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Skillshare

Animating Illustrations: Fundamentals of After Effects

via Skillshare

Overview

Ever just want to jump right into After Effects but feel it's way too complicated? This is the perfect time for you to start!

You'll be learning how to bring an illustration to life using this fabulously creative program. Firstly, we'll take a quick tour around After Effects so you can get to know the interface and from there we'll import and convert an Adobe Illustrator file for use in After Effects and then use it to do some very simple animation so you can get used to keyframing and the timeline. After that it's time to set up the main project using the illustration supplied with the class and then you'll be learning about the pen and shape tools by creating some simple objects which you will then animate for use in the main illustration later on.

During the class you will also learn about:

  • Layer Styles
  • Effects
  • Expressions
  • Masks
  • Precomposing & Parenting Layers 
  • Using the Speedgraph
  • Adding Textures & Stylisation
  • Exporting to Video

This class is perfect for anyone new to animation and will provide a solid and broad grounding in After Effects so you can move on confidently and create your own work or start animating other people's. Animation is also a great way to get your work noticed.

See you in Class!

Syllabus

  • Introduction
  • A Project Overview
  • Getting to Know After Effects
  • Importing Ai Files & Simple Keyframing
  • Preparing Ai Files for After Effects
  • Setting up the Class Project
  • Learning to use the Pen Tool
  • Creating with the Pen Tool
  • Learning to use the Shape Tools
  • Animating the Owl's Feet
  • Animating the Owl's Body
  • Animating the Owl's Wings
  • Make the Owl Blink!
  • Animate the Branch he's Sitting on
  • Animate the Falling Leaf
  • Animate the Character's Finger
  • Animate His Tapping Feet
  • Animate His Head
  • Animate His Eye Movements
  • Animate the Acorn Using the Speedgraph
  • Animating the Fox's Head
  • Animate His Ears
  • Adding More Animation Using Scale
  • Add Some Character
  • Eye Movements
  • Animate the Tail Using an Effect
  • Animate the Ferns Using an Effect
  • Animate the Leaves
  • More Leaves & Swaying Branches
  • Simple Moon Animation with Effects
  • Animate the Stars Using a Layer Style
  • Textures Using Track Matte
  • Textures Using Track Matte
  • Add Shadow & Animate the Hill Texture
  • Adding Tone Using Masks
  • Add Tone to Mr Fox
  • Add Tone to the Character & Owl
  • Framing the Characters
  • Final Tweaks
  • Export Your Animation
  • After Thoughts

Taught by

David Knight

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