Be Flexible with Squash and Stretch
Make your animations feel alive and energetic
Be Flexible with Squash and Stretch
Make your animations feel alive and energetic
Let's Learn About
What is Squash and Stretch?
Squash and stretch are two opposite concepts that are linked together when you design specific types of movements.
Your animated objects will squash as it makes impact, encounters resistance, or stores energy for its next move. The opposite is the stretch state, where it elongates to express the idea of expelling the stored energy.
These linked movements are a key to making your animations feel alive and flexible.
Squash and stretch are two opposite concepts that are linked together when you design specific types of movements.
Your animated objects will squash as it makes impact, encounters resistance, or stores energy for its next move. The opposite is the stretch state, where it elongates to express the idea of expelling the stored energy.
These linked movements are a key to making your animations feel alive and flexible.
Without squash and stretch, animations can feel lifeless and rigid.
Squash It
Your animated object compresses on an impact or resistance. You can use a squash state to store potential energy.
Your animated object compresses on an impact or resistance. You can use a squash state to store potential energy.
Stretch It
The object elongates as it moves quickly or is pulled by force, countering the squash. This is where energy gets expelled and your motion feels expressive.
The object elongates as it moves quickly or is pulled by force, countering the squash. This is where energy gets expelled and your motion feels expressive.
Be Consistent
The key is to keep the object's volume consistent. When it stretches taller, it gets narrower, and when it squashes shorter, it gets wider.
The key is to keep the object's volume consistent. When it stretches taller, it gets narrower, and when it squashes shorter, it gets wider.
Squash and Stretch gives your characters extra flexibility.
Squash and Stretch is great for showcasing a character's emotion. Try to have your character's features and body parts squash and stretch while expressing their their moods and behaviors. Watch how the baby's features change if he doesn't get what he wants.
Squash and Stretch is great for showcasing a character's emotion. Try to have your character's features and body parts squash and stretch while expressing their their moods and behaviors. Watch how the baby's features change if he doesn't get what he wants.
Find a Balance
Keep your squash and stretch more subtle for realistic animations, and go bold for cartoon styles and push for more exaggeration. The effect can be minor and feel more appropriate, depends on what you are animating and the style you are going for.
Keep your squash and stretch more subtle for realistic animations, and go bold for cartoon styles and push for more exaggeration. The effect can be minor and feel more appropriate, depends on what you are animating and the style you are going for.
See Squash and Stretch in Action
Watch the frog squash and stretch while he feasts. Notice how he shrinks down before the jump to build up some energy, and when he leaps upward his body stretches into an athletic, elongated pose. This is what we expect to see with squash and stretch added to our animation.
Watch the frog squash and stretch while he feasts. Notice how he shrinks down before the jump to build up some energy, and when he leaps upward his body stretches into an athletic, elongated pose. This is what we expect to see with squash and stretch added to our animation.
Squash and stretch is such a fun concept to incorporate into you animation. Find every opportunity to add it all over your designs.
Squash and stretch lends itself other animation topics as well, like exaggeration and follow through.
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