Animation Principles - Quick Start

12 Animation Principles in 5 Minutes

The Disney animators codified these principles in the 1930s. They still define quality animation today.

The Principles (30 seconds each)

1. Squash and Stretch Objects compress on impact, elongate in motion. A bouncing ball flattens when it hits ground. Gives life and flexibility.

2. Anticipation Wind-up before action. Crouch before jump. Arm back before throw. Prepares the viewer for what's coming.

3. Staging Present ideas clearly. One idea per shot. The viewer should never wonder where to look.

4. Straight Ahead / Pose to Pose Two animation methods. Straight ahead: draw frame by frame for fluid, spontaneous motion. Pose to pose: draw key frames first for controlled, planned action.

5. Follow Through / Overlapping Action Things don't stop all at once. Hair keeps moving after head stops. Different parts move at different rates.

6. Slow In and Slow Out Movement accelerates and decelerates. More drawings at start and end, fewer in middle. Creates natural weight.

7. Arc Natural motion follows curved paths. Arms swing in arcs. Heads turn in arcs. Straight lines feel robotic.

8. Secondary Action Supporting movements that add richness. Walking while whistling. Talking while gesturing. Enhances without distracting.

9. Timing Number of frames = speed and weight. Fewer frames = faster/lighter. More frames = slower/heavier.

10. Exaggeration Push reality further for impact. Bigger expressions, more dynamic poses. Animation isn't reality - it's reality enhanced.

11. Solid Drawing Three-dimensional thinking. Weight, balance, anatomy. Even 2D characters should feel like they have volume.

12. Appeal Charisma in design. Characters should be interesting to watch. Clear shapes, good proportions, distinctive features.

Quick Reference Groups

Make it move right: Timing, Arcs, Slow In/Out, Squash/Stretch Make it feel alive: Follow Through, Overlapping, Secondary Action Make it read clearly: Staging, Anticipation Make it compelling: Appeal, Exaggeration, Solid Drawing

The Only Exercise You Need to Start

Animate a bouncing ball. It teaches Timing, Squash/Stretch, Arcs, and Slow In/Out simultaneously.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: dylantarre
• Source: dylantarre/animation-principles
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.