Implementing arcs in animation increases realism.Ĩ. Most lifelike objects follow curved paths, not straight lines. Applying this to animations makes them feel realistic.ħ. Most natural movements don’t happen instantaneously but are preceded by a visible building up and followed by a slowing down. Follow-through refers to movements that follow naturally after an action is completed, like stilling the body after running, and overlapping action involves animating parts of the same character, including hair, limbs and clothing, to move at different speeds.Ħ. These principles make movement feel more real. Figure out which one makes the most sense for your work and technique and apply it to your animation.ĥ. There are two ways to draw out a scene: straight ahead, where the scene is drawn frame by frame from beginning to end, or pose-to-pose, in which animators start with a few key frames and fill in the intervals. Staging is the principle of keeping only what is relevant and eliminating anything nonessential-that way, the focus stays on the main action.Ĥ. Just like other forms of content, in animation, the idea should be completely clear.

Without it, the action won’t seem realistic to the viewer.ģ. As a principle, anticipation helps build up to the main action of an animated scene. Almost all movement starts with a thought. The squash and stretch principle gives drawn objects weight and volume by shortening and widening them, much like a bouncing ball.Ģ. Making two-dimensional drawings feel lifelike is the goal of animation. Although technology has made much more possible since 1981, the following still guides animation everywhere:ġ. These principles serve as the foundation of bringing art to life on screen.

Foundations of Animationįirst outlined by Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas in 1981, there are 12 basic principles all animators should follow. With his guidance, here’s how to get started with animation and create more dynamic video content. We asked Yakkety Yak Video Producer and animator extraordinaire Sean Froelich to give us his top 2D animation tips for beginners.

There’s no doubting the power of video marketing, and animated videos offer a unique, creative and sometimes more efficient way to tell a story or explain a concept. In 2020, video became the number one form of media for content strategy, overtaking blogs and infographics. Learn how to bring images to life through 2D animation with tips from a video producer

Pencil animation tutorial