Character Animation and Expression with Maya

A course by Sagar Arun , Animator

Animator. Pleasanton, United States.
Joined April 2021

Discover the fascinating world of animation by learning its key principles and creating an animated character filled with emotion

95% positive reviews (56)
2,000 students
Audio: English
English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch

Discover the fascinating world of animation by learning its key principles and creating an animated character filled with emotion

“If you’ve ever seen an animation where it makes you laugh or feel a certain emotion, that means the animator is doing their job really well.”

Evoking emotion and reaction from viewers is at the heart of animation. With names like Frozen 2 (2019) or Spirit: Untamed (2021) under his belt, renowned animator Sagar Arun is an expert in creating characters brimming with personality.

In this course, Sagar teaches you the fundamentals of animation and how to apply them to your work using Maya. Learn how to create an expression test with a character of your own design, and bring their emotions to life.

Read more ↓

What will you learn in this online course?

19 lessons & 13 downloads

Maya Tools 1
16 minutes, 20 seconds
Maya Tools 2
8 minutes, 19 seconds
Ball Bounce Fundamentals 1
19 minutes, 56 seconds
Ball Bounce Fundamentals 2
9 minutes, 33 seconds
Adding a Tail 1
18 minutes, 26 seconds
Adding a Tail 2
6 minutes, 14 seconds
  • 95% positive reviews (56)
  • 2,000 students
  • 19 lessons (4h 6m)
  • 13 additional resources (5 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: English
  • English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Create an expression test with a character rig using the animation tools in Autodesk Maya

Projects by course students

Who is this online course for?

This course is aimed at anyone passionate about animation who wants to create an entertaining and appealing character.

Requirements and materials

Basic understanding of Autodesk Maya is required.

To take this course, you need access to a computer with Maya installed and a character rig.


Reviews

2,000 Students
56 Reviews
95% Positive ratings

Sagar Arun

A course by Sagar Arun

Teacher Plus
Animator

Sagar Arun is an animator based in Northern California. He received a degree in computer animation from Ringling College of Art and Design in 2018. After working with a group of friends on a fan project for Avatar: the Last Airbender, Sagar’s animation abilities received wide recognition. He has created animations for Walt Disney Animation Studios and Sony Pictures Imageworks.

Although Sagar’s career began just a few years ago, he has already created animations for a number of high profile films such as Frozen 2 (2019), Over The Moon (2020), Overwatch (2020), The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021), and Spirit: Untamed (2021) He is also currently animating for the video game industry.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • About Me
    • Influences
  • U2

    Animation Fundamentals in Maya and Character Creation

    • Maya Tools 1
    • Maya Tools 2
    • Ball Bounce Fundamentals 1
    • Ball Bounce Fundamentals 2
    • Adding a Tail 1
    • Adding a Tail 2
  • U3

    Preparing a Character Expression Test

    • Idea Creation and Thumbnails
    • Introduction to a Character Rig
  • U4

    Creating an Expression Test

    • Blocking 1
    • Blocking 2
    • Blocking Plus 1
    • Blocking Plus 2
    • Spline 1
    • Spline 2
    • Polish 1
    • Polish 2
    • Presenting a Playblast in Maya and Exporting
  • FP

    Final project

    • Character Animation and Expression with Maya

What to expect from a Domestika course

  • Learn at your own pace

    Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.

  • Learn from the best professionals

    Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

  • Meet expert teachers

    Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

  • Certificates
    Plus

    If you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.

  • Get front-row seats

    Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.

  • Share knowledge and ideas

    Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.

  • Connect with a global creative community

    The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.

  • Watch professionally produced courses

    Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.


FAQs

Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.

All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.

The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.

You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
Character Animation and Expression with Maya. 3D, and Animation course by Sagar Arun

Character Animation and Expression with Maya

A course by Sagar Arun
Animator. Pleasanton, United States.
Joined April 2021
  • 95% positive reviews (56)
  • 2,000 students