I'll never forget the image of this big Norwegian American sitting in the golden twilight, extending his long arms and spatula hands saying...
The bouncing ball says it all.
The old bouncing-ball example is often used because it shows so many different aspects of animation.
A ball bounces along.
and where it hits - the 'boinks' - that's the timing. The impacts - where the ball is bitting the ground - that's the timing of the action, the rhythm of where things happen, where the 'accents' or 'beats' or 'hits' happen.
And here's the spacing.
