Mastering Disney's 12 Animation Principles for Create Stunning Artwork

In 1982, the world of animation was forever changed with the publication of "The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation." Within its pages, the legendary animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas laid out the 12 principles of animation that continue to shape the industry today. These principles, applicable to various forms of animation such as movies, cartoons, motion graphics, and video games, have stood the test of time.

The first principle, "Squash and Stretch," gives animated characters and objects the illusion of gravity, weight, mass, and flexibility. This principle is fundamental in creating believable and dynamic motion.

Next, we have "Anticipation," a technique that helps prepare the viewer for what's about to happen, making the object's action more realistic.

The third principle, "Staging," is similar to composition in artwork, guiding the viewer's eye and drawing attention to what's important within the scene.

Moving on, we find "Solid Drawing," which emphasizes the importance of understanding the basics of drawing, including three-dimensional space, form and anatomy, weight and volume, and lights and shadows.

"Secondary Action" is the eighth principle. Secondary actions are used to support or emphasize the main action going on within a scene, adding more dimension to characters and objects. A classic example is Belle's expressions in Beauty and the Beast, which make the scene more engaging while also telling us more about the character.

"Slow In and Slow Out" is the sixth principle, achieved by adding more frames at the beginning and end of an action sequence, emulating the way a car starts up and stops, giving objects more life.

The ninth principle is "Timing," which allows animators to control the mood and the reaction of their characters and objects. Moving objects too quickly or slowly can make the animation unbelievable.

"Arc" is the seventh principle, reflecting the fact that most objects follow an arc or a path when they're moving, and animations should reflect that arc, such as Ariel's swimming in The Little Mermaid.

"Exaggeration" is the tenth principle, adding some exaggeration to characters and objects to make them more dynamic. The principle of exaggeration can in turn be applied to other rules of animation, like squash and stretch.

"Follow Through and Overlapping Action" are the eleventh and twelfth principles. These principles account for the fact that when objects come to a standstill after being in motion, different parts of the object will stop at different rates.

Animation studios such as Disney itself, Pixar, and many other major studios in both 2D and 3D animation use these principles as foundational techniques in their work to create appealing and dynamic characters and motion.

Vincenzo Lodigiani, an animator, created animations demonstrating the application of the Disney principles to a simple cube. He also made a short video called "The Illusion of Life," which showcases all 12 Disney principles of animation in action.

These principles, first laid out over four decades ago, continue to be relevant and influential in the world of animation today. They serve as a testament to the timeless artistry and innovation of Disney and its pioneering animators.