Today we are delighted to present the first in our series of free animation activity guides and video tutorials to introduce budding animators to the 12 Principles of Animation.

Developed during the Golden Age of Animation by Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men, and taught in animation schools around the world to this day, the 12 Principles of Animation are a set of guidelines (and the magic ingredients) that enable animators to create the illusion of life.

The 12 Principles are:

1. Squash & Stretch
2. Anticipation
3. Staging
4. Straight ahead animation & pose to pose
5. Follow through & overlapping action
6. Slow in & slow out
7. Arcs
8. Secondary action
9. Timing
10. Exaggeration
11. Solid drawing
12. Appeal

Starting with Squash & Stretch, the animation principle that gives cartoon characters their bendy, rubber-like appearance, this series of guides will include tutorial videos, printable animation templates, instructions, tips and tricks to introduce each of the 12 Principles and show you how you can implement them in your own animation projects.

The worksheets can be downloaded free of charge from the Resources section of the HUE website and our Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) official store.

A Google Slides version of the worksheets is also available for classroom presentations and remote learning.

If you use the guide with your students or family we’d love to get your feedback so please leave us a comment below or share your animations with us on social media using the hashtag #HUEanimation !

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