Hi everyone!! If you’re looking for easy(or lazy) ways to make animated emote. Try this 5 easy tips for creating animated emote!!

I’m making all these emotes in the Clip studio paint PRO version!! If you’re new to animation features in clip studio or you think the PRO version may not be enough for animate emote….

 

THIS TUTORIAL IS FOR YOU!! >w<

Video tutorial

My tutorial is in both video and text tutorial, if you have any question, you can messsage me anytime

Prepare the still emote

All you need to prepare : one simple emote that separates the face layers from the body for easy editing later. I also separate the head layer from the body.

Tips : changing the line color will make the face looks more pop out when it’s small

I also applied a border to the eye layer, so it pops out more  :)

Let’s start animating!

Tips No. 1 Two frames animation

You can simply make the animate emote by only 2 frames!!

Here I copy and edit the emote a bit by adding a hand, changing the face  and tilting the head. 

Then I put layers in 2 separate folders

If you don’t have the Timeline panel on the screen, you can open it by the menu 

[Window > Timeline]

Create a new timeline and set frame rate to 12

Frame rate means the number of frame it will play in 1 second

• Framerate 8: will take 3 seconds for 24 frames

• Framerate12 : will take 2 seconds for 24 frames

• Framerate24 : will take 1 seconds for 24 frames

(Clip studio paint PRO has a limitation of 24 frames. These are the framerate I use for create gif animation)

 

Make all the folder visible

Adjust the timeline by dragging on the small square on the top of the timeline bar

This will make each frame showing in order and make it animated!!

Another way to make this animation is by using the Animation folder which is the classic way to make frame by frame animation in clip studio

 

Create a new animation folder

Put all frame in the animation folder

Right click and assign the frame to the timeline

This method will give the same result, it also more fit if you want to make more than 2 frames for the animation

Tips No.2 Zoom animation

Zooming can make a more dramatic scene to the animation.

And it’s very easy to make!!

Create a 2D camera folder [Animation > New animation layer > 2D Camera folder]

Put your emote layers inside the camera folder

Then on the timeline panel , set the keyframe mode to Smooth interpolation.

 

Add the keyframe at the frame 1 and frame 24

(select on the frame then click on the keyframe icon)

This will make it loop (start point and end point is the same)

 

Select at frame 7, and use the Object tool to resize the camera (blue border)

This will create the keyframe at frame 7 automatically

 

Right click at the keyframe to copy and paste it at frame 18

This will create loop animation of zoom in, stop, then zoom out (in loop)

To preview the camera, in the object tool property panel at the [Display mode] click on Show the [camera’s field of view]

If you want the zoom motion to be more continuously, adjust the camera size at frame 18 a bit

Tips : you can also rotate the camera for even more dramatic result

Tips No.3 Shaking animation

Rage is real!!

With 2D camera folder, you can also do the shaking animation easily by.

• Selecting the frame.

• Moving the camera border abit

• Repeat it on the next frames

For the face, you can also adjust the opacity of layer by the timeline

Select the layer, enable the layer keyframe then select at keyframe 1

Adjust the opacity at frame one, the keyframe will be created autometically

Create the keyframe at the start and the end to make it into loop:

 

Tips : instead of copy and paste the keyframe, do this:

• select the last keyframe

• adjust the opacity up and down (to old value)

 

This will create a keyframe with the same value as at the beginning

The keyframe for the opacity is separated from the keyframe for movement, you can view it by expanding the [+] icon at the timeline panel

Select at the middle of timeline and adjust the opacity up

result

For another object on screen, you can also animate it using the layer keyframe too

 

Convert the layer to image material layer [Right click on the layer > Convert layer] and set type to [Image material layer]

Enable the layer keyframe

Create keyframes at the beginning and the end of the timeline (for loop animation)

Select the middle of the timeline and use the object tool to move/rotate the object

The keyframe is created automatically

And here is the result ^w^

Tips No.4 Parts animation

This method will be a bit more complicated than another, but the result is awesome!!

 

You have to separate parts that you want to move into layers or layer folders

 

Convert all the parts that you want to move into image material layer

[right click on the layer > Convert layer > set type to ‘Image material layer’]

Use the object tool in free transform mode to tilt the head part a little to the side

Adjust position on all the parts

Create a new timeline, set the frame rate to 8

This will create 3 seconds timeline

Create new keyframe at the beginning and the end of timeline

At 1 second (Keyframe 9) use the object tool to edit the head like she’s inhaling

This will make the simple animation like she’s inhaling fast then exhaling slowly

Repeat the steps on other parts, so they move all together

With the free transform edit on the object, when enabled the layer keyframe, it also able to animate all the corner separately and create more flexible animation

For the text on emote, you can apply fade in and fade out effect by enable the layer keyframe and adjust the opacity

Result

Tips No.5 Party light animation

Changing the color also adds some mood to the still emote. 

 

I will create a color wheel that apply the light on the emote then animate it to create the color  changing effect.

 

Create a new layer

Use the Ruler tool [Special ruler> Radial line Mode] 

And click on the center of the canvas

Use the Milli pen tool, set the anti-aliasing to [None]

Draw the line to center with various color

Make sure that snap to ruler mode is on

Create the circle selection covering the line

Use the freeform gradient tool to fill between the line,

this will create gradient in the circle

Copy and paste the circle(with the selection) [Ctrl+C then Ctrl+V]

It will create a new layer with the color circle, then delete the original layer 

(to clear the unwanted lines outside the circle)

Make it more smooth by lock the transparent and apply blur effect

Convert the wheel layer to image material layer

Resize the wheel to cover all the image with the object tool

(zoom out the canvas will be a lot easier)

Then change the layer mode to color, this will apply the color on the emote

Clip the wheel to the emote, the color will be show only on emote

Note : if the color is too strong, reduce the opacity down

 

Enable the layer keyframe, then create the [Linear interpolation] keyframe at the beginning and the end of the timeline

With the object tool, select on the last keyframe and change the rotation angle to 360

The color changing emote is done!

I hope my tips give you idea for starting create animated emote or give you some idea for it

Have fun animating!!