Perpetual Ball Bounce
This is an example of another of the basic principles: squash and stretch. As the ball impacts on the surface, it squashes a bit to indicate visually that it has indeed hit something and it's downward movement has been stopped.

As the ball bounces back up it stretches to show acceleration. When it gets to the high point it returns back to it's normal state of roundness.

There is also the use of slo-in and slo-out at the top of the ball's action.

The proper use of these principles and timing create the illusion that gravity is acting upon the ball to cause it to fall back to the ground after each bounce.

Successfully showing this gravity is very important to the beleivability of your animated character. If they appear to be floating, your mind will not accept their cartoon "reality".

The use of this principle is used throughout your animation. It is particularly evident in the "Jump" examples. Look for it in other things, like the walk and run cycles.


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