I found its easier to learn how to make good movements at a higher rate like 18 or 20. Later when you get a hang of it to switch back to 12 for style.

12 fps fo lief

Or usually I'll end up doubleframing at 24 and just filling in the fast parts.

I say. If your going to animate at 12 fps. Just do it at 24 and double frame it. That way if you do run across a motion that needs to be faster than you can get with the double frame, just remove one.

Also at 24 fps it gives you the option of multiframing (which is what I use) which is figuring out what speed you prefer to animate at (double frame, single, triple, etc.) while being able to be flexible with your frames in terms of changing them from one frame, to a double, to a triple and so forth depending on the speed of the motion you are trying to do.

An example is when I animate a kick.
I double frame all the frames up until the passing position (where the legs cross eachother as the character swings the legs toward the other guy), I single frame that one, then resume my double framing and it gives the motion more force without having to resort to camera shaking, etc.

Omg its stickmasterx.

That seems rather interesting, and I've never even heard of that technique before... do you possibly have a visual example to show me what your talking about?

Most animators do that.

pro animators (not me) still animate at 12fps sometimes because it just looks better... it just depends on what looks better and where your frames are.. i think =)

i animate at 24fps

Professional animators, and I mean professional as in working for major companies, only animate at 12 fps if they're running out of time and money for the project they're working on, from what I understand.

Well, I use 14 or 16 normally.