The first and best! principle of animation is squash and stretch.
The first purpose of animation is ......
A simplistic example of the method is with a bouncing ball. Here you can see the difference squash and stretch can make. As the ball accelerates it stretches out and when it decelerates the ball squashes, giving the sense that gravity is playing a part and pulling the weight of the ball down. So when so horizontally it stretches then vertically it squashes, keeping the volume the same.
If you want to examine squash and stretch yourself, you could try flexing your arm or jumping. As both of these involves squash and stretch.
The second purpose is .....
The squash and stretch method was first used to great affect in the early 1920s with animations such as felix the cat and betty boop. They used exaggerated squash and stretch to amplify physical contact or emotion, which created a comical effect.
Notice how squash and stretch can add more character.
![The purpose of squash and stretch? ,[object Object]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)