Agent skill · design visual · dylantarre
Animation Principles - Absolute Beginner
Use when someone has never heard of animation principles, needs the simplest explanation possible, or is a complete newcomer to animation
Why this skill is useful
Codifies basic animation principles that the AI could infer but now has a clear reference.
What it needs
About 1k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2025-12-30. 69 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Your First Look at Animation Magic Animation makes drawings move in ways that feel real and fun. Disney animators discovered 12 tricks that make animation look great. Here they are in simple words: 1. Squash and Stretch Things squish when they hit something and stretch when they move fast. Drop a ball - it flattens on the ground, then bounces back round. 2. Anticipation Before a big move, there's a small move the other way. Before jumping up, you crouch down first. 3. Staging Put important things where people will see them. Like putting the main actor in a spotlight on stage. 4. Straight Ahead and Pose to Pose Two ways to draw: either draw every picture in order, or draw the important pictures first and fill in between. 5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action When you stop, your hair keeps moving. Different parts move at different times, not all at once. 6. Slow In and Slow Out Things speed up when starting and slow down when stopping. Like a car at a traffic light. 7. Arc Most things move in curves, not straight lines. Throw a ball - it makes a rainbow shape in the air. 8. Secondary Action Little movements that happen along with the main movement. Walking while whistling and swinging your arms. 9. Timing How fast or slow something happens changes how it feels. Fast = exciting. Slow = calm or heavy. 10. Exaggeration Make things bigger and more dramatic than real life. Cartoon characters can stretch their eyes wide when surprised. 11. Solid Drawing Make flat pictures look like they have weight and depth. Things should feel like you could pick them up. 12. Appeal Make characters interesting to watch. They should have something special that makes you want to keep looking. Remember You don't need to use all 12 at once. Start with one or two. The more you practice, the more natural they become.
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills dylantarre/absolute-beginner