Tutorial 166 - Squash and Stretch (Patreon)

"Squash and stretch" is the first of twelve basic principles of animation developed by Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas. The principles can be used to achieve a greater sense of realism in realistic animation and convey a more exaggerated feeling for drawn cartoons. 

Understanding these principles can benefit the artist in both understanding and design of action scenes, movement and character expressions, especially. 

"Squash and stretch" is described as the most important principle of the twelve. When an object with elasticity is in motion, the form is visibly stretched along the line of motion. When the object impacts another object or surface, or is suddently halted, we observe a squash. 

These features can be seen in most objects with flexibility. A basic example is a bouncing ball - As a rubber ball falls towards the ground it stretches, squashing upon hitting the ground and then stretching again once it's left the ground. 

The principle of squash and stretch can be applied to the body in motion. Important to note, when any object deforms in this way it always retains it's volume, so we must apply that to our drawings.

I've illustrated a simple example of how squash and stretch can be used to emphasize character expressions and movements. 

Try using squash and stretch to bring a greater sense of believability to your life drawings. A little bit of exaggeration can really help, even when drawing realistically. 

I highly recommend a book called "The Animator's Survival Kit" by Richard Williams. A must-have for anyone interested in animation or character design.