12 Principles of Animation for CG Animators

Learn the 12 principles that underlie everything animators do in movies and video games. Learn how they translate into digital character animation and tools like Blender and Maya.

Introduction

• Welcome
• How to use the exercise files

1. An Overview

• A brief history of character animation
• Think physics and art, not software

2. Squash, Stretch, and Anticipation

• Principle 1: Squash and stretch
• Principle 2: Anticipation
• Challenge: An exercise with a ball
• Solution: An exercise with a ball

3. Staging

• Principles 3: Staging
• Challenge: An exercise with a flour sack
• Solution: An exercise with a flour sack

4. Straight Ahead and Pose-to-Pose

• Principle 4: Straight ahead
• Principle 4: Pose-to-pose
• Combine them to form copied pairs

5. Follow Through and Slow In and Out

• Principle 5: Follow through
• Principle 6: Slow in and out
• Using tangents to control slows/fasts

6. Arcs and Secondary Action

• Principle 7: Arcs
• Principle 8: Secondary action
• Challenge: An exercise with a flour sack
• Solution: An exercise with a flour sack

7. Timing

• Principle 9: Timing
• Principle 9: Spacing
• Challenge: An exercise with a ball
• Solution: An exercise with a ball

8. Exaggeration, Solid Drawing, and Appeal

• Principle 10: Exaggeration
• Principle 11: Solid drawing
• Principle 12: Appeal
• Challenge: An exercise with a flour sack
• Solution: An exercise with a flour sack

Conclusion

• Next steps