Animation 3 : masking technique

Animation with masking technique. This exercise is purposed to give you an idea how to get advantage of masking technique in creating an animation.

1. Download the raw picture.
2. Look at this animation and think about the trick to get it from the raw picture.
   • There would be a layer with the yellowish – semi transparent, as the liquid filled the glass. This is the one would be animated – moved down, so that the liquid is going down. (named it “animated” layer)
   • As that layer is semi transparent, there should be a layer as the background. It must be the original picture. (named it background layer)
   • There should be a layer that cover the “not used area” of the animation layer. This layer will show the part of glass with animation. (named it “top” layer)
   • Animated layer will be in between background layer and top layer.
3. Create the top layer:
   • Duplicate the background layer, and rename it “top”
   • Make selection in the upper part of the glass. Then click Select -> inverse
   • Make the mask by click the mask icon in the bottom of the layer, the masking layer will appear.
   • The mask will cover outside animation area. You can see the result by “unvisible” the background layer
4. Create the animated layer :
   • Duplicate top layer, name it “animated”
   • Select this new layer then click while you push the button “alt” down. You will have the mask layer in your work area.
   • Go to menu Image à Adjustment à invert. The black become grey and vice versa.
   • Double click the animated layer to set the blending properties.
   • choose color overlay, choose the color you’d like for the liquid, yellowish in mine.
   • Set the opacity to have good appearance.
   • The yellowish color fill all the glass. Select the animated layer then with “move tool” drag the yellowish color down as you want for the initial position
   • Now you see the liquid is not well fill the glass. There is some unfilled area in the side area; you have to make the correction.
5. Set your foreground and background as default, black as foreground and white as background. Means, you will have black with “brush” and get white with “eraser”
6. With brush and eraser, paint the shape of the mask so that it will give good final appearance. For the side area, you can just add the white area – but you should make the “surface of the liquid” more natural looked. You can check easily the result by click the image icon, and back to “mask layer” by click + “alt”.
7. Last step is making the animation. You have learned about this. Open the animation window. Duplicate the frame, then in the second frame, move/drag the “animated layer” down.
8. Make “tween” with at least 10 frames, and set the timing.
9. Save your animation.