After Effects Video Tutorial: Pencil Write-On Animation
Create a write-on cursive animation in After Effects – great for explainer videos or title graphics.
In this Premiumbeat exclusive video tutorial you’ll learn how to create an awesome cursive write-on effect using After Effects. The effect doesn’t look very difficult but it does utilize some upper level techniques. This tutorial covers:
- Toggling the transparency grid
- Roving keyframes and temporal lock
- Stylizing graphite streaks
This tutorial is very different from most write-on tutorials in After Effects. Instead of using the built in write-on tool, we’ll use a shape layer mixed with rotational values.
Prefer reading to watching? Check out the After Effects how-to below.
Click images for larger view.
| 1 | Create a new composition and create a new text layer with any words you want.
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| 2 | Make a shape layer over the text layer with a light stroke. Draw over the word in a cursive manner.
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| 3 | Make a new null object and name it “follower”. Copy and paste the shape layer’s path into the position of the null object.
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| 4 | Add a trim path to the shape layer and set two easy eased keyframes.
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| 5 | Make a new white solid and apply a grid effect to simulate paper.
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| 6 | Add turbulent noise to simulate paper texture.
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| 7 | Precompose the paper layer and add a fast blur.
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| 8 | Create a pencil on a single shape layer.
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| 9 | Move the anchor point to the tip of the pencil.
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| 10 | Pickwhip the position of the pencil to the position of the null object and add “value +” to the beginning of the pencil position expression. Set keyframes to simulate the pencil coming into the scene.
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| 11 | Set the rotation of the pencil to match a natural movement. Hold down ALT and click the rotation of the pencil creating an expression, type:
x=2; y=“pick whip to the ‘follower’ position”[0]*.01;wiggle(x,y);
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| 12 | Add a turbulent noise, noise HLS, tint, roughen edges, curves, and fast blur to the cursive shape layer. Stylize.
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| 13 | Set the text layer to multiply.
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If you have any questions regarding this tutorial or if you have any quick tips for using expressions in After Effects please comment below!
