1. Squash and Stretch
The Squash and Stretch technique is used by animators to convey an object’s weight, flexibility, and hardness.
For example, when there is an animation of an object falling, it gets flattened when it touches the ground and stretches out to maintain its volume. This shows that the object is flexible.
Similarly, with characters, their faces and bodies are stretched and compressed to express emotions.
This technique makes the animation a bit more realistic by giving more depth and definition to your scene. However, it can be comical when it is exaggerated to a degree.
2. Anticipation
Anticipation in animation prepares the audience for what will happen next. It involves a small movement or action that precedes a larger one.
For instance, before a character jumps, they will often squat momentarily. This squatting motion is an example of anticipation in animation, as it signals to the audience that a jump is coming up.
This technique makes the animation realistic as it mimics how we move and act in real life, where small movements often precede our actions.
3. Staging
Staging in Animation involves arranging characters, props, background, and camera perspective.
You might have noticed that in animation, a scene unfolds in a sequence and not all at once. This directs the viewer’s focus on one thing at a time.
4. Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose
Drawing animations can be done in 2 ways – Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose.
Straight ahead action involves drawing an action frame by frame, creating a smooth flow of movement. This method requires starting with a drawing and then proceeding to draw sequentially, most of the time not knowing the last frame.
However, this approach is time-consuming as it requires many frames to be drawn for a single action.
On the other hand, Pose to Pose involves having a clear idea of the action. It requires drawing the first and last frames, creating the extreme poses, and then filling in the middle frames. As this method does not involve drawing a lot of filler frames, the movement is dramatic, and jump cuts can be created.
5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action
Follow Through and Overlapping action are two important techniques used in animation to create realistic and fluid motion. These techniques involve parts of the character in motion even after the character has stopped.
For example, when a character wearing a cape runs and comes to a halt, the cape and the character’s hair continue to sway for a moment before they get pulled back to the character. Here, the cape follows through with the character’s motion. The tendency of the cape and hair to move at a different rate from the character depicts the overlapping action.
By mimicking the natural flow of movement, this animation technique makes the motion appear more realistic.
6. Slow In and Slow Out
In the practical world, objects take time to gain speed. They don’t change their speed from 0 to 100 instantly.
So, to create a more realistic effect, animators make the motion of characters start and end slowly with faster movement in between. This change in speed makes the movement more lifelike.
To achieve this effect, animators draw more frames near the action’s beginning and end to create the impression of slow movement. They draw fewer frames in between to highlight speed.
7. Arc
Arcs refers to the movement of an object or a character in curves rather than a straight line. We humans, move in curves. Even a simple movement, like turning our head, follows a curved path. Imagine turning your head in a straight line. It almost feels robotic and creepy.
So, to make the animation more realistic and natural, animators use this technique of curved trajectory motion. For example, when a character swings their sword, it is animated in a curved path rather than a straight line.
8. Secondary Action
Secondary action enhances the main action and provides more detail to the primary action. These secondary actions can be used to create a character’s personality trait or to depict the character’s emotions.
For example, let’s say a character is eating a burger. This is the main action. But when they raise their eyebrows after the first bite, that is a secondary action that adds more detail to the scene. It shows that the character is surprised by the taste.
9. Timing
The term “Timing” refers to the speed of the scene, which is determined by the number of frames used. If more frames are used, the scene will appear to be slower. On the other hand, fewer frames will make the scene look quicker.
It is important to establish timing properly for each object in the animation with respect to the object’s size and weight. For instance, if a character is shown rolling a large ball, the timing will vary depending on the ball’s weight.
If the ball is lighter, the character will take less time to move it so fewer frames will be required. On the contrary, if the ball is heavier, the character will take a longer time to move it, so more frames must be drawn.
10. Exaggeration
Exaggeration animation is used to create a dramatic effect and enhance the storytelling.
This technique is applied to actions, expressions, and even poses to make them more impactful.
By exaggerating certain elements, animators can also add a comical effect to the animation. For example, extreme facial expressions after a character accidentally walks into a pole make the scene hilarious.
11. Solid Drawing
Solid Drawing is an essential technique in the animation industry. It involves giving characters weight and volume by drawing them in a proper shape as they would appear in a 3-dimensional space.
To achieve this, animators draw the character in several poses and angles, ensuring that the proportions remain consistent throughout the scenes.
12. Appeal
Creating an appealing character is crucial to make it memorable and exciting to the audience. The term “appeal” doesn’t only refer to physical attractiveness but also to the character’s intriguing and charming traits.
The appeal is necessary for all characters that are vital to the video or movie. It is not just limited to heroes, as even villains deserve a strong appeal to add weight to their character.
reference: 12 Principles of Animation
Explained! [With Examples] - Animaker
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/animation/discover/principles-of-animation.html
