How To Create Custom Animation In Illustrator

Take you ever wanted to have your awesome Illustrator designs and add together a petty motility? We're going to pull some Disney princess magic and bring these inanimate objects to life.

I am constantly creating illustrations or hiring illustrators to design scenes for music videos. Today I'm going to show you some of import tips and tricks on how I plough Adobe Illustrator designs into really cool animations using Later Effects.

In this video y'all volition learn:

• How to clarify and breakdown a scene to really bring your animation to the side by side level
• How to import your Illustrator designs into After Effects and animate
• Some Do'due south and Don'ts for animating vector art in After Effects

How to Plough Illustrator Designs into Motion Masterpieces

This tutorial is going to be extremely helpful if you are an illustrator that is looking to animate your designs, or if you are collaborating with another illustrator's designs.

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How to analyze your Illustrator design and set for blitheness

For me, this is the most of import step to creating an animation. I am a visual learner, so I always become a pen and paper to jot downwards my ideas and plan. The most of import thing to is analyze your scene so it is cohesive and actually pops.

This mind-blowing, amazing, fantastic, beautiful super-crawly illustration was created by Kevin KH Kim. I've worked with him many times, and he is absolutely phenomenal...and he was gracious plenty to provide us this illustration as an case.

And then permit's imagine we were given the task of bringing this scene to life. Our client wants everyone to get along, like a community, and nosotros have a decent amount of artistic command.

My showtime initial idea would exist for the robot to give a thumbs up, and then I'chiliad gonna write on my robot "thumbs upwards." But what does this mean for the scene?

If the robot gives a thumbs up, and so that must mean his arm moves, then his shoulder must move...and if his shoulder must move, the character on his shoulder would move every bit well. It's important to break down how one character'south motility is going to affect everything around them, including the environment.

The goal hither is to really break downwardly the cause and effect of your animation. In that location are so many elements to this that could really take this pattern to the next level, merely if nosotros aren't connecting the motions together information technology'due south really not going to look similar a cohesive piece.

Once I accept my character animation concept written down, I also want to break downwards the environment. I think environment animations are super underrated, and I've seen a lot of pieces that could've taken it to the next level had the environs been flowing as beautifully as the characters.

I strongly recommend writing everything down earlier yous get to work. This way you won't forget whatever of your ideas, and you'll be able to come with a more accurate timeline for your workflow. That's non just of import for organization, just to communicate with your client most when the last product will be delivered.

How to import your Illustrator designs into After Effects

In the video above, I show y'all a groovy plug-in that I use regularly to speed up my Ai to Ae workflow. For now, allow's take a look at how to rapidly bring your Illustrator files into After Effects to animate.

Kickoff, permit's make certain that—when yous are in Illustrator—your layers are organized. This is going to be extremely important for when you are bringing in the files to After Effects.

Go to File > Import > File... and select the right...file (and so many files). Make sure you are importing equally a Limerick rather than Footage so that the file isn't merged together.

Now you lot take all of your layers in Afterwards Effects, and the format is the aforementioned compression and layout as nosotros had in Illustrator. To requite us more command, we desire to convert these into Shape Layers.

Right-click on the layer and become to Create > Create Shapes from Vector Layer

Now we take two files: the original Illustrator file and the new Shape Layer. I usually delete the Illustrator layer.

So this is why information technology's import to make sure your files are organized in Illustrator. Say I accept my files scattered everywhere—you lot'll see when I convert information technology to a shape layer, all the layers lay on a unlike shape layer—when I become to animate the path of i character it is going to be a mess.

Say I desire to move his head. I would have to grab the path of every individual keyframe and motility it. But when you have it on one layer, you can just highlight all of the keyframes in one section and they all share the aforementioned transform settings.

And here's where the fun part happens. Nosotros need to go in and label all of our layers then we know exactly what we are animating. I already took the liberty to characterization these files for you, but when you are working on your ain designs it'south super important to brand sure that you characterization all of your groups in your shape layers.

