Character rigging is the most technical task an animator will face. Most large studios separate out the job of rigging to free the animators for the work of bringing characters to life. Still, it's very important for animators to understand the basics of rigging and how characters are built: just as a race car driver needs to understand how his car works, the animator needs to know how a character is rigged before taking it for a spin.
Chapter One. Basics of Character Design
Chapter Two. Modeling Characters
Chapter Three. Rigging Characters
Chapter Four. Basics of Animation
Chapter Five. Creating Strong Poses
Chapter Six. Walking and Locomotion
Chapter Seven. Facial and Dialogue Animation
Chapter Eight. Animal Motion
Chapter Nine. Acting
Chapter Ten. Directing and Filmmaking