The Illusion of Life

27 March 2018

There’s so much to learn from Disney, these 12 basic principles are only the start - but they’re a really good one.

Following these principles helps to make animations feel more energetic or alive. You can use them to different degrees depending upon the style of animation you are using. It’s the sort of thing that is worth brushing up on every now and then.

The 12 basic principles of animation were developed by the ‘old men’ of Walt Disney Studios, amongst them Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, during the 1930s. Of course they weren’t old men at the time, but young men who were at the forefront of exciting discoveries that were contributing to the development of a new art form. These principles came as a result of reflection about their practice and through Disney’s desire to use animation to express character and personality.

← New Paint Engine Background Images from Unsplash and More →

Need a new look?

Support Brush Ninja - Buy a TShirt.

10 Principles of Motion Design

02 March 2018

Brush Ninja is designed to be simple to use so that anyone can animate, but that doesn’t reduce the skill needed to make fantastic animations. This animated gif shows 10 principles of motion design that will help to make your animations engaging to watch. Follow Brush Ninja on Youtube →...

From Anticipation to Z-Depth: A Comprehensive Guide to Animation Terminology

11 May 2023

In this blog post, we’ll be diving into one of Brush Ninja’s newest offerings: the Animation Glossary. As anyone who has ever tried their hand at animating knows, there are many terms and concepts that can seem confusing or overwhelming at first. But with the help of this glossary, both...

Progress Update

28 April 2018

Recently I have been busy working away on Brush Ninja - but there’s not been much visible progress. My main focus has been on the next stage of Brush Ninja, and that’s making a desktop app. I want to turn this simple web app into something you can use properly....

‹ Back to Blog