So how can you develop a distinctive personal style? The first step is understanding what makes art “good” or “bad.” Most people think that good art has to look realistic and accurate, but this isn’t true at all. There are lots of ways to make art interesting without being accurate, you just have to be creative enough.

To get started developing your unique style:

• Experiment with different types of media (paintings vs digital drawings)
• Try using different colors than usual (like pink instead of green)
• Use unusual shapes rather than squares or rectangles when making characters

Stay Up-to-Date with Industry Trends

To stay ahead of the curve and stand out in the world of animation, you need to know what’s happening in your industry. Keep up with industry trends by reading magazines like Animation World Network and watching online videos from industry leaders like Pixar Studios.

This will help you identify what is being produced by your competitors and what is being used in general throughout the animation world. It also gives you insight into what clients expect from their animations and if new technologies or processes are coming out that could be useful for your next project.

Build a Strong Portfolio

According to Make Use Of (MUO), almost all careers in art require a portfolio. Your portfolio, whether student’s or personal projects, serves as a demonstration of your abilities to potential employers. It should feature both your process and finished work, effectively communicating how you achieved your results.

To tailor your portfolio to a specific job application, it is important to consider the key aspects that the employer will be looking for concerning the project at hand.

The first step to creating a strong portfolio is to make sure it’s a reflection of your work. It should include samples of your best work but also examples of how you’ve improved over time. This will help illustrate that you have the ability and drive needed for success in animation.

An excellent portfolio won’t be enough on its own, though. It needs context too. One way to do this is by including an explanation or summary at the beginning of each section explaining what inspired these pieces, how they were created, and why they’re important (i.e., “This piece was inspired by…”).

This helps give potential employers insight into who they’re hiring and whether or not they would be interested in working with them based on their interests and motivations as artists/animators/creators, etc.

Networking and Professional Development

Networking can be intimidating, but it’s an important part of being an animator. Networking is about much more than just finding jobs. It’s about building relationships and sharing knowledge with other people in the industry, and that can lead to all kinds of great things down the line.

If you’re not sure how to start networking or what makes for good professional relationships, here are some tips:

• Make sure your resume reflects who you are as an artist and person (don’t just send out a generic copy-paste job).
• Don’t just focus on yourself. Try asking questions about others too.

Conclusion

Animation is an exciting field, and there are so many possibilities for you to explore. Whether you want to work on a movie or television show or make games, there are opportunities out there if you’re willing to put in the hard work and dedication needed.

The most important thing is that you keep learning new skills so that when opportunities arise, they won’t pass by unnoticed by those who are prepared.