Why Do These 12 Principles Matter?
If you’ve ever watched an animated character that felt oddly stiff or lifeless, chances are it was missing some of the core principles of animation. Developed by Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas in the 1980s, these 12 principles are the backbone of traditional and digital animation alike. Whether you’re working in 2D, 3D, or even stop motion, learning these tools will instantly improve your work.
Think of them not as rules, but as trusted ingredients. You don’t need to use them all at once—but the more you understand them, the more control you have over your animation.
The 12 Principles of Animation
- Squash and Stretch: This gives a sense of weight and flexibility. A bouncing ball squashes on impact and stretches when it moves fast. It’s one of the most fundamental principles for creating believable movement.
- Anticipation: Just like a real-life wind-up before a jump, anticipation builds tension and helps viewers prepare for the action that’s coming. Even subtle anticipation makes an animation feel smoother and more natural.
- Staging: This is all about clarity. You want your audience to focus on what’s important in the scene. Good staging means using composition, lighting, and timing to highlight key actions or expressions.
- Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose: Two ways of animating. Straight ahead means animating frame by frame from start to finish—great for fluid, unpredictable movement. Pose to pose means planning key poses first and filling in the in-betweens—better for structure and control.
- Follow Through and Overlapping Action: When a character stops, not everything stops at once. Think of a dog’s ears flopping after it halts. Overlapping action adds realism by staggering different body parts’ movements.
- Slow In and Slow Out: Just like in real life, things don’t start or stop instantly. Adding more frames near the beginning and end of a motion creates a sense of acceleration and deceleration.
- Arcs: Most natural movements follow a curved path, not a straight line. Whether it’s an arm swing or a jump, using arcs gives your animation flow and realism.
- Secondary Action: This is a smaller action that supports the main action. A character walking might have their hair bounce or arms swing. It adds depth without distracting from the primary motion.
- Timing: Timing determines how fast or slow something moves. More frames mean slower movement; fewer frames mean faster. It affects emotion, physics, and storytelling.
- Exaggeration: A little push can go a long way. Exaggeration helps you heighten emotion or emphasize motion without breaking believability. It’s what makes animation entertaining.
- Solid Drawing: Even if you’re working digitally, understanding anatomy, volume, and form helps your characters feel grounded and real. Good animation starts with confident drawing.
- Appeal: This doesn’t mean cuteness—it means characters that are interesting, readable, and engaging. Strong silhouettes, clear expressions, and thoughtful design all contribute to appeal.
How to Practice These as a Beginner
Start small. Try exercises like animating a bouncing ball (for squash and stretch), a character waving (for arcs and timing), or a walk cycle (to explore follow-through and overlapping action). You’ll get to know these principles faster by applying them than memorizing them.
And remember—you don’t need expensive software to begin. Even flipbooks or free apps can help you internalize these concepts through hands-on practice. As you go, focus on one or two principles at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed.
Final Thoughts
The 12 principles of animation are more than theory—they’re what turn static images into living characters. Don’t worry about mastering them all at once. Pick one, try it out, and build from there. Over time, they’ll become second nature, and your animations will take on a life of their own.