At that place are a ton of  non-native tools you lot can find to assist streamline your work. A neat extension is Overlord from Battle Axe, Adam Plouf's company. It allows you lot to import shape layers with the click of a push button. I don't want to spend too much time going over those, only if yous want to spend some money to make your workflow a little faster I advise getting this extension.

The Dos and Don'ts of working with Illustrator files

I want to become over some do's and don'ts when illustrating designs for motion. These rules aren't written in stone, but they have really helped me and I think they'll assistance you too.

DON'T Ever Aggrandize OR Chemical compound YOUR STROKES IN ILLUSTRATOR.

When we go into Illustrator and we want to have a reddish line get through a stroke, we are unable to use the Shape Builder tool or the Pathfinder because there's technically no fills that are being registered.

So if you were simply designing in Illustrator, you would become to Aggrandize, make these a fill up, and take them out so we have an effect that's working. But when we bring this into After Effects, nosotros're going to see something a lilliputian funny

We lose the ability to add furnishings normally bachelor in the Shape Layers panel. Compounding and Expanding are destructible tools, which is fine when we are designing but becomes an absolute time-sink when we effort information technology in animation.

DO Look TO RECREATE Avails IN AFTER EFFECTS!

If I'm the one designing the artwork, I would just create it in Later on Furnishings using Shape Layers and a Matte.

That way I can animate the crimson inside without have to spend besides much time trying to fit it within the mask.

I frequently recreate assets for an blitheness, and I include that step in the timeline of how long this piece will take. For instance, I really wanted to move 1 of the smaller character'due south arm during the animation, and then I had to create a new Stroke in After Effects to achieve the right look.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR More than TIPS!

And lastly...Do have fun ;) Movement design is trouble solving and keyframing and rendering...simply it's also art and creation. At the cease of the day, animating illustrations should be—and can exist—extremely fun.

Now you tin be a motion illustrator!

And that's how it's done! If y'all have any questions at all feel costless to contact me! Subscribe for more than tutorials on move design and visual furnishings, and make sure to click the bong icon so yous'll exist notified of any futurity videos.

If you want to learn more virtually using the motion graphic tips and bank check out Illustration for Motion.

You'll be empowered to create your own illustrated works, gaining valuable knowledge and insights from one of the meridian talents in the industry: Sarah Beth Morgan. Cheers for stopping by! We'll encounter you adjacent time.

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Tutorial Full Transcript Below 👇:

Emonee LaRussa (00:00): Have you e'er wanted to accept your crawly illustrator designs and add a footling scrap emotion to it? Well, today we're going to pull some Disney princess magic and bring these inanimate objects to life.

Emonee LaRussa (00:xviii): My name is Emonee LaRussa. I make two time Emmy award winning motion, graphics, artists, and director. I predominantly brand music visuals for artists like Kanye west large Sean, Lil NAS X, and more. So I'm ever making illustrations or empowering illustrators to pattern the visuals for these scenes. So today I'chiliad going to be showing you some tips and tricks on how I turn illustrator designs. Information technology's a really cool blitheness in after furnishings. In this video, you volition learn how to clarify and interruption downwards a scene to actually bring your animation to the next level. Converting illustrator files into easy editable layers and some do's. And don'ts that I've learned before we begin, make sure you download the project files in the description below. So you tin can follow along. This tutorial is going to be extremely helpful if you're an illustrator that is looking at anime, your designs, or if you're collaborating with another illustrators designs. So let's hop right into step one.

Emonee LaRussa (01:14): For me, this is the most important step when creating an animation that many times is overlooked. I'thou a very visual learner. Then I always get a pen and newspaper to just jot down my ideas and how I plan to execute the animation from the design that was created. So the big affair here is learning how to analyze your scene to get in really pop and cohesive. This super awesome, amazing illustration was created by Kevin Chiliad H Kim. I've worked with him then many times and he's absolutely a phenomenal worker and he was gracious enough to provide u.s. this illustration as an example. So if you guys end up using this analogy, definitely tag him. He's super awesome. And he deserves all the flowers. He could get my start initial thought when looking at this character is maybe giving him a thumbs upwardly. Then I'm going to write it downwards on my paper.

