Embedded Files
For this activity, you can sign up for a free Piskel account below.
Use your PUSD Gmail and an EZ to remember password!!!
Then watch some of the tutorial links below to get you started...
Sign Up Here
maybe you already have a Piskel account?.....try "forgot password" first using
your PUSD Gmail. The email they send will go to your spam folder*
Challenge #1
The Dancing Space Invader
Watch the short video at the link below and recreate a Space Invader that looks just like the sample, be sure to "resize" you pixels as they show in the video.
Challenge: Add a "layer" for Space, make it black with a few stars!!
Use the "Turning Your GIF into Google Classroom" instruction below to turn this project in.
Watch These More Advanced Video Tutorials:
WATCH ALL of these "getting started" series of short videos, and try each of the skills with your Piskel especially "working with layers" this will make your Piskel time much more enjoyable:
8 Must See Piskel Video Tutorials
Challenge #2: Working With Layers:
"Bad Moon Rising"
For this challenge, you need to have at least THREE LAYERS, one of them being a background, the other being the hills, and the sun/moon.
Watch the video tutorial that shows you have to create and work with layers. click here for video tutorial on backgrounds
Warning: Create a NEW LAYER for everything -it will make moving objects, copying objects, deleting objects... everything is easier with separate layers!!!!
Name Your Layers as you create them too!!
Here is a simple example of a couple layers. The Sun & Moon rising over the green hills:
Tips For Frames & Layers Success
1. Decide on what objects you want in your scene first, and make sure to draw everything on its own layer in the FIRST FRAME only.
2. Duplicate your FRAME with all your layers, then make changes, move things around etc.... You can control the speed of the animation, the FPS in the upper right corner.
3. Be careful if you move objects off the canvas, parts of them will disappear, so always keep a copy of a backup FRAME of everything so you can just Copy&Paste if this happens and not have to draw something again.
Challenge #3: U Decide A Character
For this challenge you can google search a cartoon character that is pixel'd
(just add pixel to your Google Search)
Try to recreate the character in Piskel using your skills. Try and add some simple level of animation, like eyes blinking, smiling, waving etc.. nothing that will take too much time, but just make it a GIF.
Tip: Make sure to have you sample image open while you work.
Expert: It is possible to "import" your image on a layer and then add layers on top to basically "trace" over the image.
During "import" you may need to resize the image so it is not gigantic or blurry, so you might have to try this a few times.
After you trace over the picture, then you can delete that layer and Voila!!
Turning In Your GIFs To Google Classroom
There are a couple steps to turning in your completed GIF
1. Set the frame rate "FPS" to how fast or slow you want the GIF
2. Choose "EXPORT option, for Animate Gif
(right side of screen, looks like a mountain)
3. Resize your GIF using the SCALE tool to about 300 x 300
4. Download the GIF to your computer
5. Test your sizing by opening a new browser window and drag your GIF in the window to watch it PLAY!! (go back to step 3 as needed)
6. Turn in the completed file to Google Classroom.
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