1. Squash and Stretch
The first principle, squash and stretch, is crucial in conveying weight and flexibility. By exaggerating a shape during movement, animators can depict a character's mass and volume convincingly. When something moves quickly, it can elongate (stretch), and when it comes to a halt, it can flatten (squash). The most iconic example is the bouncing ball. A ball squashes when it hits the ground and stretches when it moves upward, giving the illusion of life.
For characters, squash and stretch breathes life into facial expressions and body movements. Even in non-living objects, this principle can make animations feel more dynamic and engaging.
2. Anticipation
Anticipation helps to prepare the audience for what’s about to happen. Before any significant action takes place, a minor preparatory action helps build excitement. This principle applies to actions like jumping, where a character crouches before leaping, or throwing an object, where the arm pulls back before a toss. Without anticipation, animations feel abrupt and disconnected, making it harder for audiences to follow along.
Anticipation enhances realism and prevents movement from feeling robotic or out of place, one of the many reasons why it’s an integral part of the 12 principles of animation.
3. Staging
Staging focuses on how to present an idea clearly, ensuring that the audience knows where to look. Similar to stage acting, the animator directs the audience’s eye to the essential parts of the scene. This principle involves the arrangement of characters, lighting, and even camera angles to ensure clarity.
Staging helps the animator convey the story, mood, or action without ambiguity. Even the subtlest changes in a scene can completely alter the audience’s perception, making this principle critical to animation success.
4. Straight-Ahead Action and Pose-to-Pose
These are two techniques animators use to create movement. Straight-ahead action involves drawing frame by frame from start to finish. This method allows for more spontaneous movement and is often used in action scenes. However, it can lead to losing size and proportions over time.
On the other hand, pose-to-pose starts with drawing key poses and filling in the gaps afterward. This method provides more control over timing and proportions, which is why it’s used in most animations today. Together, both techniques are essential in the 12 principles of animation, offering different methods for achieving dynamic motion.
5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action
When characters or objects move, their movements don’t stop all at once. Follow through is when different parts of a character or object catch up after the main motion stops. For example, a character’s hair might continue moving after their body comes to a stop.
Overlapping action refers to different body parts moving at different times. If a character’s arm moves forward, the body may follow slightly afterward. This principle gives fluidity and realism to animations.
Mastering follow-through and overlapping action can help animators avoid stiffness, providing more natural, believable sequences.
6. Slow In and Slow Out
Objects in the real world rarely start and stop abruptly. Slow in and slow out refers to the way objects accelerate and decelerate gradually. By adding more frames at the beginning and end of a movement, animators can give characters more realistic pacing. This principle helps animations feel smooth and continuous, rather than mechanical.
Without proper slow in and slow out, characters’ movements can appear jerky, and scenes might lose their sense of rhythm and fluidity.
7. Arcs
In the natural world, most actions follow a curved path or arc. For example, when you swing your arm or throw a ball, it moves in a smooth arc, not in a straight line. By following arcs, animators can create more fluid and realistic movement.
Whether it’s a character waving their hand, a ball rolling down a hill, or even a character walking, arcs give the action a smoother, more organic feel. This principle is crucial in making sure the characters’ movements are visually pleasing and mimic real-world physics.
8. Secondary Action
A secondary action is a supplementary movement that adds dimension to the main action. For example, if a character is walking, their arms swinging would be the secondary action, adding life to the primary action of walking.
Secondary actions complement the main action, enriching the animation and adding depth to the character’s performance. It ensures that characters don’t feel rigid or robotic. However, it's important not to overdo it, as it can distract from the primary action.
9. Timing
Timing refers to how long an action takes in animation. It involves the number of frames used for a particular movement. By adjusting timing, animators can convey a sense of speed, emotion, and even weight.
For example, a fast action like a punch might use fewer frames, while a slower, more deliberate movement might require more frames. Proper timing is vital in ensuring that characters' actions are believable and in sync with the overall rhythm of the scene.
10. Exaggeration
Exaggeration takes real-world principles and pushes them beyond reality to make the animation more entertaining and visually striking. It’s not about distorting reality entirely but rather amplifying key actions, expressions, and movements for greater effect.
For instance, a character jumping might leap higher than a real person would, or a facial expression might be pushed to a comically exaggerated level. Exaggeration is one of the 12 principles of animation that allows animators to break the rules of realism to heighten the audience’s emotional connection.
11. Solid Drawing
Even in animation, understanding the basics of traditional drawing is crucial. Solid drawing refers to the ability to create characters that feel like they have weight, depth, and are three-dimensional. This principle applies to both 2D and 3D animation.
By using perspective, balance, and anatomy correctly, animators can make characters appear more lifelike and consistent throughout the sequence. Without proper drawing skills, animations can look flat and lack dimension, which is why solid drawing remains a core principle.
12. Appeal
Appeal doesn't necessarily mean a character must be cute or likable; instead, it refers to the character's charm and magnetism. A character with appeal draws the audience's attention and makes them interested in watching more.
From heroes to villains, every character should be well-designed, interesting, and charismatic. Appeal also applies to the overall composition of the scene, ensuring that every visual element is engaging and fits well within the animation.
Conclusion
The 12 principles of animation are the bedrock of animation theory, influencing everything from character design to movement. Understanding these principles allows animators to create believable, compelling, and engaging animations that resonate with audiences. Whether working in traditional hand-drawn animation or cutting-edge 3D modeling, these timeless techniques remain as relevant today as when they were first introduced. Mastering the 12 principles of animation is the key to bringing stories and characters to life on screen.
