The 12 basic principles of animation

1. Squash and Stretch

The squash and stretch allows the animation to be dragged out and compressed.

An object that is stretched thus become elongated but pulled.

How squashing and stretching depends on what we are squashing or moving.

  Basic method, as speed increases drawings move further apart. All depends on what material you imaginate e.g. a ball being rubber, will involve more stretching and bouncing.

2. Anticipation

Communications what is going to happen. We think of things, anticipation is preparation for action.

Anticipation is always in the opposite direction to were the main action is going to go.

Any action is strengthened by being proceeded by its opposite. A-B-C, 1-2-3 only three points of action for a runner.

3. Staging

Staging, or mis-en-scene as it is known in the presentation of an idea and a clear communication to an audience.

Staying directs the audience's attention to ideas of a story being told.

You don't want a main character to be staged.

4. Straight ahead and pose to pose animation

Straight ahead animation is the process of animating frame after theme without the use of key framing.

It starts literally with the first drawing and you continue to the end of a scene.

If your not careful you could loose a sense of scale and size.

Pose to pose animation is meticulously planned and the animator works out what key posses will be needed to make an animation work. assistant will draw it out the "inbetween".

Working pose to pose means that it is easy for people to read and understand.

As there is positive and negative for both ways of working the obvious solution would be to combine both.

5. Following through and overlapping action

Essentially overlapping action and follow through are actions that happen when the main body stop, moving. either of an object or character.

Follow through of a termination of an action.

Overlapping action

This trailing behind in action is sometimes called "drag" it often gives a sense of looseness and at the same time solidity.

6. Slow-out and slow-in

Is also referred to as ease-out and ease-in.

Slow-out and slow-in

As action starts we will have more drawings at from middle to end.

7. Arcs

All actions, except perhaps some mechanical ones follow an arc of circular path.

The human figure and animals tend to follow arcs.

When considering arcs thinking out pendulum singing or the motion of your

8. Secondary action

Simply put it secondary action

e.g. over exaggeration dramatically to a situation.

9. Timing

length of production for movement of characters.

Most animations is done on twos (one drawing photographed on two frames of film).

Two are used most of the time, but ones are used during camera moves such as panning.

You also need to think about the timing of the performing of the character. Johnston and Thomas used provide this as a guide for animators.

To make the best possible animation you need to study life.

10. Exaggeration

Exaggeration is not about making something bigger, faster.

It's the subtle characterisation of expressions poses and facial features.

Exaggerating in a walk, head turn or eye movement.

11. Solid drawing

The basic principles of drawing from, weight, volume solidity and the illusion of three.

We can take solid drawing and term them into colour, movement and give characters and objects the illustrations.

Solid drawing

facilitates the emotional and the unemotional.










12. Apeal, or character personality

e.g. The incredibles 2004

Demonstrate a very lively, striking and energetic pose.

All 12 principles applied