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12 Principles of Animation

These 12 principles were first compiled by animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston in 1981 to describe techniques for effective animation. The principles include squash and stretch to show how objects change shape under force, anticipation of major movements, staging shots for clarity, techniques for timing movements, use of arcs and secondary actions to make motions appear natural, exaggeration to emphasize animation, solid drawing of characters from any angle, and making characters inherently appealing.

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Christian Gariando
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29 views14 pages

12 Principles of Animation

These 12 principles were first compiled by animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston in 1981 to describe techniques for effective animation. The principles include squash and stretch to show how objects change shape under force, anticipation of major movements, staging shots for clarity, techniques for timing movements, use of arcs and secondary actions to make motions appear natural, exaggeration to emphasize animation, solid drawing of characters from any angle, and making characters inherently appealing.

Uploaded by

Christian Gariando
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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12

PRINCIPLES
OF
ANIMATION
These 12 principles were first
compiled by the legendary
animators Frank Thomas 
and Ollie Johnston in 1981 in
their book The Illusion of Life.
1. Squash & Stretch
Squash and stretch describe how an object
changes shape in response to forces acting on
it.
Squash is when the object is compressed by
an impact of an opposing force. Stretch is
when an object is distended by something
pulling on it, or by moving quickly.
2. Anticipation

Anticipation is a smaller movement that


comes before a major one, and signals that
the major movement is about to happen.
3. Staging

Staging is the presentation of a shot in a way


that makes the content of the shot as clear as
possible, and the narrative function of the
shot as strong as possible.
4. Straight ahead vs. Pose-to-pose
Straight-ahead and pose-to-pose are different
approaches to animating.

Straight-ahead means creating each new


frame in sequence from beginning to end.
Pose-to-pose means creating the key poses for
each action first, and then filling in the in-
between poses.
5. Follow Through & Overlapping Action
Follow-through and overlapping action refers
to the tendency of different parts of a body to
move at different speeds.

This includes the concept of drag, which is


when one part of the body lags behind when a
motion starts.
6. Slow in & Slow out
Slow-in and slow-out refer to the tendency of
objects to gradually accelerate (and then
decelerate) when moving from one position to
another.

These are sometimes referred to as ease-in


and ease-out, or simply easing.
7. Arcs
The principle of arcs come from the
observation that living things don't move in
straight lines, but rather in curved motions.

Creating graceful, clear arcs often elevates the


animation and reveals the experience level of
the animator.
8. Secondary Action
Secondary action refers to smaller movements
(or gestures) that support the primary actions
of a character.

These actions make the shot clearer by


emphasizing the attitude or motivation behind
the movement.
9. Timing
Timing is controlling the speed of an action
through the number of frames used to
represent it.

It is one of the most fundamental of the 12


principles and takes years to master.
10. Exaggeration
Exaggeration means representing a subject in
a heightened or more extreme way, rather
than strictly realistic, in order to push your
animation further.
11. Solid Drawing
Solid drawing means posing characters in a
way that creates a sense of volume, weight
and balance.

Drawing for animation requires being able to


draw the characters from any angle or pose,
with three-dimensionality in mind.
12. Appeal
Appeal is a broad term for any qualities of a
character's design that makes them inherently
compelling to watch.

This includes the design of the character, as


well as how the character is animated.

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