PRINCIPLES OF ANIMATIONApril 25, 2011

INTRODUCTIONThis week we will demonstrate our

understanding of the principles of animation by designing a scene that illustrates the 12 principles.

Today our goals are to: Become familiar with the 12 Principles of

Animation Examine some of the principles at work in a

modern animation Begin planning your own scene

PRINCIPLES OF ANIMATION1. Squash and

Stretch2. Anticipation3. Staging4. Straight Ahead v.

Pose to Pose5. Follow Through

and Overlapping Action

6. Slow In and Slow Out

7. Arcs8. Secondary Action9. Timing10. Exaggeration11. Solid Drawing12. Appeal

SQUASH

Gives the illusion of weight to an object as it moves

An object’s volume must not be changed when squashed or stretched.

Another Example

and

CC-BY-SA Lapman 2008

CC-BY-SA Lapman 2008

ANTICIPATIONPrepares the audience for the action and makes the

action appear more realistic

CC –BY-SA Dikeman 2004

STA

GIN

G

Click icon to add picture •A scene should reveal the attitude, mood, reaction or idea of the character or story. •Camera angles help frame this for the audience.

STRAIGHT AHEAD V. POSE TO POSE

Begins with the first drawing and works drawing toward the end of a scene.

Planned out and charted

Key drawings done at intervals throughout the scene

Straight Ahead Animation

Pose to Pose Animation

FOLLOW THROUGH AND OVERLAPPING ACTION When the main body of the character stops

all other parts continue to catch up to the main mass of the character, such as arms, long hair, clothing, or a long tail.

Animated Example

CC-BY-SA SunCreator 2010

SLOW IN AND SLOW OUT

More drawings near start and end pose.

Softens the action

CC-BY-SA Lapman 2008

ARCSAll actions, with few exceptions follow an arc or slightly circular path. © Road2Animate 2010

SECONDARY ACTION Action adds to the

main action and adds dimension to the character

TIMING Timing refers to the number of drawings or

frames for a given action On a purely physical level, correct timing

makes objects appear to abide to the laws of physics

Timing is critical for establishing a character's mood, emotion, and reaction.

EXAGGERATIONExaggeration is an effect especially useful for

animation, as perfect imitation of reality can look static and dull in cartoons.

SOLID DRAWING

The basic principles of drawing apply to animation as it does to academic drawing.

AP

PEA

L

Appeal includes an easy to read design, clear drawing, and personality development to capture the audience’s interest

SUMMARY The 12 Principles of Animation were

developed by the animators at Disney studios.

They serve as guidelines to make animation (drawn or computer generated) more realistic and appealing to an audience.

Let’s take a look at how these principles have been applied in an animation you are probably familiar with.

SAMPLE

REFERENCES"12 Basic Principles of Animation." Wikipedia, the Free

Encyclopedia. 23 Apr. 2011. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12_basic_principles_of_animation>.

"Frank & Ollie'sWebsite: Principles of Physical Animation." Frank & Ollie'sOfficial Site. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. <http://frankandollie.com/PhysicalAnimation.html>.

Lightfoot, Nataha. "Animation Toolworks' Library - 12 Principles." Animation Toolworks - Home of the LunchBox DV, LunchBox Sync and Video LunchBox. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. <http://www.animationtoolworks.com/library/article9.html>.

Stefano, Ralph A. "The Principles of Animation." Evl | Electronic Visualization Laboratory. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. <http://www.evl.uic.edu/ralph/508S99/>

IMAGESArc. Digital image. Road2Animate. 30 Apr. 2010. Web. 24 Apr.

2011. <http://road2animate.com/2010/04/30/12-principles-of-animation-for-3d-animators/>.

Dikeman, Rick. Pitcher's Motion. Digital image. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 15 Sept. 2004. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Baseball_pitching_motion_2004.jpg>.

Lampman. Squash and Stretch. Digital image. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 27 June 2008. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Squash_and_Stretch.svg>.

Nystrom, J-E. Animhorse. Digital image. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 6 Mar. 2010. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Animhorse.gif>.

All images courtesy Microsoft Office ClipArt, unless otherwise noted.