Flipping Out: The Art of Flip Book Animation

Anticipation

Anticipation prepares a viewer for an action. One of the most important principles in animation, anticipation makes an action appear more dynamic and convincing. You can observe anticipation in many real-life situations, especially in sports. For example, think about the movement a pitcher makes before throwing a baseball. In cartoons, anticipation is used before almost every action, from jumps and throws to the subtle movement of a character’s head before raising it.

To start the motion of a pendulum, a force needs to be created. In this example, the red sphere retracts to the left, pushing the yellow spheres to the right. This ...