#ps resource

rules:

• don't redistribute and claim it as your own

• links sharing is allowed, but always credit the creator (faeryaesther)

• likes/reblogs are appreciated if you download the pack <3

• folder is zipped and has check the folders properly. should there be any errors, kindly inform me <3

• you can use the pngs as you wish, change the backgrounds etc.

• if you need other colours' hex codes, send away an ask!

• no credits needed if you use the resource but appreciated <333

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PART 1: THE BASICS 1: DRAWING A CURVE

see part 1 in older guide

PART 2: THE BASICS 2: DRAWING ORGANIC SHAPES

again, i’ve rendered this as a video since it’s easier to show that way

PART 3: TEMPLATE

see part 2 steps 1-6 in older guide

adding on to that, if you want to hide certain shapes or lines behind parts of the still image, you’ll also need to mask the parts you want to be hidden:

this is what my template for that particular set looked like:

PART 4: CREATING THE FLICKERING EFFECT

now, this is where things get a little bit more tedious

*note: the header gif of this post uses a duration of 5 frames instead, since the text is flickering as well and a 3 frame duration is too hard on the eyes. it’s really up to you how long you want each flicker to last

and this is what the flickering effect on the template will look like, without any gifs added/ typography on it yet

i say this is tedious because while this demo looks easy since it’s only 1 shape and 1 curve, the reality is on a full actual template you’re working with multiple shapes and curves on each gif (at least 3-4 gifs for this effect to really look nice), so it’s really important that you label your layers properly. for instance, this is what my template for the middle gif alone looked like:

PART 5: CLIPPING GIFS TO THE SHAPES

first, refer to part 2 step 7 in the older guide to transfer your template to your individual gif files

then, read on (we're almost done!)

the final effect (ofc without colouring and typography in since this is just a demo):

program: adobe photoshop 2021 

i find that the majority of gif makers use some form of adobe product whether that is premiere or photoshop, but i just use the most recent photoshop version adobe had to offer.

this tutorial applies for macOS and windows so don’t worry, any version of program that contains the “timeline” feature will do.

1. download HQ OR HD videos.

i find that the best gifs that come out with HD frames are 1080p quality or 1440p. anything below that might come out to look a little pixelated. at least that’s what i’ve learnt over the time that i started making gifs (a little over a month ago). for me, i can also screen record my videos if it seems like it’ll be impossible to download a high quality video but it’s only in a dire situation.

the website that i use is called savieo, and it allows you to download videos from naver, youtube and vlive. this is great especially if you’re a kpop related tumblr account like i am. this is useful as sometimes, the quality of gifs can be severely degraded if uploaded to youtube vs. naver. this has rung true for music show performances. for this gif, i’m going to take a video off naver where sunmi has done a performance on MBC’s music core for you can’t sit with us.

2. importing video to frames.

secondly, i import my video to frames. since i work with short videos (3-10 mins) instead of 2 hour movies like some gif makers on tumblr, i feel more comfortable importing my downloaded video into photoshop, clipping it to an appropriate size and converting it to frames in one program. 

importing:

➤ after your video has downloaded, in photoshop go to file > import > video frames to layers.

➤ browse for the video. mine is usually in the downloads folder.

➤ once opened, you will have a window much like this. for this section of gif making, you have to select a short clip that you want to turn into a gif. for this example, i’ll do sunmi’s ending fairy section. keeping in mind that the bottom sliders select your clip!

➤ this will take some time to load depending on the length of your clip but as mine is short i estimate it’ll be around 50 frames (which is the average amount you want, or else the gif file size is too big and tumblr won’t accept it).

➤ after it finishes loading it should look something like this. if you don’t have the timeline open, go to window > timeline.

3. rid of excess frames.

➤ i like to get rid of frames i don’t need. as you can see above, we have the ending shot but not a close up of sunmi being an ending fairy. so i simply scroll through the timeline until i find the last frame of that scene, and shift and left click on it. now we can delete it using the trashcan icon. and i do the same for excess frames on the right hand side.

➤ now select the marquee tool. this depends on how you want the gif to look, for me i chose the dimensions 1920px x 800px.

➤ once that’s been selected, you can crop! i have a short cut assigned to this already, but if you go to image > crop you will get the same effect. this will take a while if you have 90 frames like i do. but it will take less time if you have 40-50 frames.

4. resizing

for all gif makers the dimensions differ depending on how they want it to look on tumblr. for me i like to make the width 810px for a nice big high quality gif, or 540px (the width of a tumblr dashboard post). to do so, go to image > image size and put in new dimensions. for this gif i’m making the width 810px. this will take some time to load!

that’s how to make a basic gif with no sharpening! you can now export it if you wish, by going to file > export > save for web (legacy). 

note: if you take a look at the timeline you can play the gif from frame one using the controls. also, if the play back speed bothers you when you’re exporting to save it to web, do what i show below.

reducing gif speed:

end result with no sharpening:

4. sharpening.

for this, we’re going to have to convert to video timeline. our current timeline is a frame animation timeline! on the right hand side of the timeline there will be 3 lines stacked on top of each other, much like an options menu. click on that and select convert to video timeline.

➤ the timeline will now look like this.

➤ go to select > all layers. the layers should then be highlighted on the right hand side.

➤ now right click on any of the highlighted layers and press convert to smart object. smart objects are essentially a new layer that contains image data of EVERY layer you have selected. so any effects you apply to the smart object will now apply to every frame layer from the gif. it will look like this:

➤ keeping the smart object selected, go to filter, then smart sharpen. i go for a singular smart sharpen but some users like to smart sharpen twice, much like chloezhao’s tutorial that i linked in the beginning of this tutorial.

these are the settings used:

➤ and save with export to web!

5. colouring

now for colouring at present i have NOT explored colouring my own gifs that much and i stick to psds from deviantart or tumblr. the one i’m using today is no. 1 psd by bbyhyuck @ deviantart. click here.

when dropping a psd onto a gif file, ENSURE THE TOP MOST LAYER IS SELECTED like so !!

to drop a colouring onto your gif, open the psd and drag it into a separate window of its own like so: 

and then select the folder and drag and drop it on top of your gif preview (mine is sunmi’s face!) the folder should now be above the top most layer.

and that’s it! export it and it should now look like this.