Squash and Stretch

Now that you know the basics of animation, let's talk about the principles of animation.

The first of these is: Squash and Stretch.

Squash and Stretch means that objects change shape as they move - this gives the appearance of weight and flexibility to your drawing. Objects change shape, but not overall volume.

Take a look at this video of a golf ball hitting a wall at high speed for an example:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMqM13EUSKw

A more subtle example can be seen in the torso of this running cheetah. Look at how it shortens and lengthens from side to side:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAnRURDEyGY

Here is a running horse, and an animation, so you can see how the idea of squash and stretch has been applied to the horse's body:

•  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxbmW1dj-GA

If you'd like, you can watch this comparison of cartoon balls hitting the ground with and without squash and stretch applied:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n7x5BFwuLA&feature=player_detailpage#t=78

Assignment

1) Please animate your own ball squashing and stretching as it bounces. The animation should loop, meaning it should play in an endless cycle flawlessly.

• If you finish your bouncing ball, take a look at a human walking. A looping animation of a person walking is called a walk cycle:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8Veye-N0A4
• You can see squash and stretch applied to a cartoon character:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXS2ALkFxwk
•  .. or not!
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViFhL9E2qwY
• These should give you something of an idea of how squash and stretch is applied to a character.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvkzG3dWK2I

To read the article these pictures came from, please visit: http://johnkstuff.blogspot.tw/2006/05/animation-school-lesson-2-squash-and.html