One of the most common techniques in the motion design industry, animating still images is a crucial skill for any aspiring designer. Learn the ins and outs of this technique with this tutorial from Noble Desktop!
Image sourced from Pixabay.com
Setting Up The File
- Unlock Background layer by double-clicking on it.
- Duplicate Background layer.
- Use the Magic Wand tool to select the entire background except for the balloons.
- Inverse the selection.
- Cut and paste the balloons onto a different layer.
- Use the Lasso Tool to select each balloon.
- Cut and paste each balloon onto their own layers.
- Rename each balloon layer to keep them organized
Filling In The Gaps
- 1Hide all the balloon layers
- Select the duplicate Background layer
- Select the biggest cut-out balloon shape
- Go to Edit > Content-Aware Fill.
- Hit OK.
- Do the same for the other balloons.
- On any odd blurry spots, select the Spot Healing Brush.
- Paint over the odd spots with the Spot Healing Brush.
- Activate the Patch tool, underneath the Spot Healing Brush.
- Select the remaining odd areas.
- Slide the Patch tool around until the select area looks good.
Importing Into After Effects
- Save the file.
- Open AE
- Import the PSD
- Double click the file to go inside of it
This project is continued in our Animated Images PT 2 tutorial.