The 12 Basic Principles of Animation

The 12 principles can be found at the root of all motion-based media. Animation students learn firsthand about these principles and how they might look in their work.

The 12 principles is a group of key teachings for the professional animator. The list has served Disney animators since the 1930s and was outlined by Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas in the 1981 book The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation. Many of these foundational ideas are still utilized in classrooms and studios around the world almost 40 years later. While technology and industries have evolved with new and different ideas being integrated into animation, the principles can still be seen in movies and web design today.

So what are the 12 Principles of Animation?

1.  1. Squash and stretch
2.  2. Anticipation
3.  3. Staging
4.  4. Straight-ahead action and           pose-to-pose
5.  5. Follow through and                     overlapping action
6.  6. Slow in and slow out
7.  7. Arc
8.  8. Secondary action
9.  9. Timing
10. 10. Exaggeration
11. 11. Solid drawing
12. 12. Appeal