Last spring, students in the brand new Intro to Computer Animation course learned how to bring their art to life with technology. From the storyboard to the completed animation, Oglethorpe students continue to explore fantastic ways to tell stories — even from home.

Dayla Jackson works in media lab in animation course

Though the first Intro to Computer Animation course had become remote last semester, that did not stop students from finishing their animations. As a final project, students conceptualized and hand-drew a short animation using computer software using brand new 22-inch digital display drawing tablets.

Students in the Intro to Computer Animation course, taught by Lecturer in Studio Art Aaron Kagan Putt, complete several projects designed to familiarize themselves with the basic principles of animation. Whether students are interested in animation as a hobby or as a career, this course provides them with the tools they will need to begin exploring digital art. In this highly collaborative course, students are free to share ideas and offer critiques to help realize a polished final product. By the end of the course, students understand how to structure compelling narratives, design characters and bring them to life with industry-standard software like Adobe After Effects, Animate and Photoshop.

Oglethorpe is an incredible place to study and create art. – Aaron Putt, Lecturer in Studio Art

Students on the Studio Art track will find that this course synthesizes elements of other art classes like drawing techniques, color composition and perspective. Computer animation is an engaging and unique way for students to practice artistic decision-making to create compelling arrangements.

Intro ART-290-003 Special Topics in Studio Art: Computer Animation I will be offered in the fall. Please consult the University Bulletin for descriptions of this and other Explorations in Special Topics.

Watch the compilation of animated shorts from Oglethorpe students above.