✷Art Resources✷
Hello
I'm Kat (they/she), I also go by Tonkable online. I'm an animator & illustrator based in the UK.
I made this site to help those who want to learn how to draw, animate, write, set up portfolios, etc. This is also a reference list for me as I use most of these resources myself.
I've tried to keep most resources free but some will have to be paid for, however I highly recommend any paid for book/pdf/course I link here.
if any links are dead please let me know by DMing me anywhere you can :)
last updated: 3 nov '25DISCLAIMER
I have not and will not be paid to put any of these links here, these are all things I have used/currently use that I personally recommend to others
drawing
| link | desc. | price |
|---|---|---|
| Study References Board | my pinterest board of references | free |
| GES DRAW PARTY | timed model videos | free |
| Line Of Action | timed model photos | free/sub |
| Quickposes | timed model photos | free |
| TrueRef Gesture Tool | timed model photos | free |
| ART School | art course by Marc Brunet | $600 |
| Drawabox | learn to draw from the basics | free |
| Reference Angle | draw heads from different angles | free |
| How To Think About Composition | PDF by Zoe Jay | free |
| Kaycem | streamer/youtuber drawing tutorials | free |
| 3 tips to improve your PEOPLE SKETCHING (fast urban sketching techniques) | video by Sketching Scottie | free |
| Drawing Tutorials Online | figure drawing tutorials | free/sub |
| Creating Backgrounds | by Tim Mcburnie | free |
| An Incomplete Guide to Prop Design | PDF by lexlambs | $5 |
| Eric's Thoughts On Drawing Backgrounds And Props | post by erichibbeler | free |
| Building Designs and Background Painting Process | tutorial by Gillian Galang | $10+ |
| How to Rotate a Box in Perspective | video by dr. Draw | free |
| How to Paint Characters (Full Guide) | video by Aaron Min | free |
colour theory
| link | desc. | price |
|---|---|---|
| Marco Bucci | youtube channel | free |
| Colour Tips and Tricks | PDF by Iniro | $15 |
| Colour Tips and Tricks 2 | PDF by Iniro | $16 |
| Colour Theory Tumblr post | has some useful links | free |
| Why Color Studies Are So Powerful | by Light Ponderings | free |
animation
| link | desc. | price |
|---|---|---|
| The Animator's Survival Kit | book by Richard E. Williams | £20 - £30 |
| Alex Grigg// Animations for Anyone | youtube channel | free |
| BAM Animation | youtube channel | free |
| Animation Basecamp | course by Alex Grigg | $199 |
| Adam's Animation Academy | various animation courses | paid (various prices) |
| How to Read Timing Charts (Finally Explained Simply) | video by Plainly Simple | free |
| AnimAudios | site to find audio to animate to | free |
software specific
| link | software | desc. | price |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to Animate Night In The Woods [Scribble Kibble #103] | After Effects* | video by Crowne Prince - helped me get a grip on AE | free |
| Frame by Frame Animation Tricks in After Effects | Tutorial | After Effects* | video by Manuel does Motion | free |
| Blender Fundamentals | Blender | official blender beginner tutorials | free |
| EVERYTHING You Need to Animate with Blender Grease Pencil (Beginner Guide) | Blender | video by kdsketch | free |
| How To Animate in Clip Studio Paint - Tutorial for Beginners | Clip Studio Paint* | video by Jesse J. Jones | free |
| Learn Fusion in 10 Minutes! - Beginner Tutorial for Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve | DaVinci Resolve | video by Casey Faris | free |
| DaVinci Resolve 17 Parallax Animation | DaVinci Resolve | video by Digital Vector Studios | free |
| Mastering Procreate Dreams | Procreate Dreams* | course by Alex Grigg | $40 |
| Little Miss Hellraiser Toon Boom Harmony Rig | Toon Boom Harmony* | by Edu Bruks | free |
| Sun and Moon Toon Boom Crash Course | Toon Boom Harmony* | 4 week online course | £500 (est.) |
* software not free
storyboard
| link | desc. | price |
|---|---|---|
| Storyboarding Essentials: SCAD Creative Essentials | book by David Harland Rousseau & Benjamin Reid Phillips | £18.15 |
| Exploring Storyboarding | book by Wendy Tumminello | £26.56 |
| Storyboard Pro Crash Course/Tips for Beginners | Storyboard Pro* tutorial | free |
| Storyboarding the Disney, Family Guy, Aardman and WB way! | video by Animation Hustle | free |
| Basic Perspective for Storyboards! | PDF by Bridget Underwood | free |
