Resources for Learning Motion Design

Written By Gunner Trade

You don’t need a fancy degree to be a Motion Designer.

It’s true! A lot of people in Motion Design are self-taught. Roughly 50% of our the applicants to our Studio Shadowship program learned motion design on their own. Some of them started out in another creative field, others decided to change careers completely. Whatever the reason, there’s a lot of resources available to make your learning journey easier.

An abundance of options.

Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, there’s something for you!

The resources in this short guide are meant to help you understand what Motion Design is and how to gain the basic skills you need to get started. This is not an exhaustive list, but it is a good starting place with links to hours of training for any budget, even if that budget is $0. 

Helpful Hint: Contact your local public library to see if they provide access to e-learning subscription services like LinkedIn Learning and Coursera. These can be a great way to access even more training on a budget simply going to your local library.

Getting Started - Motion Design Basics

What is Motion Design? If you can’t answer that question, this section is for you. Think of these videos as the sampler plate full of appetizers at a restaurant. They’re a little taste of everything, but not the full experience. 

The resources below are designed to give you a foundation in what Motion Design is all about. You might even learn a few software tips and tricks in these. They’re meant to get you curious and wanting to learn more about this awesome industry.

The best part is they’re all free!

Software Essentials

Below you’ll find a list of tutorials in a range of prices to help you learn the tools of the trade. 

All of these have value! Just because something is expensive does not mean that it’s better. There are a lot of artists out there who have become educators doing a killer job making content that can help you learn, grow, and thrive. It won’t be as curated in all cases. It may take you more time and hard work to find what you need. BUT you will get there. 

Helpful Hint: Seek out community! Find Discord servers and Slack groups that you can join to connect with other people learning these tools. There are plenty of editors, motion designers, and other artists out there looking to help each other out. You can also try Reddit and other social media groups to ask questions and make connections.

Getting Started - After Effects

Adobe After Effects is one of the core programs you’ll need to know as a well-rounded Motion Designer. It’s a powerful VFX and animation tool that’s been an industry standard for over over 20 years. You’ll need to know this software and it’s one of the places we recommend that you start exploring.

Helpful Hint: You’ll want to work on your mental game before you get started. A lot of professional creative software isn’t the easiest or most intuitive to learn. You’re going to fail A LOT. Don’t give up when things get tough, keep going!

Free!

Low Cost Options

Mid Priced Options ($50 - $199)

High Priced ($200 - $1000+)

Additional Helpful (Free) After Effects Tutorials

Getting Started - Photoshop

Photoshop has been around for a very long time. It’s very well known for manipulating and compositing photos, but it can do so much more. Some people use it to create beautiful, textural illustrations that look like paintings. And you can even create hand drawn animations in it. Learning this tool will unlock tons of possibilities for you as an artist. 

The Very Basics for Free

More Basics for Free - Deeper Dives

Low Cost Options

Mid Priced Options ($50 - $199)

High Priced ($200 - $1000+)

Design Fundamentals

Every artist, animator, illustrator, and motion designer should understand some basic design fundamentals. Knowing these will help you to start creating better artwork and be able to understand the “why” behind your artistic decisions. You’ll want to build a habit of practicing design regularly to become a better artist and stand out from the crowd.

Free Options

Low Cost Options

High Priced ($200 - $1000+)

Hungry for more?

If you’re looking to explore more training options on your own here are a few places where you can start:

Good YouTube Channels to Check Out

Plainly Simple 

Envato Tuts+

Ben Marriott

Jake In Motion

ECAbrams

Motion by Nick

Eyedesyn

Greyscalegorilla

Ukramedia

Olof Storm

School of Motion

Motion Nations

Motion Hatch

Manuel does Motion

Mt. Mograph

Motion Design Hotline

Motion Nations

Low Cost & Subscription Options

Patata School

Skillshare

LinkedIn Learning

Domestika

Udemy
Schoolism

Mid Priced Options ($50 - $199)

Learn Squared

Coursera

High Priced ($200 - $1000+)

School of Motion

Business Talk

If you’re interested in what the business side of the Motion Design industry looks like you can check out these helpful resources.

MotionHatch

The Futur

Fabulist

Find a broken link? Have a resource you want to share? Let us know!

Gunner Trade