Animation Source Forums

Animating takes quite a bit of time to do actually (or rather, drawing the frames). I have a simple running animation in my gallery, and it took a few days at least to complete the seven frames it is made up of.

I'd suggest drawing out the frames with a pencil and paper if you have a scanner available to you. Using a lightbox or window, trace over your first frame and change things ever so slightly, then trace over that frame and change things slightly, and so on and so forth. When you feel you have enough frames, scan them in, and use a computer program to animate them (I myself use Photoshop Elements, I'm not exactly sure of other programs that you can animate things on though).

I did it all on paper(which I haven't finished yet) and I use tracing paper.Outline your charcter in the first running pose in red or black(a dark color so you can see through the paper).I've got 6 frames already and I'm not even half way done!It takes a lot of work to do an animation although it looks easy when you see others animations.(Trust me thats the way I felt when I saw Kahvie's running animation.By the way nice work Kahvie!)

Animating isn't a walk in the park, it's pretty hard before you get the hang of it. Knowing anatomy is always helpful as well. Sometimes it takes me a really long time to do an animation just because I get so fustrated or lazy. But over all it's just like drawing. No one's good at it at first, you need to practice. I usually start with stick figures and circles, then add the body as I go. I do the tracing too, it helps ;D

I love animation but i have no clue how to do it. And i have no clue what programs to start them on.

No, because I can't I wish I could