Chapter 7: Principles of Animation
Consider weight. The pull of gravity is one of the most important principles to deal with
in animation. Everything has a certain amount of weight and will act and react
accordingly. One easy way to lose the attention of an audience is to have feathers falling
like bricks or bricks falling like feathers.
A certain humor can be gotten by bending the rules but should only be used where humor
or special effect is called for. In short cartoons, defying the laws of gravity, weight,
speed, squash and stretch, and so on is the rule of thumb. In Disney feature cartoons such
flamboyance must be handled with an abundance of good judgment.
Drawing Calories .....................................................................................................
Lots of people are calorie conscious these days. Why not artists too? A calorie as applied
to food refers to its heat producing or energy value. This simply means that the foods we
eat both maintain the body and supply the energy needed to carry out our daily chores. It
takes just so many calories to keep a person vigorous in mind and body. There are charts
available that indicate the caloric values of the various foods and drinks.
So why not a calorie chart for drawings? Let’s say it takes around 2,000 drawing calories
to make a healthy, vigorous drawing.
Drawing element "Caloric" value
Squash and stretch 500
Anatomy 300
Angles 300
Straight against curved line 300
Gesture 750
Overlap 500*
Diminishing size 500*
Surface lines 500*
Foreshortening 300*
Surface 400*
* Calories with asterisks are from the rules of perspective, described earlier in this book.
