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Animation Basics - Stretch and Squash

A way of deforming anything to show its rigidity or flexibility is the idea behind Squash and strech.
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Squash and Strech helps in bringing flexibility, sense of weight and volume in the animation which adds life and energy in any action.
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The amount of Strech and Squash in any object gives us a clarity about the material of obejct and depicting its weight. A bouncing ball having a soft material bounces more and has more strech & squash but on the other hand a heavy ball is rigid and bouces less having very little strech & squash.
The object gets longer as the gravity acts on it and makes it strech or it gets flatter when it hits the surface making it squashed.
Here is an example of bouncing ball with and without strech & squash applied.
We can create a believable motion using this principle as you can see with above action, by adding strech & squash to the ball it makes it more grounded and believable.
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Strech and squash emphasizes the speed, momentum, weight and the mass of the object. Click on the button below to pause/play the animation.
In this breakdown we can see how the ball is getting streched and squashed and on what exact position that is happening.
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When a person jumps strech and squash comes into play tho it is not observable quickly but all organic bodies have some level of strech sqaush in them and while animating, exaggerating a bit helps sell the animation. Click on the button below to pause/play the animation.
From above breakdown we can closely observe when exactly the body gets strech and squashed.
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As strech and squash is present in every organic bodies it also is present when someone is turning thier head.
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From the breakdown we can closely see when the strech and squash happens while a head turn.
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Pick and place the correct frame over the dots on the line above, one after the other in the correct sequence to make the person pick the ball and throw. The animation will only play once the correct sequence is in place. You can reset the exercise from the reset button.

Know More

Know more

Page 1 - What is stretch and squash
D'source Squash and Stretch | Principles of Animation

Squash and Stretch: The 12 Basic Principles of Animation

Page 2 - How it helps
What Is The Squash And Stretch Principle In Animation?
Stretch and squash are key animation techniques that add realism and expressiveness by mimicking real-world physics and conveying weight. They exaggerate movements, reflect personality, and maintain volume consistency, creating fluid and dynamic motion. These principles make animations engaging and visually compelling, bringing characters and objects to life.

Page 3 - How it gives clarity
Animation: Toshi Nakamura's Character Head Turn - Tonko School (#057)
Stretch and squash give clarity in animation by exaggerating movements and expressions, making actions and emotions more noticeable and understandable to the audience. This exaggeration ensures that even subtle gestures are easily readable, enhancing the overall storytelling and character dynamics.

Page 4 - How it works
Adding Squash and Stretch to your Character Expressions
Stretch and squash work by exaggerating an object's shape during motion or impact, making movements clearer and more dynamic. Stretching shows speed and direction, while squashing shows impact or compression, enhancing the visual storytelling in animation

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