If you wish to make an animated cartoon or if you want to work for a major production company as an animator, you may find yourself looking up the careers of those whose footsteps you wish to follow. Before having a major career, most animators started by making their own pictures and comic strips. As an animator, it can be equally important to follow and learn information about the early careers of your favorite animators. Here are three things you will learn by following their early careers. 

You find out what their animations used to look like

Everyone tends to grow in their career as they get more practice and experience. You may find that animators have experienced a change in their drawing style from the time that they first began to the time that they struck it big in their career. Find a copy of one of their earliest animations and take a good look at their sketching and drawing style. Compare this to the animations that you see in books or in movies today. You will be able to see how their animation style changed over time and how it developed. 

How many small projects they had

It is common for all artists to have many small projects before they have a major project, especially on a major motion feature. Take a look at the running list of projects that your favorite animators were involved in. This list is likely to be extensive and may even involve some of the projects that you found enjoyable but did not know that they were involved in. As an animator start getting involved in a similar crowd that will give you these beginner opportunities so that you can flex your creative skills. 

What education they had before starting their career

There are animation experts that began their career right outside of high school, while there are others who attended college and received a degree or certification. Looking at the educational background of animation experts will give you a glimpse into how they learned their techniques and how they became the specialists that they are. If you are in need of more training, learning the schools and technical academies that the artist you look up to attended will provide you with a starting point for your research. Going to the same schools may give you a common social circle that can help you move up the ranks in animation art. 

Contact a service, like Rotoscopers, for more help.