Sunday, November 19th, 2023 Posted by Jim Thacker

Tutorial: Designing Backgrounds for Animation


The Gnomon Workshop has released Designing Backgrounds for Animation, a new tutorial recorded by Rick and Morty Background Painter and Designer Mike Bear.

The workshop provides two hours of video training, and is aimed at artists and illustrators with existing Photoshop experience looking to familiarize themselves with animation production.

Discover how to create professional-quality 2D backgrounds for animation production
In the video, Bear shares his complete process for designing and painting backgrounds for TV.

He begins by reviewing the script, gathering references and sketching out initial ideas. From there, he selects a sketch to develop into a clean, final background usable for an animation.

With the design established, Bear progresses to digital painting in Photoshop, discussing the reasons behind his creative decisions as he moves from thumbnails to the final painting.

About the artist
Mike Bear is an illustrator working in the animation and games industry.

He is currently Background Painter and Designer on Rick and Morty, and has worked with clients including Warner Bros., Netflix, Disney Television Animation and Marvel Studios Animation.

Pricing and availability
Designing Backgrounds for Animation is available via a subscription to The Gnomon Workshop, which provides access to over 300 tutorials.

Subscriptions cost $54/month or $499/year. Free trials are available.

Read more about Designing Backgrounds for Animation on The Gnomon Workshop’s website


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