Emonee LaRussa (02:01): Robot gives thumbs upward, but now that I have that down, what does that mean for the scene? If a robot gives the thumbs up, then that must mean that his arm moves. And if his arm moves, and then a shoulder must movement. And if his shoulder moves and this little character on the shoulder would move to the goal hither is to really break down the movement, understanding the cause and effect before you fifty-fifty start animating. In that location's so many elements to this that could really take this design to the next level. But if we aren't connecting the motions together, it's really non going to look like a cohesive piece. Once I take my character animation written down, I likewise want to pause downward the environment. I think environment in animations are then underrated and I've seen so many pieces that could have been taken to the side by side level.

Emonee LaRussa (02:45): Had the environment been as cute flowing as the character animation. For me, it's super of import to have this written downwards on a piece of paper, because one, I won't forget what I'thou doing. And two, I have a game programme, then I tin can starting time coming up with a reasonable for how long it's gonna accept to breathing. And this is super important, especially when you lot're working with clients, they always need to know how long it's going to take step 2 and putting your blueprint and the after effects to animate. So I want to show you two different ways. 1, that'south a process that'southward only inside after furnishings and the second one, which is a really cool plugin that I purchase and use regularly. First, let's make sure that when you're in illustrator, all your files are organized. This is going to be streamline the of import for when you're bringing in the files to after effects and thank you to Kevin, all of these files similar her printing.

Emonee LaRussa (03:36): So I'm merely going to save this illustrator file and then that nosotros tin can import it into afterwards effects. So next, we're going to import the file by going to file import file, go to the schoolhouse of motion tutorial folder, and your analogy volition be in the illustrator binder. And we're going to import this in as a composition instead of the footage, considering we want to accept the layer separated and not merged together in one piece hit. Okay. And now when we click in this composition, the style that our format is laid out is the same way that nosotros separated and compress the files and illustrator. And then I'chiliad merely going to organize and put these where they need to exist. So to actually give the full experience of animative these illustrator files, nosotros want to catechumen these over to shape layers. And then we take more than control of the animations. First. I want to go in and the label, all of these.

Emonee LaRussa (04:32): So I'thousand going to right click on one of these layers, go down to create and create shapes from vector layer. And as yous tin see, there's now two files that are labeled guy centre and robot. Nosotros accept our original illustrator file, and now we take this shape layer file. Typically I just delete the illustrator file. And now when I go inside the contents, all of the assets are separated in its own group. I had mentioned before the, your illustrator layers should be organized and kind of put within its own layer considering you will now have the power to highlight all of the paths and animate them at the same time, considering they're on the aforementioned layer. Then if y'all had unlike layers for each individual asset, so say I had this grapheme'due south hair and hat and they were all on separate layers. Then I wouldn't be able to highlight all of the paths and animate them at the same time, I would exist able to use the transform settings, just I wouldn't be able to animate the paths on all of these dissimilar layers.

Emonee LaRussa (05:31): Then now I'm only going to convert the residuum of these over to shape layers. And here's where the fun part happens. Nosotros need to go in and label all of our layers. I already took the Liberty to characterization all the files for you lot, but when you are working on your own designs, it'due south super important to make sure that y'all characterization all your groups in your shape layers. And then next, I'm going to show y'all some other great tool and information technology's created by battleax. So this plugin is chosen overlord and that you to import shape layers with simply a click of a push, I don't want to spend too much time going super in depth into this plugin, simply if you got the money to spend, it's definitely worth information technology.

Emonee LaRussa (06:thirteen): These rules aren't written in stone, but they've helped me. And I think the assistance you besides. And then with our first one don't always expand or compound your strokes and the illustrator, let me show you exactly what I mean. So say we're an illustrator and nosotros take this black stroke and we want this red blueprint to get inside of the stroke. So, considering it's a stroke, an illustrator, y'all're not able to use the shape architect tool or the Pathfinder tool considering technically no fields that are beingness registered for the Pathfinder to cut out or the shape architect to cut out. And then if we were simply designing an illustrator and not looking to animate it, you would only expand these and make it a fill and take it out with ane of these tools. Just if you decide to do this an illustrator and you bring it into after effects to anime, you run across something a little funky past turning this stroke into a make full, we lose a lot of options under the shape layer, and now it makes it incredibly more difficult to change the path of this field than information technology would be to change information technology as a stroke.

