Abstract

The twelve principles of animation were defined by Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas in their 1981 book The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation. (adobe.com) These principles form a framework for creating believable movement in animation, whether hand-drawn or digital. They include-among others-“squash and stretch,” which gives characters a sense of weight and flexibility; “anticipation,” which prepares the viewer for an action; and “timing,” which determines how fast or slow motions occur. (Creative Bloq) For high-school students exploring animation programs, understanding these principles helps clarify what animators study: how characters move, how scenes are staged, how emotions are conveyed through motion. This article explains each principle in accessible terms, with definitions and examples, so you can connect the theory to practice.

Keywords: animation principles, squash and stretch, anticipation, timing, character appeal

The twelve principles of animation originate from the work of Johnston and Thomas at Walt Disney Animation Studios in the 1930s and later formalised in their book. (Wikipedia) These rules aim to make drawings move in a way that feels natural and alive. Below are the principles with plain explanations and concrete terms you’ll see in animation classes.

  1. Squash and Stretch

This principle gives an object or character a sense of weight, volume and flexibility. When a ball bounces it stretches on the ascent and squashes on impact. Volume must stay constant even as shape varies. (Wikipedia)

  1. Anticipation

Before the main action, there is a setup. For example, a character may bend its knees before jumping. This helps the viewer understand what is about to happen. (Wikipedia)

  1. Staging

This refers to how the scene is arranged-where characters sit, how they move, where the camera (or viewpoint) is placed. Good staging ensures the action is clear. (adobe.com)

  1. Straight ahead action and pose to pose

These are two approaches to drawing animation. “Straight ahead” means drawing each frame in sequence from start to finish. “Pose to pose” means drawing main key frames first, then creating the frames in between. (Creative Bloq)

  1. Follow through and overlapping action

When a character stops, parts of its body may keep moving (follow through). Different parts may move at different rates (overlapping action). An arm may finish swing after the body stops. (Wikipedia)

  1. Slow in and slow out

In real motion, objects accelerate and decelerate. To simulate this the animator draws more frames at the start and end of an action, fewer frames in the middle. This adds realism. (Creative Bloq)

  1. Arcs

Most movement follows curved paths not straight lines. For example a thrown object or swinging limb follows an arc. Animating along arcs looks more natural. (adobe.com)

  1. Secondary action

These are smaller actions that support the main action. If a character is walking (main action), the swinging of its arms or facial expression is a secondary action. It enriches motion without distracting. (NYFA)

  1. Timing

Timing is how many frames you use for a given action and how fast things change. A heavy object moves slower (so more frames) than a light object. Correct timing helps the motion feel believable. (Creative Bloq)

  1. Exaggeration

Some motions work better when pushed beyond realism. Exaggeration means you go slightly farther than normal to make the action clearer or more expressive, while still feeling plausible. (adobe.com)

  1. Solid drawing

This principle covers the fundamentals of drawing: form, weight, volume, anatomy. Even in digital animation, you still need to consider how a character occupies three-dimensional space. (Creative Bloq)

  1. Appeal

Characters and actions should have appeal-they should interest the viewer, have personality or charisma. Appeal does not mean cute only; villains may have strong appeal too. (NYFA)

When you study animation at university you’ll learn how to apply these principles through drawing exercises, key-frame practice, timing tests, and scene planning. Even though many animations today are digital or three-dimensional, these twelve principles still apply-they form a common language of motion for animators. (adobe.com)

By learning and practising these principles you build a toolkit: you’ll understand how to plan an action (anticipation, staging), how to depict it (key frames and in-between frames via straight ahead or pose to pose), how to refine it (slow in/out, arcs, follow through), how to give it character (exaggeration, appeal), and how to ensure it has correct weight and realism (squash and stretch, timing, solid drawing). These are the foundational concepts many animation programs expect you to grasp.