12 Principles of Animation
Squash and stretch – Useful in animating dialogue and doing facial expressions. How extreme the use of squash and stretch is, depends on what is required in animating the scene
2. Anticipation - This action prepares the audience for the next major movement the character is going to perform. Example: A rabbit falling from a cliff.
3. Staging – Actions performed by the characters to communicate their attitude, mood, behaviour etc. Use of long and medium close ups, the angles of camera also helps in conveying the message or the story to the audience.
4. Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose – Animation which begins from the first drawing and works drawing to drawing till the end of the scene. There are chances of losing size, volumes and proportions using this method but it has spontaneity and freshness.
5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action – Type of animation where the main body of the character freeze and all the other parts catch up with the main mass such as arms, hair, clothes, etc.
6. Slow In and Slow Out – When the character starts the action more drawings are near the starting pose, 1 -2 in the middle, and more near the next pose. Fewer the drawings the faster the action occurs and more the drawings slower the action performs.
7. Arcs – It gives animation a better and a natural flow. All the actions performed follow an arc or slightly circular path (Ex. Human figures and actions in animals).
8. Secondary Action – This function allows to you add and enhance the main actions and adds more dimensions to the character animation, emphasizing the main action. Example: A small baby is crying. The face shows sadness, tears and innocence.
9. Timing – Timing is one of the most important things in animation. To become an expert in this particular area of animation you should be having a very good sense everything in reality. With this function you can make your object sad, happy, heavy, light etc.
10. Exaggeration – This function is known as the heart of animation. It helps you making the character eye catching for the audience. Its like a caricature facial features, expressions, poses, action etc. Exaggeration in a walk, a head turn or even an eye movement makes the character more appealing.
11. Solid Drawing - The basic principles of drawing form - weight, volume solidity and the illusion of three dimensions which apply to animation. You draw the cartoons which make classical sense to it using pencil sketches to reflect reality and then these drawings are given colour which gives them a three – four dimension look.
12. Appeal – An appealing character does not mean that the character is cute and cuddly. Any kind of character has to have an appeal whether they are violent, cute, heroic or comic. The function appeal will help including a realistic touch to it which will make it easier for the audience to understand the design and the characterization of the animation.
