Upon beginning the animation task, we were told to do some research on the 12 principles of animation. These principles are important for understanding motion work and form the basis of all animation work.
Squash and Stretch:
This principle is considered the most important of the 12 principles. When applied, it gives the animated characters or objects the illusion of weight, gravity, mass and flexibility. When using this principle, it is important that the objects volume remains consistent, so when you stretch something it gets thinner, and when you squash something it gets wider.
Anticipation:
Anticipation helps to prepare the viewer for what is about to happen, thus making the objects action more realistic.
Staging:
In animation, staging is a lot like composition in artwork. Which means that the motion should be used to guide the viewers eye and draw attention to what is most important in that scene. The motion of anything of non important should be kept to a minimum.
Straight ahead action and pose to pose:
These two approaches are often combined. Straight ahead action involves drawing frame-by-frame from start to finish. This results in fluid, realistic movement. With the pose to pose technique, you draw the beginning frame, the end frame and add a few key frames in-between. This technique allows more control within the scene and allows you to increase the dramatic effect of the motion.
Follow through and overlapping action:
When objects come to a standstill after being in motion, different parts of the object will stop at different rates, similarly not everything on an object will move at the same rate. An example of overlapping action is when a character runs, their arms and legs may be moving at a different rate from their head. An example of follow through is when a character stops running, their hair will likely continue to move for a few frames before coming to rest.
Slow in and slow out:
This principle relates to moving slowly before gaining momentum and speeding up. This is achieved by adding more frames at the beginning and end of an action sequence.
Arc:
Most objects follow an arc or a path when they’re moving, and so your animations should reflect that arc.
Secondary action:
Secondary actions are used to support or emphasise the main action going on within a scene. This helps to add more dimension to your characters and objects. A secondary action should be subtle, and not distract from the primary action.
Timing:
Using the correct timing allows you to control the mood and the reaction of characters and objects.
Exaggeration:
Too much realism can ruin an animation, instead, adding exaggeration to characters and objects make them more dynamic.
Solid Drawing:
This principle involves understanding how to draw in three-dimensional space and understanding form and anatomy, weight and volume, and lights and shadows.
Appeal:
The characters, objects and world in which they live need to appeal to the viewer. This includes having an easy-to-read design, solid drawing, and a personality.