Charleen E Giles

To start, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m a stay-at-home mom, and I started my animation journey in 2019. But I’ve loved animation since I was a child. Growing up, there weren’t many opportunities to study animation because most programs were in private universities, which we couldn’t afford.

It wasn’t until recently, thanks to online resources and animators sharing their knowledge, that I was finally able to fulfil my dream of learning hand-drawn animation.

Was there a specific moment that made you decide to start practicing animation?

The spark actually started when I was a teenager. I live in Florida, and my parents took me to MGM Studios (now Hollywood Studios) where the Disney animation studio used to be. They offered tours at the time, and we could see the animation floor, the paint lab, and parts of the production process.

They were working on films like Mulan and Tarzan. Even though we didn’t meet any animators, seeing that real people were creating these films was incredible.

That experience stayed with me.

Later, I started drawing around the age of 11, mostly copying my favorite cartoon characters. Eventually, I began creating my own characters. But I kept wondering: how do they make characters move? Animation felt like a mystery for many years. Occasionally, you’d see small behind-the-scenes segments on TV, but before the internet, learning animation felt inaccessible unless you went to school for it.

So when did you finally start learning animation seriously?

Years later, when I was in college, I was enrolled in an art program, but they only offered computer animation. I was specifically interested in hand-drawn animation. I just wanted to draw on paper, frame by frame. So that desire stayed unfulfilled for a long time.

A few years ago, I discovered Aaron Blaise on YouTube. His content was inspiring, but I still needed more structured training. Then I found another resource that truly became the foundation of my learning: the Animator’s Survival Kit–style structured training through an online animator training library (run by an industry professional).

That program taught fundamentals step by step: bouncing ball, pendulum, principles of animation, timing, spacing, and so on.

Once I learned those basics, going back to Aaron Blaise’s content became much more effective.

Today, thanks to the internet, you can access high-quality education without spending thousands on university tuition. That makes animation much more accessible, especially for people who want to learn as a hobby or to tell their own stories.

How did you discover Callipeg?

I tried several animation apps at first. I eventually found Callipeg while searching for tools that felt intuitive. Over time, I decided to commit to learning one app deeply instead of switching constantly.

The tutorials—both video and written—helped a lot. Once I became comfortable with the interface, I felt much more free creatively. I didn’t have to think about the tools anymore. I could focus on storytelling. I also really appreciate the support and responsiveness of the team.

What was the hardest part when you started animation?

Solid drawing and fundamentals. Things like arcs, timing, spacing, slow-in and slow-out are crucial as well.

My instructor used to say: if you can’t animate a bouncing ball, how will you animate a character?

Animation is really the manipulation of shapes. Those basic exercises can feel frustrating, but they’re essential.

To make them more enjoyable, I sometimes turned simple exercises into small characters—for example, giving a bouncing ball eyes or arms. Over time, you start seeing these principles everywhere: in cartoons, in real life, in how people move. You begin to truly observe motion.

The same thing happened when I started working on exercises like the flour sack. You realise how much expression you can get from a simple shape—but also how challenging it is to do well. It’s humbling.

Your cat characters are very recognisable. Can you tell us more about them?

They’re inspired by our family cats. One of the main reasons I started animating was also for my daughter. She loves seeing me draw, and we often create stories together. The cats started with characters inspired by our own pets—Rocky, a big fluffy cat, and Ballerina, a smaller one.

Their style was influenced by classic cartoons like Looney Tunes, and also by exercises like the flour sack. Over time, I simplified their designs so they’d be easier to animate consistently. Before I animate, I always warm up by drawing the characters to stay on model.

It sounds like your daughter plays a big role in your creative process.

Absolutely. Many of my ideas come from her. She tells stories, suggests themes, and even helps with challenge prompts.

For example, for a challenge, she suggested a dance party—so I animated all the cats dancing. That project took about eight days and was exhausting, but very rewarding.

She also suggested ideas like a moth transforming into a cat. She follows the whole process, from rough animation to final result, and understands how long it takes. That’s important, because animation requires patience.

Animation is also acting. You’re performing through a pencil.

Sometimes fear and overthinking can freeze you, but the only way to improve is to keep practicing and to ask for critique.

Do you seek feedback from other animators?

Sometimes. My instructor used to offer critiques, and occasionally I reach out to peers online.

Getting feedback can be intimidating, but it’s essential if you want to improve.

Ultimately, my goal is also to bring joy to people. If someone smiles because of my animation, that means a lot to me—especially my daughter. Her excitement alone makes it all worth it.

How do you approach scenes with multiple characters?

Group scenes are challenging. I studied how studios like Ghibli handle crowds, and also looked at films like Ernest & Celestine. There aren’t many tutorials for this, so a lot comes down to planning: staging, timing, and simplicity.

For example, in one challenge with multiple cats, each character had their own timing and action. I had to simplify and accept that animation is a marathon, not a sprint. Observing classic cartoons—Disney, Looney Tunes, Tiny Toons—helped me understand how characters interact in groups.

Do you study animation frame by frame?

Sometimes. Most of the time, I watch animation to get the feeling and analyze the principles intuitively.

But occasionally, I do frame-by-frame analysis using screen recordings. That helped me understand holds, ones, twos, and timing.

One big lesson was realizing that you don’t need 24 drawings per second—sometimes a drawing can hold for several frames, depending on the movement.

That realization makes animation feel much more achievable.

One of your animations with rain and atmosphere stood out. Can you tell us about that?

That piece was inspired by an illustration I had created earlier, featuring a character named Abby. I wanted to animate the illustration and chose rain as the effect. It allowed me to practice walk cycles, water animation, and mood.

I studied rain and water effects in various animations, including Studio Ghibli films and Simon’s Cat. I kept the effects simple: looping rain, ripples in puddles, small details like water drops on leaves. It took time and planning, but I loved the process.

That project taught me a lot—not just about animation, but also about sound and presentation.

How do you usually structure your animation process?

I try to plan earlier now. Each project is different, so it’s hard to predict how long something will take. My usual process looks like this:

• Idea and rough sketches
• Very rough animation (scribbly but readable)
• Rough keys
• Cleanup pass
• Inbetweens
• Coloring

Coloring can take a lot of time. Sometimes I color by hand because I find it relaxing. Other times I use fill shapes to save time. I usually keep colors simple and flat, especially when I’m not focusing on lighting yet.

One important lesson: make sure your rough animation is solid before moving to cleanup and color. Otherwise, revisions become painful. And sometimes, the best thing you can do is step away for a day and come back with fresh eyes.

Do you ever look back at your older work?

Yes, and it’s very helpful. Sometimes you feel like you’re not progressing, but when you look at older work, you see how far you’ve come. It also helps you remember techniques you used before. Keeping an archive—like on Instagram—can be very valuable.

More importantly, I’ve learned to push past self-doubt. Just creating and enjoying the process matters more than perfection.

Do you practice other forms of art besides animation?

Yes. I do watercolor illustration, portraits, colored pencils, chalk pastels, and sometimes even sculpture or sewing. Exploring other crafts helps me creatively and gives me new ideas. Sometimes, an old illustration can later become the basis for an animation.

Even when you’re not animating, observing the world, drawing, and living life can make you a better animator. Those experiences feed your storytelling.

What advice would you give to people who want to animate on their own?

Just do it. Don’t let fear or imperfection stop you. You will improve over time. There are so many good resources online now. Dive in, keep practicing, ask for feedback, and most importantly—have fun.

Discover Charleen's work on Instagram.