Agent skill · design visual · dylantarre
Animation Principles - Quick Start
Use when someone needs a rapid overview of all 12 animation principles in under 5 minutes
Why this skill is useful
Codifies the 12 animation principles into a quick reference format that the AI could infer but now doesn't have to guess.
What it needs
About 1k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2025-12-30. 69 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
12 Animation Principles in 5 Minutes The Disney animators codified these principles in the 1930s. They still define quality animation today. The Principles (30 seconds each) 1. Squash and Stretch Objects compress on impact, elongate in motion. A bouncing ball flattens when it hits ground. Gives life and flexibility. 2. Anticipation Wind-up before action. Crouch before jump. Arm back before throw. Prepares the viewer for what's coming. 3. Staging Present ideas clearly. One idea per shot. The viewer should never wonder where to look. 4. Straight Ahead / Pose to Pose Two animation methods. Straight ahead: draw frame by frame for fluid, spontaneous motion. Pose to pose: draw key frames first for controlled, planned action. 5. Follow Through / Overlapping Action Things don't stop all at once. Hair keeps moving after head stops. Different parts move at different rates. 6. Slow In and Slow Out Movement accelerates and decelerates. More drawings at start and end, fewer in middle. Creates natural weight. 7. Arc Natural motion follows curved paths. Arms swing in arcs. Heads turn in arcs. Straight lines feel robotic. 8. Secondary Action Supporting movements that add richness. Walking while whistling. Talking while gesturing. Enhances without distracting. 9. Timing Number of frames = speed and weight. Fewer frames = faster/lighter. More frames = slower/heavier. 10. Exaggeration Push reality further for impact. Bigger expressions, more dynamic poses. Animation isn't reality - it's reality enhanced. 11. Solid Drawing Three-dimensional thinking. Weight, balance, anatomy. Even 2D characters should feel like they have volume. 12. Appeal Charisma in design. Characters should be interesting to watch. Clear shapes, good proportions, distinctive features. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills dylantarre/quick-start