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Short course

Blender for Animation Short Course

Book course
<p>Blender for Animation Short Course | On campus</p><p>Karolina Alvekrans, 2023 BA Design for Art Direction, London College of Communication, UAL | Photograph: Karolina Alvekrans</p>
Learn the fundamentals of animation using Blender 3D software. Explore animation theory and discover how to bring your creative ideas to life through hands-on exercises.

Course description

Course overview

Have you ever wanted to create short and engaging animations for social media? You might have seen endless looping animations of marbles or other simple, hypnotic kinetic loops on social media—this course will show you how to create those kinds of captivating visuals yourself.

This beginner-friendly course introduces the fundamentals of animation using Blender, a powerful and increasingly popular 3D software used by professionals, hobbyists, and educators around the world. Blender is free and open-source, which means you can download it, use it, and even customize it—without any cost or licensing barriers. Its active global community and constant development have made it a go-to tool for independent creators, small studios, and even major production houses.

Through a series of hands-on exercises, you’ll explore animation theory and learn how to bring your ideas to life using Blender’s intuitive and versatile toolset. The course will also cover essential 3D modelling techniques, as well as materials, lighting, and rendering workflows. This course focuses on creating product and motion graphics animations, rather than character animation.

Who this course is for

This beginner-friendly course is suitable for artists, designers, and creative professionals who are curious about incorporating 3D animation into their work.

Whether you’re a product designer aiming to create polished animated promos, a visual artist exploring motion as a new medium, or a complete beginner interested in the possibilities of 3D, this course will give you the tools and confidence to get started.

No prior experience with Blender or 3D animation is required - just a willingness to experiment, learn, and bring your ideas into motion.

Key information

Topics covered

  • Introduction to Blender’s interface, navigation and workflow essentials
  • Basic 3D modelling techniques for creating simple objects and scenes
  • Materials, lighting and rendering for producing polished static visuals
  • Core animation principles and keyframing to bring designs to life
  • Creating looping animations and dynamic camera movements for product and motion graphics
Learning outcomes

  • Understand the fundamentals of 3D modelling and create basic models using Blender
  • Apply materials, lighting, and camera settings to produce high-quality static renders
  • Demonstrate a solid understanding of core animation principles such as timing, spacing, and easing
  • Use keyframing techniques to animate objects, cameras, and materials within a 3D scene
  • Design and execute seamless looping animations suitable for social media or promotional use
  • Navigate Blender’s interface confidently and manage a simple 3D project from concept to rendered output
  • Digital badge and certificate of attendance
Materials

  • Notebook and pen
Students will have access to campus computers equipped with Blender during the course, so there’s no need to bring a personal laptop.

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