The animation style called Flat Design is very characteristic given its simplicity and high level of synthesis in the content displayed. This has become very popular in social networks for its aspects, so it is of great value to learn how to make Flat Design style animations in After Effects.
After Effects is a program developed for audiovisual design. Given this, its main uses are animation, post-production of moving elements and the creation of compositions in both 2D and 3D . What makes it one of the most suitable for Flat Design animation production.
Its options menu is similar to using the Adobe Photoshop toolbar and best of all, both programs come within the Adobe package.
What is Flat Design?
The Flat Design, called Flat Design in Spanish , lies in the reduction of all kinds of complex elements or that generate a greater amount of visual information than is necessary to transmit a message. For this the use of textures, reliefs, shading is excluded.
However, to make Flat Design style drawing animations in After Effects as easy as changing language in Adobe After Effects , keep in mind that it is an open genre, the basic and essential principle is that what is not necessary for transmission of the message can be deleted
The use of bright color tones and pastels for this type of design and later its animation is very popular . The choice of tonal elements or color palettes is of great importance. Because it will greatly help the visual understanding of what you want to convey to the public.
This style of drawing and animation ends up being a clean , solid, sharper and easily understood design. Special for occasions when you want to send a clear message, without elements that divert attention.
Due to its composition, this genre is very adaptable to all types of formats, in addition many Flat Design designers do it through vectors, which generates high compatibility for different types of devices and resolutions without losing quality.
Steps to make Flat Design style drawing animations in After Effects
The first thing that must be done is the composition of the drawing, either in Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. Recalling the premises of Flat Design outlined above.
It is important to note that to make Flat Design style drawings animations in After Effects it is necessary to have knowledge of designs, color management and the essentials about the operation of the After Effects program. In addition, it is essential to know the basics about the principles of animation to generate a smooth and pleasant movement.
After effects
With the drawing ready, we will proceed to open the After Effects program, and choose the “New Composition” option . In the settings that will appear later, the name will be modified and the size should be normally set to 1080 high by 1920 wide. The other elements are modifiable as needed.
Once the program interface has been opened, a background for the animation will be created. To do this, double click on the “ Rectangle ” tool located on the top bar. In the elements section you can rename it and place it ” background “. To give it color, look for the “ fill ” effect bar and drag it towards the background element and then change the color.
The next thing will be to create elements that generate something more dynamic and not so simple in the background. The next thing will be to import the drawing previously made and add to it with the “ Pen ” tool or by means of geometric figures elements to which you want to give movement.
You can complement it with another filter such as putting textures to texts in After Effects in a simple way to achieve a better finish.
By having these elements in the drawing in different layers, the animation will proceed. To do this, select the section that you want to apply a modification or an effect, then, in the window where the project time is shown, you must select the moment you want to apply it. Then it is only necessary to modify the parameters at each different moment in order to make Flat Design style drawings animations in After Effects.
