Isn’t this fun, learning so much about animation? We have already covered the first four principles and we are cruising right along to the next two, “follow through and overlapping action” and “slow in and slow out”.
First of all, what is “follow through and overlapping action”? Technically speaking, these are two separate techniques, but they are so closely related that they are always listed together. The best way to explain this principle is to understand that different parts of a character move on different timing and at different speeds than other parts, some of which continue to move even when the character has stopped moving. This can include arms, legs, hair, etc. Just like in real life, the core of the character or person moves together, while the outer parts may move faster or slower depending on the action. Understanding and applying this principle correctly ensure that the animator can produce a realistic animated movement.
Below you will find a great example of “follow through and overlapping action” that our animator has created for you…
Now the principle of “slow in and slow out” can also be referred to as “ease in and ease out”. This principle works together with the third principle we learned, that of “staging”, and it is vital for animators to show realism in animation. When a person moves, it is not a single speed. Motion involves speeding up and slowing down. Generally the speed is faster in the beginning and end of a motion and it is slow in the middle. If the movement is uniform through, the animation will loose the realistic aspect of the motion; it would appear flat and unnatural.
Our animators believe that the principle of “slow in and slow out” is best labeled “ease in and ease out”, so you will find an example of this for you below…
Now that we are learning so much, in next week’s article we will cover the next two principles of “arcs” and “secondary action”.