Japanese Character Animation Starter Kit

A free collection of tools, visual guides, animation breakdowns, drawing resources, and exercises designed to help you understand the fundamentals and start animating

FREE ANIMATION TOOLS

Set up your workspace with the same kinds of tools used throughout my animation workflow. Genga Brush Set Genga Color Set Clip Studio Paint Template

ANIMATION PRINCIPLES — QUICK GUIDES

Learn the core principles that make animation feel clear, dynamic, and believable. Study 22 bite-sized animated GIF guides covering timing, spacing, arcs, anticipation, overlap, squash & stretch, and more. Use them as quick references while you animate—or whenever you need a refresher

KEY ANIMATION BREAKDOWNS

See how an animation is constructed from roughs to cleaned keyframe drawings or genga Study a collection of simple animation breakdowns showing how key drawings are selected and organized to create movement. Practice doing these animation using the FREE Character Design Sheet or your own characters.

READY TO START ANIMATING?

A practical collection of tools, visual guides, breakdowns, and practice resources to help you learn the fundamentals of Japanese-style character animation. FREE ANIMATION TOOLS Clip Studio Paint Animation Template, Genga Brush Set, Genga Color Set 22 BITE-SIZED ANIMATION GUIDES Quick visual GIFs that break down essential animation principles in an easy-to-reference format. 3 ANIMATION BREAKDOWNS + CSP FILES Blink • Head Turn • Walk Cycle Study the key drawings, timing, and structure of each animation with the original Clip Studio Paint files. BONUS CHARACTER DESIGN SHEET A ready-to-animate character designed for practicing the included breakdowns and creating your own exercises.

About This Starter Kit

I created the Japanese Character Animation Starter Kit because I remember what it felt like to be a beginner animator staring at Japanese animation and wondering, "How do they do that?" The principles are the same everywhere, but the approach—the way Japanese studios think about movement, timing, and efficiency—is unique and powerful. I've spent years studying genga (Japanese key animation), animation principles, and the techniques used in professional Japanese animation studios. I wanted to distill that knowledge into something you could actually use right now. My goal? Help you understand the fundamentals of character animation through the lens of Japanese animation, and get you animating today. Because the best way to learn animation is by doing it.

Ready to Start Your Animation Journey?

Download the Japanese Character Animation Starter Kit for free. Get instant access to visual lessons, reference sheets, animation breakdowns, and a hands-on exercise. No credit card needed. Start learning and animating today. By signing up, you’ll get the free Starter Kit plus animation tips and course updates from Rj Animations ([email protected]). Unsubscribe anytime, no hard feelings.