Animation adds dynamics and variety to the design.

Designers often animate details in their projects, such as icons, navigation, character images, and more. In this tutorial, we make an animated illustration from a static one using After Effects.

Let’s arrange our image. First of all, divide the picture into layers.

How to make an animated illustration in After Effect

Open the file with layers in After Effect. Prepare the face of our piggy for animation.

How to make an animated illustration in After Effect

Now we make Alfa Mate masks for the eyes.

How to make an animated illustration in After Effect

Create a Null Object and attach the eyes, nose, and ears to it.

Bind the Null object to the body layer.

How to make an animated illustration in After Effect

Then, animate the body by position.

How to make an animated illustration in After Effect

Align the Anchor points of all layers to how they will be animated.

Animate the face by position using a Null Object.

How to make an animated illustration in After Effect

Move the nose a little.

How to make an animated illustration in After Effect

Now is the time to make it blink. Open the Path setting of the eye layers and edit their shapes.

Move the pupils by position.

How to make an animated illustration in After Effect

Next, we animate the legs. When the piggy sits down – the legs should move apart a little.

How to make an animated illustration in After Effect

Animate the position and rotation of the legs.

How to make an animated illustration in After Effect

The shadows on the legs should move too.

How to make an animated illustration in After Effect

Now we correct small elements in the movements.

How to make an animated illustration in After Effect

Then, animate the tail by Path.

How to make an animated illustration in After Effect

And finally, animate the back the same way.

How to make an animated illustration in After Effect

Done!

Now add the illustration to your project and let it catch users’ attention.

Check out our other After Effect tutorials to improve your workflow:

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