Uploaded March 2021 | Updated September 2026, 15 hours ago

---

Give your animations the correct weight and impact! In this 2D animation lesson for beginners we dive into the basic animation principles of physics all animators have to know.

Want some extra practice? Get our premium bonus lesson 20% off with coupon BEGINNERLESSONS animatorisland.com/courses/2d-animation/lessons/weight-and-impact-animation-exercises

Find out...

- why heavy and light objects deal with forces differently,
- how speed indicates the scale of your animation,
- what a bounce tells us about the mass and material of an element.

Knowing the principles of animation physics will help you to create more realistic and believable motions. With a few simple guidelines even beginner animators can create motions that feel heavy or light - wether it be the famous bouncing, jumping flour sack or complex character animation.