How to Make Motion Graphics
Make your own simple motion graphics to spice up a webpage or to share with your friends online. You can use a small image or photo and edit it to make it animated, or draw your own graphic. Follow a procedure using one of the popular graphic animation programs; the basic steps and functions are the same for each program. The motion graphic you create will have the .GIF file extension, which is what most motions graphics are.
Instructions
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Open a graphic animation program, such as Animation Shop, GIMP or Photoshop, and create a new image. Go to "File", "New" and enter the width and height that you want your motion graphic to be in pixels. Make the graphic no larger than 400 pixels in width or height, since adding more layers or frames will make the size of the file larger.
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Draw an image on the blank file with the "Pencil" tool in the program. Choose the "Color Fill" or "Fill Bucket" tool, select a color from the color palette and click on each area of the image you drew to color it in.
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Go to "Edit," "Copy" and create a new layer or frame as an extension of the image file. In Animation Shop, go to "Edit" and "Paste After Current Frame." In GIMP, go to "Layer" in the top menu and then "Duplicate Layer." In Photoshop, go to the "Layers" box on the right of the program, click on "New Layer." Right-click on the new layer, and select "Paste."
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Edit the new frame slightly to make it continue with the movement from the last frame. Color over certain areas of the duplicate layer with white pencil or the "Eraser" tool and draw the continuation of the movement. For example, if you are making a motion graphic of a bird flying, erase part of its wings and draw them slightly lower to make them flap. Continue with this process until the movement is complete.
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Save the motion graphic with a ".GIF" file extension, so the motion graphic will retain its animated property. For example, save the bird animation as "flying-bird.GIF."
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