How can you develop a unique animation style using both technical skills and creativity?

Try everything, don’t just take my or someone else’s word for it.. I animate differently then all the animators I know, and me being so hugely popular needless to say I know a few… and I’m very humble too, not sure I mentioned that? :)

To create something unique you need to tune into what is unique about you. Do the research. Do the experimentation. Put your work and your research up all around you. Look at it everyday. Go to bed with it on your mind. Wake up with it. Your uniqueness will come out. It is like growing a plant. First prepare the soil, then plant the seed. Water it. Care for it. If it's oversaturated with the work of others, give it a rest. If it's under nourished, try something new. If you can see it but you can't realize it, just give it some time and some practice and it will grow. Trust in yourself.

"Creating authentic animation with varied tools and techniques". Art can be a tricky business. In commercial animation, we adhere, by design, to time and stylistic restrictions. At first blush this could appear to be detrimental in developing our own artistic voices. But nay nay. Remember that necessity is the mother of invention! Discomfort pushes us to find new levels of comfort. Time constraints force us to develop new efficiencies. Animating in a style that feels unnatural encourages us to add new options to our toolkits, with the possibility of developing our own style using awareness and effort. Authenticity isn't easy. But it's a step on the path to having the slimmest hope of creating something that even approaches unique.

Honestly. What I was told was draw inspiration from the many upon many of illustrative styles out there and use your knowledge of structure, shape and space to create a new fresh style through trial error, but most of all, authenticity.

Everything I had thought to write was brilliantly summarized in the comment written by John Oman. These days, I've been reading the biography of the master Chuck Jones, discussing everything that led him to become an animator. None of these things had to do, at least technically, with animation, but everything to do in a spiritual side. That is, just like in all creative areas, the necessary knowledge is outside, in the world and in your cultural repertoire. And obviously, in studying. Hence, to create something unique, just as Oman said, "tune in into what is unique about you," just like Chuck Jones, who, in the end, is only talking about himself and his experiences lived in his formative years.

"Standing on the shoulders of giants". Animation has been around for 125-ish years. But early animation was pretty rough around the edges. There existed no built-in audience, a filmic language was yet to be built, and technology was inconsistent at best. A film projector might run at 13 fps in one theater and 17 fps in the next, which if you were lucky a live accompanist might be able to adjust to with a piano or organ. And yet, animation progressed. It developed. It became the most expressive art form ever, with principles of motion being identified, passed down, expanded upon for all of those 125 years. And now? We have everything at our fingertips. And no excuse not to make the most impactful animation that's ever been made.

Analyze the works of animation masters. Identify elements you admire and incorporate them into your style. Learning from established artists provides insights into blending technical skills with creative expression for a unique animation style.

There's a wide difference between watching animation as a consumer and studying animation as an art. To learn from the masters do the basic but hard things, dive deeper into their production processes, read books and publishes, work closely with anyone you admire.

We all have some examples of creations we find amazing. Mapping those and checking in with your own beliefs about creation and your reason to create may reveal that there are parts of those works that overlap with your convictions. Learn from them, and credit them for this inspiration. Love it when that happens!

There is nothing I can add to this apart from the fact there there a lots of obscure and relatively unknown animators who have seriously broken the boundaries established by these masters.

"Everyone has a story to tell". People might be cynical about the idea that every person on the planet is a unique and beautiful snowflake. But when it comes to animation, it's true. Let's start with a basic definition: Animation is a series of two or more images timed out in sequence. Based on that idea, anyone can animate. So. If we give every person on the planet a computer... ...and some easy-to-use animation software... ...and some free time and basic training... ...we would get 8 billion different animated stories. And no two short films thus created would be exactly the same. Yes, 95% would be rudimentary and the products of relatively unskilled hands. But the IDEAS and humanity therein... ...would be phenomenal.

Craft original characters and narratives. Infuse your personality and imagination into your creations. By developing unique content, you establish a signature style that reflects your creative vision, setting your animation apart from others.

Once you truly understand how this works you will see that every character you create reflects some kind of personality trait or skill that you personify or would like to personify or is exactly what you need to become your better self. So yes! Tune in with your inner demons / angels and you will create the best characters, metaphors, and stories.

