1. Squash and Stretch: This principle refers to the flexibility and weight of objects and
characters in animation. Objects compress and expand as they move, giving the movement
dynamism and realism.
2. Anticipation: It is the character's preparatory action before acting. This
helps the viewer anticipate what will happen and makes the movement more understandable.
3. Staging: Elements such as the character's poses, movements, and scene arrangement are
used to make the story understandable and interesting.
4. Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose: These two different animation techniques
determine the continuity and rhythm of the movement. While direct action requires
continuous drawing from the beginning to the end of a scene, pose-to-pose involves drawing
key poses first and then adding intermediate frames.
5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action: This means that some body parts continue to move
even after a character's movement has stopped, or different body parts move at different
speeds to increase the realism of the movement.
6. Slow in and Slow Out: Movements usually start slowly, speed up, and then slow down.
This principle makes it look more realistic.
7. Arc: The movements of living beings are generally non-linear and follow an arc or circular
orbit. This principle refers to the reproduction of these natural movements in animation.
8. Secondary Action: Additional actions that support the main action and further deepen the
character's feelings or thoughts.
9. Timing: Controlling the speed and rhythm of movements greatly affects the liveliness and
the expressiveness of the animation.
10. Exaggeration: Exaggerating a character's movements, expressions, or emotional reactions
going a little beyond reality adds energy and charm to animation.
11. Solid Drawing: It is the principle of applying the rules of perspective, weight, and volume
to make the animation feel three-dimensional and the weight of the characters.
12. Appeal: The need for characters to be engaging and empathetic to the audience. This is
achieved through character design, movement, and expressions.
The 12 principles of animation provide a foundation for understanding and practicing the art
of movement and expression. Most modern animation studios continue to apply these
principles to bring life and expression to their animations.