Emonee LaRussa (07:thirteen): Something as unproblematic as merely changing the size of this box makes it difficult when information technology's not a stroke. Then let's bring this back into illustrator and try it as a stroke. Now, instead of using the destructive tool of expanding or compounding, nosotros could just separate these layers and put a set mat on them or an alpha track mat. Then that I notwithstanding have my pattern in my blackness stroke, but now I tin can use all the tools in the shape layer similar the taper and the stroke with going this route is simply going to brand a quicker workflow. And you have new room for possibilities of what you could create, which leads usa into our exercise part of this segment do expect to recreate assets in subsequently effects. Then with this piece, I'll show you lot an example of what I'm talking nigh. So I had this grapheme sitting in the chest of this robot, and I want his arm to movement the steering wheel.

Emonee LaRussa (08:03): But as you tin see in the design, the arms are separated, which means it's going to be a lot more difficult to animate these paths if I don't modify it. So I'll show y'all exactly how I recreated it. So I grabbed my pin tool and I created a stroke to make his arm. I made sure to label the file correctly. And then I don't get dislocated. I changed the line cap to round, and then I changed the color of the stroke to lucifer his peel. And so I animated the path of the stroke to make it look like his arm was moving to turn the steering wheel. And because in the original graphic, his shirt is covering his arm. I fabricated certain to put the arm stroke underneath the shirt next I needed to brand his arm wait similar it was inside of the car, similar the original design.

Emonee LaRussa (08:44): So I found this shape layer where this pink console reside. I copied information technology and I pasted it in the shape layer where character is and only put the pink panel above all of these layers and relieve myself from any defoliation in the future. I'yard going to parent this path to the original breadstuff, this pink panel lives. And then no matter how much I change this path on the original shape layer, information technology's e'er going to follow it. And just like earlier, if nosotros move his arm that we demand to connect everything else. So if his arm moves and so and so does his shirt and also his hand moving steering bicycle. And for this design, everything has a stroke on information technology. And because nosotros're already using a stroke, we tin't put a stroke on height of a stroke. So what I do is I just indistinguishable the original arm, make sure to parent it to the original and make the stroke with bigger, at a piddling chip of easy ease.

Emonee LaRussa (09:32): And there you go. And for another don't, don't forget to make certain that your strokes are all consequent. I've seen this in many designs where a designer goes to add a highlight or shadow, and some of the stroke is cut off. This too can happen with using blending modes and illustrator and importing them into afterward effects. So if you come across this effect, this is how you lot solve it here. I only imported my star from illustrator, but when I converted it to a shape layer, the stroke is now cut off to fix this. I'll go onto my contents, duplicate the original shape and put it higher up all of the groups that I want the stroke to cover. I'll turn off the fill. Then I'll parent the indistinguishable to the original. I can't tell you how many times I've needed this, just I couldn't figure it out.

Emonee LaRussa (10:17): So at present that I know, I want to show you lot all, and so you don't take to go through the headache that I went through. And whenever I do that, I but like to put don't edit on meridian of it, just and then it's a reminder to non affect that one. And the lastly practice accept fun move blueprint is problem solving and key framing and rendering, just it's likewise art and creation. So even though yous see your own unique problems, each time, it's really fun and you gain the knowledge for the project next, which makes your workflow that much easier. And that'south information technology. I hope this was super helpful for you guys. If you have any questions at all, definitely feel complimentary to contact me and don't forget to subscribe for more tutorials on motion blueprint and visual effects and make sure to click on that bell icon. So you get notified for whatever futurity videos. Cheers so much guys.

Music (11:03): [outro music].

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Source: https://www.schoolofmotion.com/blog/how-to-turn-illustrator-designs-into-motion-masterpieces

Posted by: watkinsworick.blogspot.com

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