Storytelling is key and telling the story that makes you as a creative feel good is important. What’s more important is that not only are you happy with it so is your audience. Your goal is not only create for You but for Your legacy.

I agree, this is the essence of a unique style, don't copy anybody and don't be afraid of standing out or being incredibly weird.

"A lifetime of growth in animation". Animation is good brain food. It allows the potential for limitless experimentation, with no ceiling for skill development. We can continue to improve our skills for our entire lives. Not only that, but once we've been doing this for long enough, our life experience starts to affect our focus and style of animation. When I was a younger man, I was fascinated by snappy timing and creating maximum contrast. After 29 years in the industry, I've become more focused on shape change and strong posing. I expect I'll continue to evolve for the next 29 years. Animation never stands still. So always be open to improving and taking feedback. ...and you'll never get stale in this industry.

Gather constructive feedback from peers and mentors. Continuous improvement enhances technical skills and refines creative choices. Embracing feedback cultivates a dynamic animation style that evolves with your growing expertise and artistic sensibilities.

Well, you could do as advised here in Point 4 - or you could hide away for years in your studio and build a whole animation universe and don't share it until it's finished. Don't try to please a potential audience but firstly please yourself. Study 'The Theory of Obscurity' as practiced by The Residents. If you don't know who The Residents are then Google them.

Friends are amazing... But thats until you actually need them if don't do it yourself.. Wont get done. They get married move on. Sure can get significant other to help you just hope AI does come down with virus. Rule of thumb don't take me seriously I am Canadian and tend to be on wacky said why wanted to be animator but unless I move somewhere else I shall never make this animation. After 25years learned to accept this but if I can prevent some1 from my dark path and get them seriously making right choices .. they obviously ?? weren't meant for this path ... as artist ?? 3 things 1. You will be starving. 2. You will not see dime from your work. 3. AI will drain your bank account once your art is done and it will pack up its flashdrive away

"Cartoons are fun!" I remember when I started telling people I worked in animation. "Oh wow, that must be so fun!" "So you draw whatever you want?" "Can you draw Bugs Bunny?" "I could never do that, I can't even draw a stick-man." "It takes THAT long just to do a few seconds of animation??" ...and so on. The common theme that I saw is that most people don't really know what animation is, or how it's created. Which speaks two truths to me: 1) Most people didn't watch cartoons avidly growing up, dissecting and appreciating them. 2) The concept of animation isn't (wasn't) taught and made accessible enough to the general public. ...but on the upside... ...more people are animating today than any time in history! Embrace the fun.

Play around. Let your imaginations run wild. Don't stick to what you know. Many unique styles were discovered by accident. When you hit a new Idea, document it. The idea could come outside of your work desk. Always move around with a sketch tool or device for note taking. Never play it safe. Dare to translate your imaginations exactly the way it hit you, unhindered by what you already know or what's already been done.

Animation is fundamentally FUN. If you’re not enjoying animating it… then your audience probably won’t enjoy watching it ????♂?.

Maintain a sense of enjoyment in your work. Infuse joy into the creative process, allowing your passion to shape your animation style. A happy and engaged artist often produces work that is both technically proficient and creatively distinctive.

Fail forward they say. It's true. You might not know what you are doing all the time. Somehow, your subconscious will have known all along. And once you learn why you have done what you have done the way you have done it for all this time, your jaw will drop to the floor. I've been working on a book trilogy for over 10 years, and only a few years ago, I discovered the whole story was a metaphor for the way I had to grow in life. You will stumble upon the nuggets eventually. So just begin somewhere and trust your gut.

"Technical skill as a creativity multiplier". Much like strength is a skills multiplier in martial arts, so it is for animation. I'll explain. When I started my career, my skill level was low. Very low. I chose music instead of art for grades 8-12. Predictably, my art skills remained at the level of my grade 7 drawings. So when I went to animation school in 1994, my creativity almost didn't matter. My artistic skill level didn't give me much of a base to multiply. And thus began my 30-year journey to gain skill in drawing and animation. Nowadays? I'm still working to increase my skills, every day. And I'm happy to say that my creativity is flowing almost unimpeded. Except for BG design. Still working on that. I'll get there.