Animating Crayon Strokes In Illustrator

[christopherc92001052]

I'm working on a project. I'm trying to animate a little bit of movement into the lines I have drawn with a pastel. The lines could wiggle, shake, or move slightly in a certain direction. I am fairly sure this is doable as I feel like I've seen something like this before.

Basically just hoping to create a little movement in the textured lines. I hope that makes sense. I can try to elaborate if necessary.

Thanks for the help in advance!!

[Mylenium]

AI doesn't do animation. That's what Photoshop, or even better, After Effects are for.

Mylenium

[christopherc92001052]

Thanks for the input! How would I go about creating this "wiggle" in photoshop? I may just post a different thread in the photoshop forum but any help would be appreciated!!

[JETalmage · Accepted solution]

If this is the kind of thing you want to do, you can use Illustrator to quickly draw the base artwork and then use Transform Each to create two or three slightly different versions of it:

1. Draw paths with the Pen, Brush, or Pencil tool.
2. Apply one of the default texture Brushes to the paths.
3. Select All.
4. Duplicate the Layer.
5. Object Menu: Transform>Transform Each. Turn on the Random checkbox and adjust the scale or move parameters just a bit.
6. Duplicate the Layer.
7. Object Menu: Transform Again.

Then, either export each Layer as a separate raster image, which you can open in a raster imaging program, or just copy and paste into a raster image program that can export layers as frames in an animated GIF.

JET

[christopherc92001052]

Hey Jet!

Thanks for the help. So after turning on the random checkbox I can adjust the scale by a few percent on each layer? Then duplicate the layer a few times. I think I got both of those but what program would I use to turn the frames into a GIF? I tried to do some research and am a little confused.

Also would this process just be easier in Photoshop? Which I also have. Please let me know!!

[JETalmage]

...would this process just be easier in Photoshop?

No.

The advantage of doing it as I described are threefold:

• The artwork is entirely scalable vector objects. So you've still got the undisturbed original if you need to export it at different scales or resolutions. You also have the option of using it as a scalable vector animation by exporting the Layers as Flash frames, or SVG.

• Illustrator provides the all-important Random checkbox in the Transform Each dialog.

• Each path of the artwork is a separate vector path. So it's not just the image as a whole being tweaked for each frame, it's each path (each "stroke of the crayon") being tweaked individually, at random, within the range you specify in the Transform Each dialog. That's an entirely different effect than just creating three tweaked versions of a single whole image. And it's a lot quicker than trying to do it manually in a raster image program.

The "animation" is the trivial part. An animated GIF is just a set of separate raster images, set to display in sequence. Most any raster imaging program can assemble multiple images and export them as a GIF.

If you've never used the random setting in Transform Each, you'd do well to spend a few minutes with it:

1. Create a square array of any object. For example, drag one of the default Symbols to the Artboard.
2. Step-and-repeat a horizontal row of the Symbol Instance.
3. Select the whole row and step-and-repeat vertically to make columns.
4. Select All.
5. Open the Transform Each dialog. Position it so that you can still see the array of Symbol Instances on the page.
6. Turn on the Random checkbox and the Preview checkbox. Make a few small moves of the various movement and scaling sliders, and rotation setting.
7. Now just toggle on and off either the Preview checkbox or the Random checkbox. Each time you toggle it back on, the transformation is re-calculated within the random ranges. So you can quickly play with it like that to get a result that looks best to you.

A few minutes playing with Transform Each's random setting should give you all kinds of ideas.

JET

[christopherc92001052]

Thanks again Jet! I'm a newbie and having little bit of hard time understanding still. It makes sense to use AI because I'll be creating wiggle in the actual vector paths. So therefore I would have to image trace my drawing and expand it to get those paths?

Then I duplicate layer, select the crayon stroke paths, and transform each? I am having trouble selecting the individual crayon strokes (using direct select, select similar appearance).

Also I am not seeing any real difference in the appearance of the strokes even after playing with horizontal, vertical, and angle except when I move it drastically and some white areas show through the drawing.

I feel like I understand the basic concept. I played with the transform each tool like you said and get how it functions now. But am not having success in applying it to this drawing.

Thanks for the help!!

[Monika Gause]

Is this what you want to do?

After Effects Tutorial: Animated Drawing - YouTube

[christopherc92001052]

Yes essentially. Although I would like to create that effect for hand drawn images. Also, I don't have After Effects!!

[Monika Gause]

christopherc92001052  schrieb

Also, I don't have After Effects!!

In that case it might get complicated. You just can't easily animate it that way. What about drawing multiple versions of that pastel? Because doing it in Illustrator might just get equally difficult.

[JETalmage]

So therefore I would have to image trace my drawing and expand it to get those paths?

No. Re-read steps 1 and 2 in my original post. The little example I posted consisted of a few simple single-stroke paths drawn as if scratching out the word "Wiggle". Just a few quick strokes with the Line and Pencil tools.

Then, I just applied one of the ArtBrushes from one of the libraries that ship with Illustrator.

Then I applied Transform Each.

The whole thing took no more than about three minutes. The very same process could be used to draw "crayon" artwork like your posted example.

(By the way; I'm probably the least likely person for you to ever hear recommending auto-tracing for anything. 😉

JET

[PCreater]

JET always answers with a new and different idea that really solve the problem.

Thank you JET, for being helpful for so many years.