The 12 Principles of Animation

1. Timing and Spacing (if you’re working within the film rate of 24 rates per
second) for the ball to reach the other side of the
Timing and Spacing in animation is what gives screen. Timing can also establish mood, emotion,
objects and characters the illusion of moving within and personality.
the laws of physics.
Spacing refers to how those individual frames are
Timing refers to the number of frames between two placed. For instance, in the same example, the
poses, or the speed of action. For example, if a ball spacing would be how the ball is positioned in the
travels from screen left to screen right in 24 frames, other 23 frames. If the spacing is close together,
that would be timing. It takes 24 frames or 1 second the ball moves slower. If the spacing is further
apart, the ball moves faster.

2. Squash and Stretch sixty to zero in the blink of an eye. Instead, it slows
down until it reaches a complete stop.
Squash and stretch is what gives flexibility to
objects. The easiest way to understand how The same must be accomplished in animation and
squash and stretch work is to look at a bouncing the easiest way to accomplish ease in and ease out
ball. As the ball starts to fall and picks up speed, is to utilize the principle of spacing. As a character
the ball will stretch out just before impact. stands up from a sitting position, the spacing of
each pose will be closer together at the start so that
As the ball impacts the ground, it squashes before they can ease into the movement. As they stand
stretching again as it takes off. Please note, the up, they will ease out of the movement by spacing
volume of an object doesn’t change. In the case of the poses further apart at the end of the action.
the ball, when it is squashed or stretched, the width Without this acceleration and deceleration of
and depth need to correspond accordingly. actions, everything would be very abrupt and jerky.

There’s a lot of examples of “squash and stretch” 5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action
happening in real life that you may not notice. For
instance, squashing and stretching occurs in the Follow through is the idea that separate parts of the
face when someone speaks because the face is body will continue moving after the character has
very flexible. In animation, this can be exaggerated. come to a stop. As a character comes to a stop
Squash and stretch can be implemented in many from a walk, the arms may continue forward before
different areas of animation to add comical effect or settling in a down position. This could also be the
more appeal, like for the eyes during a blink or case with articles of clothing.
when someone gets surprised or scared.
Overlapping action (also called “drag” or “lead and
3. Anticipation follow”) is very similar in that it means different
parts of the body will move at different times. An
example of overlapping action is when a character
Anticipation is used in animation to set the raises their arm up to wave: The shoulder will move
audience up for an action that is about to happen, first, then the arm, and then the elbow, before the
and is required to sell believable movements. hand lags behind a few frames. You can also see
this when a blade of grass waves in the wind. The
An easy way to think about this is before a baseball base moves first and then the rest of the grass
player pitches the ball, they first need to move their follows behind at different rates, giving it that
entire body and arm backward to gain enough waving motion.
energy to throw the ball forward. So, if an animated
person needs to move forward, they first must Additionally, characters who are remaining still
move back. Or, if a character is reaching for a glass need to display some sort of movement (blinking
on a table, they must first move their hand back. eyes, breathing, etc.) to prevent the animation from
This not only gets up their momentum, but it lets becoming “dead.” This is called “moving hold.”
the audience know this person is about to move.
6. Arcs
Other cases where anticipation is used include
when a character looks off screen when someone Everything in real life typically moves in some type
is arriving, or when a character’s attention is of arcing motion. Since it's unnatural for people to
focused on something they are about to do. move in straight lines, you should adhere to this
principle of animation to ensure you get smooth,
4. Ease In and Ease Out realistic movements. The quicker something
moves, the flatter the arc and the broader the turn.
As any object moves or comes to a stop, there The only time something would move in a perfectly
needs to be a time for acceleration and straight line is a robot.
deceleration. Without ease in and ease out (or slow
in and slow out), movements become very If a character is turning his head, he will dip his
unnatural and robotic. head down during the turn to create an arcing
motion. You also want to ensure that more subtle
As a car moves away from a stop, it doesn’t just things move in arcs. For example, when a
reach full speed in an instant. It must first gain character walks, even the tips of their toes should
speed. As it comes to a stop, it doesn’t go from move in a rounded, arcing motion.
7. Exaggeration 10. Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose

Straight ahead action is a very spontaneous and

Exaggeration is used to push movements further, linear approach to animating and is animated from
adding more appeal to an action, and should start to finish, frame by frame. With this, you’ll
always be implemented to some degree. create each pose of the animation one after the
other. So, if your character is landing on the ground
Exaggeration can be used to create extremely after jumping in the air, you would create the poses
cartoony movements including physical alterations where he is standing, then the poses where he is
or supernatural elements. Or, exaggeration can be beginning to kneel down, and then completely
incorporated with a little more restraint for more crouched. In other words, you’re really working
realistic actions. But, even then you can still use through the animation as you’re going to make
exaggeration to make a more readable or fun quick action fluid and dynamic.
movement while still staying true to reality.
With pose to pose, the animation is much more
So, if a character is preparing to jump off a diving methodical, with just the most important poses
board, you can push them down just a little bit required to properly tell the story. You would
further before they leap off. Alternatively, you can animate the character landing on the ground after
use exaggeration in the timing to enhance different jumping in the air by using fewer poses (standing
movements or help sell the weight of a character or and crouched). This allows for more simple work
object. and ensures the proportions and timing are correct
before you add more intervals later, and is great for
8. Solid Drawing slow, dramatic, or emotional scenes.

In 2D animation, solid drawing is about creating an Often, these two approaches are used in
accurate drawing in terms of volume and weight, combination to great effect.
balance, shadow, and the anatomy in a pose.
With 3D animation, animators need to think about 11. Secondary Action
how to pose out your 3D character rig to ensure
there is correct balance and weight, as well as a Secondary action refers to the actions that support
clear silhouette. or emphasize the main action to breathe more life
into the animation and create a more convincing
Avoid “twinning,” which is creating a mirrored pose performance. It’s important to remember that the
across to the other side (both arms on hips or both secondary action should typically be something
hands in pockets) because this creates a rather subtle that doesn’t detract from the main action
boring and unappealing pose. happening (perhaps even thought of as a
subconscious action). For this reason, dramatic
9. Appeal movements take priority over things like facial
expressions.
This principle can really come down to adding more
appeal (charisma) in many different areas of your Let’s say a character is talking to another character
animation, such as in posing. The most obvious in a waiting room. The two of them talking would be
example, however, is appeal in the character the main action, but if one of them begins tapping
design because you want to have a character that their foot nervously, that would be the secondary
the audience can connect with or relate to, whereas action. Other examples would be a character
a complicated or confusing character design can whistling, leaning on a wall, or crossing their arms
lack appeal. while a primary action is taking place.

You can find areas on the character to push and 12. Staging
exaggerate in order to create a more unique design
that will stick out in your audience’s memory. One Staging is how you go about setting up your scene,
example is to simply exaggerate the jawline or push from the placement of the characters, to the
the youthfulness in the eyes. Either of these can background and foreground elements, the
help create more appeal. character’s mood, and how the camera angle is set
up. Staging is used to make the purpose of the
Keep in mind that appeal is also required for animation unmistakably clear to the viewer. You
villains. want to keep the focus on what you want to
communicate to the audience (and avoid
unnecessary detail) so they don’t become confused