| Storyboarding Links & Tips | article by Adam Beer | free |
* software not free
character design
| link | desc. | price |
|---|---|---|
| Character Design Crash Course | a huge course document with assignments | free |
| Delicious in Dungeon - Fundamentals of Character Design | by lines in motion | free |
| The Essential Role of Character Lineups | video by Tim McBurnie - The Drawing Codex | free |
| Quick Pro Character Design Techniques | video by The Drawing Codex | free |
portfolio tips
| link | desc. | price |
|---|---|---|
| How to make a Character Design Portfolio | video by Jackie Droujko | free |
| Top Tips on How to Kickstart Your Storyboard Portfolio | article by Brown Bag Films | free |
| 25 Tips to Create an Animation Demo Reel | video by Sir Wade Neistadt | free |
| ✸How to make a PORTFOLIO WEBSITE for your ART✸ - Tips and Tricks From a Professional Illustrator | video by Anoosha Syed | free |
| Build your animation portfolio | article by ScreenSkills | free |
| Story Portfolio Tips | by daleydraw | free |
| Making a Storyboard Portfolio | video by Creative Talent Network | free |
writing
| link | desc. | price |
|---|---|---|
| Reedsy | youtube channel | free |
| How to Plot a Comic From Start to Finish! | video by McKay & Gray | free |
| Writing for animation, Comics, and Games | book by Christy Marx | £44.99 |
| Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting | book by Syd Field (I have the 1987 edition) | £12.20 |
| Writing for Games; Theory & Practice | book by Hannah Nicklin | £44.99 |
| Punctuating Dialogue | tumblr post by writingmaz | free |
| Novel November | a november writing challenge | free |
extras
| link | desc. | price |
|---|---|---|
| Animation/Art Resource Sheet | google sheet by PuccaNoodles | mix |
| Adobe substitution chart | - | mix |
| Software substitution chart | - | mix |
| La Galeria Roja | Madrid-based gallery hosting in-person and online workshops & courses with professionals in the industry | paid |
| Dot.escuela | online animation courses by industry professionals | paid |
| Motivation Station | youtube playlist of things that motivate & inspire me | free |
| The Illustrated Freelancer's Guide | PDF by Heather Parry & Maria Stoian, useful for those freelancing in the UK | free |
| Salary Calculator | helps you calculate what to charge for work | free |
| SalaryBot | salary calculator | free |
| freeCodeCamp | step-by-step coding tutorials with verified certifications | free |
| Beginners Guide to Digital Zines | PDF by Yamino | free |
| Graphic Design Basics | FREE COURSE | video by Envato Tuts+ | free |
| ScreenSkills - Job Profiles | I found this very useful for learning how different pipelines work | free |
| Make Your Own Font | article by Make It Center, Adobe. software mentioned in article may cost money, but steps can be replicated in other software. | free |
| Calligraphr | font creator | free/sub |
| Things You Should Do Before Starting a Small Business | Must-Know Tips! | video by Mikhila MAKES | free |
| Color Grading Crash Course For Beginners - DaVinci Resolve Tutorial | video by Waqas Qazi | free |
| Tips For Exhibiting At A Comic Convention | article by ThoughtBubble | free |
art books
| title | author | price |
|---|---|---|
| THE LINE VAULT | The Line Animation | $20+ |
| The Art and Making of Arcane | Riot Games/Fortiche Productions | £45 |
| The Art of Wolfwalkers | Charles Solomon/Cartoon Saloon | £25.35 |
| TV Series Bibles | mix | free |
| Art of Animation | mix | free |
| Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: The Art of the Movie | Ramin Zahed/Sony Pictures | £30 |
software list
| software | device | price |
|---|---|---|
| Procreate | iPad | £12.99 |
| Procreate Dreams | iPad | £19.99 |
| ToonSquid | iPad | £9.99 |
| Callipeg | iPad | £14.99 |
| Rough Animator | Windows, Mac, iPad, Android | £6.99 |
| Affinity | Windows, Mac, iPad(soon) | free |
| FireAlpaca | Windows, Mac | free |
| Paint Tool SAI | Windows | ¥5500 |
| Adobe Suite | Windows, Mac | subscription |
| Clip Studio Paint | Windows, Mac, iPad | paid/subscription |
| Blender | Windows, Mac | free |
| DaVinci Resolve | Windows, Mac | free/subscription |
| TVPaint | Windows, Mac | version dependent |
| Krita | Windows, Mac | free |
| Toon Boom Harmony | Windows, Mac | paid/subscription |
| Storyboard Pro | Windows, Mac | paid/subscription |
| Moho | Windows, Mac | version dependent |
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