How to Animate in Procreate

How to Animate in Procreate. Creating animations in Procreate can be a fun and rewarding way to bring your artwork to life. Here’s a detailed guide on how to create, adjust, and export animations using Procreate:

Part 1: Creating an Animation

Step 1: Open a New Canvas

1. Open the Procreate app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. In the Gallery, tap an existing canvas or tap the plus (+) icon to create a new canvas. Choose your desired canvas size.

Step 2: Activate Animation Assist

1. Tap the wrench icon in the upper-left corner to open the Actions menu.
2. Tap Canvas, then toggle on Animation Assist.

Step 3: Draw Your First Frame

1. Use the drawing tools to create the first frame of your animation on the canvas.

Step 4: Add New Frames

1. Tap Add Frame on the right side of the timeline at the bottom of the screen to add a new frame.
2. Select the new frame and draw your next sequence.
3. Repeat this process, adding and drawing frames until your animation is complete.

Step 5: Use Onion Skinning

1. When drawing subsequent frames, use the faint outline of the previous frame (onion skin) as a reference to maintain continuity.

Step 6: Preview Your Animation

1. Tap Play on the left side of the timeline to preview your animation.

Part 2: Adjusting the Settings and Options

Step 1: Access Frame Options

1. Tap a frame in the timeline, then tap it again to open the Frame Options menu.
2. Adjust the hold duration, duplicate the frame, or delete it as needed.

Step 2: Open Animation Settings

1. Tap Settings on the right side of the timeline to open the settings menu.

Step 3: Customize Animation Settings

1. Loop: Makes the animation repeat when it reaches the last frame.
2. Ping-Pong: Makes the animation play forwards then backwards.
3. One Shot: Plays the animation once and stops.
4. Adjust the speed of your animation using the Frames Per Second slider.
5. Adjust the number and opacity of onion skin frames using the corresponding sliders.
6. Change the onion skin colors using the color wheel if needed.

Part 3: Exporting the Animation

Step 1: Open the Share Menu

1. Tap the wrench icon to open the Actions menu.
2. Tap Share.

Step 2: Choose Export Format

1. Scroll down and select Animated GIF, Animated PNG, or Animated MP4.

Step 3: Adjust Export Settings

1. Use the Frames Per Second slider to adjust the animation speed.
2. Toggle Dithering on or off for GIFs to simulate more colors.
3. Toggle Per Frame Color Palette on if you want each frame to have its own color palette.
4. Toggle Transparent Background on if you want the background to be transparent (available for GIF and PNG).

Step 4: Export and Save

1. Tap Export to finalize the file.
2. Tap Save Image to save the animation to your device.

With these steps, you can create and fine-tune animations in Procreate, giving you the flexibility to produce simple animations or more complex sequences as you gain proficiency. Enjoy animating!