Due: Thursday, January 27 @ 1:00 pm

Turn in your videos via the BouncingBall folder.

This tutorial will introduce you to frame animation in Photoshop using onion skinning and video layers. as well as refresh/ advance your knowledge of Photoshop drawing tools. We will do this together in class, but the basic steps and some key terms are outlined below. For future reference, the project setup process plus images is reiterated in the Morphing Project assignment page.

First, download this template and save it to your desktop.

1. Create a new PS document: 800 x 600 px, RGB Color, and 150 dpi. Save your document; name it YourLastName_bounce.psd. Navigate File > Place Embedded to import the template image you downloaded. Use the Free Transform (CMD + T) mode to stretch the image across the canvas and line it up with frame bottom (Tip: use SHIFT to maintain proportions).

2. Open the Timeline window by navigating to the Window menu > Timeline. Now open the Timeline drop-down menu in the upper-right corner of the Timeline (it looks like four small horizontal lines) and select Set Timeline Frame Rate. Set it to 24 fps.

3. Extend the Background layer and Template layer to a duration 1 second and 7 frames (the timecode looks like 0:00:01:06) . Lock the template in the Layers panel, then go to the Layers menu > Video Layers > New Blank Video Layer.

4. Now open the Timeline drop-down menu again and click Enable Onion Skins. Open the same drop-down menu again and open Onion Skin Options. Change the settings to those in the image, if they aren't already set. (Note: your preferences for these settings may evolve, feel free to experiment.)

5. Use the Foreground Color in the Tool Panel to select a color. Switch to the Brush Tool (B) Timeline. You may need to resize or edit your brush; do this in the contextual menu at the top-left of the interface, or R-Click while your mouse is over the canvas. Make sure your cursor is at frame 1 in the timeline, then draw the ball at position 1. Move the cursor forward and draw the ball at position 2. Note that the onion skinning allows you to see the previous frames. Continue this process through Frame 31.

5a. But wait! Look at the image below and focus on the ball when it makes contact, as well as the frames directly before and after. Try to introduce this kind of squash & stretch into your animation.

6. Save your document, and upload it to the folder linked at the top of this page.