Animation 102

Let’s practice the principles of animation again!  Animation 102 is the Second animation course for our diploma program. In this online course, we cover the second level of a series of animation pencil tests. In some of these test, you might need a basic knowledge of editing to composite your videos.

The 12 principles of animation, AGAIN!

Yes, again and again!  Time to review the animation principle. You should have your textbook animation book for reference.  There are 12 levels of tests, and each test teaches you a different aspect or element. At the end of your full program with us, you will be fully prepared to animate your own short film including the backgrounds and effects animation. Take this course as part of our diploma program or as an independent course and learn how to animate like a pro! The best way to do this is to  work hard on your  pencil test

In order to take this course, you must have completed Animation 101 or the equivalent.

Here are the twelve principles of animation:

• Squash and stretch – give weight and volume to your characters as they move, a big one of the principles of animation!
• Anticipation – let the audience know about a major action that is going to happen
• Staging – express the clear intention of your characters through every pose or action
• Straight ahead action and pose to pose – choose one of the techniques of creating animation: draw the key poses then add the transitional ones, or create every single scene one after another
• Follow through and overlapping action – pay attention to the movements of the characters, as some parts move faster than the others and when the character stops, some of the body parts still keep moving.

But, didn’t I learn these already?

Yes, but practice makes perfect, keep reading! Here are the animation pencil test principles that you will be practicing.

• Slow in and slow out – to make the actions more realistic, draw more frames at the beginning and at the end of the action and fewer frames in the middle.
• Arc – add slightly circular motions to the actions of the characters
• Secondary action – to emphasize the main action, use secondary actions that add more liveliness to it
• Timing – adjust the timing of the scenes by making them slower or faster
• Exaggeration – using exaggerations in movements also helps to emphasize some points and ideas
• Solid drawing – even though the characters are drawn in two-dimensional space, they must look like their forms have some weight
• Appeal –Your character should look good!  These principles of animation will all be covered!