Cartoon Animation Tutorials

Flash is a tool that can be used to create TV-Quality Cartoon Animation. However the process to create cartoons using Flash as a tool requires both knowledge of traditional animation techniques and Flash animation techniques.

Although most of the knowledge for using Flash for Cartoon Animation is available through books (see the library section below), there are also some great FREE resources available online. Here are some I've found:

• Guide to catch up with Flash CS4
• Drawing techniques
• Flash Drawing Tutorial
• Tracing a Sketch
• Shading a character
• Rotoscoping in Flash
• Important Flash-only techniques
• Classic Motion Tweening in Flash
• Shape tweening in Flash
• Edit multiple frames
• Symbol types: Movieclip vs Graphic
• Character animation using symbols
• Cartoon Solutions' Animation Packs (A technique to organize your library)
• 2.5 D Head turn
• Designing and animating characters in Flash
• Advanced character animation
• Changing colors inside symbols
• The animation process in Flash
• Basic principles
• Animation principles
• A primer on animation techniques
• Squash and Stretch
• Lip Sync
• Jib Jab Style
• With Phonemes
• Lip Sync using mouth comps (advanced)
• Walk cycles
• Overview in traditional animation
• Quick and dirty walk cycle (Flash)
• Basic walkcycle
• Advanced walk cycle
• Cartoon Solutions' Animation Packs Plus Walkcycles
• Two leg walk cycles (demo by Cartoon Smart)
• Four leg walk cycles (demo by Cartoon Smart)

Library
	If you are looking to do some Cartoon Animation of high quality but for the web (presentations, websites, games) and can only afford one book, this is the one you need. Chris explains a lot of basic techniques you apply right away in your day to day work and it will help you to build on those new skills if later on you want to get in more advaced stuff.
	This is a really good book by Sandro Corsaro, although it does not explain ALL the animation process, like other books. It does explain all the rest you really need to know about producing TV shows using Flash (Pitching a show, several interviews with industry people, delivery formats, sound editing, etc). And it does work since Sandro finally got his tv show on tv (Kick Buttowski).
	This was one of the first books I got to read on doing cartoon animation with Flash. The Friends of Ed books are really good and this is no exception. Chapter 7 is worth the price of the book, as it explains the animation principles as they apply to Flash. After the initial chapters you will get to follow a tutorial which will allow you to create the following animation: The Boy Who Cried Wolf. The authors have worked with Hanna-Barbera and Disney.
	If you are really REALLY serious about getting into animation, then you should have Richard Williams book. This is the modern bible on classical animation. Not for the faint of heart.
Tools
	To animate in Flash you only need a respectable tablet.

Inspiration