12 Principles of Animation

Considering for my course we were suggested to purchase a book entitled 'The Animator's Survival Kit' and we recently learnt about the 12 principles of animation, I thought I would delve into some further personal reading into this topic to see where I need to improve and in what areas.

                        

The first principle I researched was on arcs. When I got feedback from my first flip book gif after being shown to the class, I was told my animation was a bit linear. I didn't really know what way to take this, so I just presumed it was too basic. However, after looking into the 'Learn you arcs' section, I found it meant the bounce of my ball, which was supposed to be bouncing across the floor was a bit too angular.. This is the flip book they were talking about: 

                            

                                                               

For me to improve this flip book and also for future references, I will need to make sure I curve my actions. After reviewing this section I have noticed for myself, that the ball IS bouncing very harshly and in a straight line, therefore next time I am going to apply this principle with more care. 

I also looked at anticipation, which I feel like I haven't had the chance to properly involve yet, hence why I wanted to find more information about it. I did involve it in my pixilation task, but in terms of drawing in pencil and digitally, I have yet to focus on it. Because our last brief is a pretty open project, I am going to see what I can do in terms of this principle. There isn't much anticipation in a ball bouncing, but I am sure there is lots of it in other objects and movements! From this chapter I have learnt that anticipation prepares the audience for the action, but also allows them to keep guessing, since it is kind of like a delay.

                                     

Squash and stretch was the last bit I looked into because I feel like I am either lucky or not with this principle. I love the idea of it, and I find it can make your animation looks SO good and exaggerated, which I like, and I have had this outcome. But I find it is very hard to apply in certain objects. Or at least hard for me to draw. A piece of feedback I got from my pixilation project was that I didn't apply enough of this principle to my project, but I found it hard to apply because even then I wasn't drawing anything, and it is quite hard to squash and stretch a real human being. I hope to get the hang of this principle more because I find it drastically changes how your piece looks, and I want my work to look nice and exaggerated like it is supposed to.