Principles of Animation: Follow Through and Overlapping Action

Learn another principle of animation: Follow Through and Overlap Action!

In our previous blogs, we’ve already talked about some of the basic principles of animation:

Let’s explore this animation principle and create a super bunny!

Chime in

Table of Contents

Learn the Basics of Animation at Creativity School!


Let’s begin the animation journey of your kids and enhance their creative potential this 2021!

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Learn how to make animations, pop-up cards, draw ninjas, characters, paint, and much more!

Follow Through and Overlapping Principle of Animation

Nodding bunny with eye cover

Follow through and overlapping action are two basic principles that deal with realistic motion – the tendency of different parts of a body to move at different speeds.

In doing the animation, it also refers to the secondary actions after the main actions.

What is Follow Through?

Nodding bunny animation with follow through label

Follow-through is the principle that parts apart from the main body might continue to move even after an action is completed.

What is Overlapping Action?

Nodding bunny animation with overlapping action model

Overlapping action is the principle that different parts of a body move at different rates.

Super Bunny Animation


We’ll do the super bunny jumping animation to demonstrate follow through and overlapping action for this activity. 

Let’s start!

Materials

  • 21 pieces of rectangular papers
  • 1 pencil/pen

Instructions

rectangles with blue numbers on upper right (1-21)

Step 1. Number the papers in the upper right corner from 1-21.

Step 2. Let’s do the frames!

Frames 1-3 on how to do the super bunny animation

Frames 1-3

Frames 4-6 on how to do the super bunny animation

Frames 4-6

Frames 7-9 on how to do the super bunny animation

Frames 7-9

Frames 10-12 on how to do the super bunny animation

Frames 10-12

Frames 13-15 on how to do the super bunny animation

Frames 13-15

Frames 16-18 on how to do the super bunny animation

Frames 16-18

Frames 19-21 on how to do the super bunny animation

Frames 19-21

Super bunny animation

Step 3. Let’s try to flip it!


Arrange the papers in decreasing order from top to bottom, then flip.

Now you are already familiar with Follow Through and Overlapping Action! Good work!

Tips for art-mazing success:

  •  If you have an iPad or a tablet, I highly recommend that you try FlipaClip. It is an awesome app that lets you do digital animation just like a flipbook!
  • Color your super bunny to make it more beautiful (and powerful!).
  • Create more characters for a more awesome animation!
  • You can add more in-between frames for an even smoother transition.

Did you enjoy creating a supper bunny? Leave a comment below. 

Be part of our Creativity School to know more about animation and other fun activities.

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