THE PRINCIPLES OF ANIMATION UNIT
Activity 2- The 12 Principles of Animation
The 12 Principles of Animation
1.) Arcs
-Most living creatures follow a circular path that's also known as an arc
-Sometimes a basic up and movement make the character look too mechanical
-Adding an arc to an animation gives it a little more character it also makes the movement more realistic
For example:
-A rubber ball would have a higher arc because it's soft and not too heavy so it would bounce a lot
-A bowling ball would have a lower arc because it's hard and heavy, therefore it would bounce less than rubber ball
2.) Squash and Stretch
-Objects will get longer and flatter to emphasize weight, mass, speed and momentum
-The amount an object squashes and stretches says something about it
-Squash and stretch could also be used to exaggerate facial expressions
-The volume of the object must be consistent the entire time. If the object gets longer it also gets more narrow, if it gets wider it has to be flatter.
For example:
-A softer ball like a rubber ball would squash more on impact and stretch after because it's soft
-A harder ball like a bowling ball would have less squash and stretch because it's stiffer
3.) Straight Ahead and Pose to Pose
-2 different styles of animation
-Straight ahead is done when a drawing is done after another
-Pose to pose is done when the beginning and end poses (keys) is drawn then the secondary poses (extremes) in between get added and lastly the other further break down poses (breakdowns)
-Pose to pose gives the animator more control because they can plan out where the character ends up then work backwards from there. It also makes sure the character stays the same size.
-Straight ahead is good for animations that are unpredictable and it gives them a more organic flow. The laws of physics work at a constant rate and it's hard to predict pose to pose.
For example:
-Pose to pose may be used when a person is jumping over roof tops because the unpredictability of straight ahead might cause the person to not reach the other building and fall.
-Straight ahead may be used on a object such as fire for a more organic flow because pose to pose might cause it to flow a little too smoothly defying the laws of physics
*NOTE: Neither one is the wrong way nor right way. It's all in a matter of what the animator thinks works best with the given movement.
4.) Slow in and Slow out
-All movements starts slowly, builds speed, and finish slowly
-Without slow in and slow out the character feels mechanical because it would only be moving at a constant speed.
-The beginning, middle and end poses are drawn. Then the poses in between the beginning and the middle, and between the middle and end.
-The less drawings the faster an object moves and the more drawings the slower it moves. The drawings towards the beginning and end should be closer together and get farther apart as it reaches the middle.
