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In their 1981 book, The Illusion of Life, Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas introduced the twelve principles of animation. The pair were part of Disney’s “Nine Old Men,” the core group of animators who were instrumental in creating Disney’s animation style. The Nine Old men worked on animation for Disney starting in the 1950'S. The twelve principles have now become widely recognized as a theoretical ground rules for all artists working on animated videos.
In order, they consist of:
Squash and Stretch
Anticipation
Staging
Straight Ahead Action and Pose-to-Pose
Follow Through and Overlapping Action
Ease In, Ease Out
Arcs
Secondary Action
Timing
Exaggeration
Solid Drawing
Appeal
Each principle is vital to the animation process!