Animation Principles Quick Start

A solid reference for the 12 classic Disney animation principles packaged as a Claude skill. You get squash and stretch, anticipation, staging, and the rest explained in about 30 seconds each, which is perfect when you're prototyping UI animations or need to explain why something feels off to a designer. The principles themselves are from the 1930s but they're still the foundation of what makes motion feel good, whether you're working on CSS transitions or After Effects. Think of it as a cheat sheet that keeps you from having to dig through "The Illusion of Life" every time you need a quick refresher on follow-through versus overlapping action.

GitHub stars: 70
last updated: Aug 21, 2026

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Install

$ npx -y skills add dylantarre/animation-principles --skill 'Animation Principles - Quick Start' --agent claude-code

Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.

Files

12 Animation Principles in 5 Minutes

The Disney animators codified these principles in the 1930s. They still define quality animation today.

The Principles (30 seconds each)

1. Squash and Stretch Objects compress on impact, elongate in motion. A bouncing ball flattens when it hits ground. Gives life and flexibility.

2. Anticipation Wind-up before action. Crouch before jump. Arm back before throw. Prepares the viewer for what's coming.

3. Staging Present ideas clearly. One idea per shot. The viewer should never wonder where to look.

4. Straight Ahead / Pose to Pose Two animation methods. Straight ahead: draw frame by frame for fluid, spontaneous motion. Pose to pose: draw key frames first for controlled, planned action.

5. Follow Through / Overlapping Action Things don't stop all at once. Hair keeps moving after head stops. Different parts move at different rates.

6. Slow In and Slow Out Movement accelerates and decelerates. More drawings at start and end, fewer in middle. Creates natural weight.

7. Arc Natural motion follows curved paths. Arms swing in arcs. Heads turn in arcs. Straight lines feel robotic.

SKILL.md on GitHub