21 Foundations of Animation

Learn the 21 foundations of animation: universal principles that can be used to create high-quality animation in any style or medium, including hand-drawn and digital animation.

Introduction

• Getting started with animation
• What you should know

1. Appeal

• What is appeal?
• Historical and modern appeal

2. Strong Design

• Construction
• Design
• From roughs to final color

3. Staging

• Staging a scene to tell a story
• Shots and camera angles
• Lighting and color

4. Acting and Pantomime

• Flour sacks and body language
• Attitude poses

5. Keys and Breakdowns

• How keys and breakdowns differ
• Strengthening actions with breakdowns

6. Straight Ahead and Pose to Pose

• Straight ahead vs. pose to pose
• Animating hair and clothing straight ahead
• Animating natural effects straight ahead

7. Thumbnails and Planning

• Thumbnails and planning
• Advanced thumbnails

8. Timing, Spacing, and Easing

• Timing vs. spacing
• Easing and texture
• Timing and materials

9. Squash and Stretch

• Squashing and stretching
• Squashing anatomically

10. Arcs

• Bouncing ball
• Plotting arcs

11. Primary and Secondary Action

• Animate and inanimate motion
• Hair, fur, and clothing

12. Silhouette

• Positive and negative spaces
• Pushing the pose

13. Line of Action and Reversals

• Flexing the spine

14. Anticipation, Overshoot, and Settle

• Anticipating a reach
• Overshoot and settle

15. Opposing Action

• Action and reaction
• Opposing action in walks

16. Counterpose

• Counterpose when standing
• Counterpose in action

17. Leading Action

• Leading gestures
• Leading on walks

18. Breaking Joints

• Breaking joints on gestures
• Breaking joints on walks

19. Overlap and Follow Through

• Overlap gestures
• Follow through and moving holds

20. Accents and Dialogue

• Dialogue
• Accenting dialogue actions

21. Exaggeration

• Plussing poses and faces
• Plussing animation
• Cartoon physics

Conclusion

• Wizard and next steps
• Additional resources