ADOBE PHOTOSHOP BASICS: 3 WAYS TO MAKE A GIF

Skill Level:
ALL LEVELS

Class Length:
1 hr 35 mins

Materials Required:
A Pencil
An eraser
A BLACK PEN
TRACING PAPER
A SCANNER OR CAMERA
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP

Animating your drawings, even in a really simple way, can be a great way to engage your audience and bring something new to your portfoliO

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

  • illustrate a letter gif hand drawn typography

    ILLUSTRATING A LETTER

    We will be working by hand to illustrate a letter of the alphabet.

    We will explore different sources of hand drawn typography and illustrative lettering to gather inspiration to create a collection of our own designs for the project.

  • adobe photoshop select colour clean up image

    ADOBE PHOTOSHOP SKILLS

    In addition to learning how to make GIFs, if you are new to Photoshop as you follow along you will pick up lots of key Photoshop skills including, how to:

    • Digitize your hand drawings and clean them up

    • Use layers

    • Select parts of an image

    • Fill, color-match and adjust colors using different methods

  • color changing gif adobe photoshop for beginners

    COLOR CHANGING GIF

    The first GIF style we will create is a color changing GIF, where the image stays static but the colors change in each frame.

    There is a comprehensive lesson on choosing color palettes so that you can be sure your color choices will work beautifully with your GIF.

  • wobble effect gif adobe photoshop for beginners

    WOBBLE EFFECT GIF

    The second type of GIF we will create with our hand-drawn designs is the Wobble Effect GIF: the image stays the same but some subtle ‘wobbling’ movement is introduced.

    We will repeat some of the steps from creating the first GIF style, so you will have the opportunity to reinforce what you have learned.

  • image changing gif adobe photoshop for beginners

    IMAGE CHANGING GIF

    The final GIF style we will create is the Image Changing GIF: where the image changes in each frame.

    We will discuss some tips and actionable steps you can take to make this GIF successful without appearing too visually overwhelming, making the most of your fabulous hand lettering.

  • export video file gif for instagram

    EXPORTING YOUR GIFS

    We will finish by exploring an alternative method of exporting your GIFs as .MP4 files.

    Currently Instagram does not support the .GIF format, so this will allow you to share your GIFs with the world :)

I'M READY TO LEARN!

WHO THE COURSE IS FOR

This class is suitable for all levels - you do not need any prior experience with drawing or Adobe Photoshop - I’ll be covering everything you need to know :).

This course is perfect if you:

  • Are an illustrator who would like to dip their toe into animation

  • Are a complete beginner with Adobe Photoshop and would like to learn some of the basic principles whilst making a really fun and accessible project

  • Are someone who would love to see their artwork move!

WHAT you will TAKE AWAY

By the end of the course, you will have:

  • A series of 3 fun GIFs with different styles.

  • A toolkit of helpful tips and actionable advice to incorporate into your artwork such as how to pick effective color palettes and how to digitise your analog drawings.

  • A framework to create eye-catching GIFs to boost your art practice: from creating social media campaigns, making your website, newsletter or emails stand out from the crowd, or simply using them as standalone artworks. 

supporting resources

Provided along with the class is a Class Resource PDF which contains:

  • A worksheet on which to draw your hand lettering

  • Lettering templates to help you achieve effective and successful GIFs

  • A sheet of example lettering variations to help you formulate your own unique hand drawn illustrative letters

testimonials

  • "THIS WAS AMAZING!!"

    This was AMAZING!! I've always wanted to learn how to make GIFs but was too intimidated by the idea of actually trying to make them but this made it SO EASY and APPROACHABLE!!!

    - Mari

  • "REALLY DELIGHTFUL CLASS CONTENT"

    Really delightful class content; on trend and appealing which is so appreciated. Mel has put in a lot of work to ensure that styling of her class is appealing, beautifully curated, and cute. Really really nice! I look forward to more of your classes Mel! Thank you!!

    - Sharley A

  • "I GOT SO MUCH OUT OF THIS CLASS"

    This was a fantastic class! Mel is a really engaging and clear teacher - she takes us through the technical as well as the creative steps to making animated GIFs in a straightforward and easy to follow manner, even though I was a bit daunted at first - I need not have been. Mel made what could have been quite complex very accessible. I got SO MUCH out of this class, and highly recommend it!

    - Shelley S

  • "I LOVED THIS CLASS!"

    I loved this class! I am a long-time Photoshop user but have only vaguely dabbled in moving images. This class was the perfect introduction, I loved working through the different methods of creating GIFs and can't wait to take it further on my own. Thank you!

    - Emma F

  • "I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED"

    I came here expecting to learn the tools for making GIFs but I was pleasantly surprised to pick up a few new tricks that I can use in the rest of my design work. Thank you!

    - Maro B

  • "THIS WILL REALLY STEP UP MY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT AND MAYBE GET SOME NEW CLIENTS"

    Loved the class, very easy to follow. This will really step up my Instagram account and maybe get some new clients. Can't wait to see what else I can create.

    - Miguel G

  • "I TRULY ENJOYED THIS SIMPLE TO FOLLOW CLASS"

    I truly enjoyed this simple to follow class. Mel teaches some great Photoshop essentials (masks, color overlay/color fill, selections). I would recommend any Photoshop user!

    - Julie K

  • "I LEARNED SO MUCH"

    I loved this class. The projects were explained in a clear, step by step manner and and I learned so much. I even picked up some new Photoshop tips that I had not known before. I would thoroughly recommend this class. Thanks, Mel!

    - Susan M

  • "MEL'S CLASS IS AMAZING!"

    I've been wanting to learn how to make a simple gif for ages. Mel's class is amazing! She goes beyond just showing you how to make three types of gifs. She also talks about color palettes, graphic design, and makes suggestions to help you have your first gif be a success. Highly recommend!

    - EK

SOUNDS GREAT!
M-IMAGE-CHANGE.gif
E-COLOR-CHANGE.gif
L-WOBBLE-EFFECT.gif

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Watch it whenever you like

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MEET YOUR TEACHER

HI THERE! I’M MEL

I’m an artist and educator, and my mission is to support and empower others to explore their creativity.

I love to combine analog and digital media, and making GIFs is without doubt one of the most fun ways to animate your drawings!

It is also a process which incorporates tons of helpful Adobe Photoshop skills, but is totally beginner friendly, so you can make a really cool and fun project, whilst simultaneously learning tons of helpful tools in Photoshop at the same time - win win!

I’d love to share these techniques with you too!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • No, I have structured this course so it is suitable for complete beginners, so I will be walking you through all the Photoshop parts of the process as if you have never used it before. If it is the first time you have ever used Adobe Photoshop, be sure to take your time, pause the videos when you need to, and repeat some sections to make sure you feel comfy with the steps.

  • No you don't, you can choose to make whichever GIF style you like. However, you will need to watch the videos for first GIF style I show you (Color Changing GIF) because these videos contain the bulk of the Photoshop process, which is then developed further within the videos for the Wobble Effect and Image Changing GIFs.

  • All my courses consist of pre recorded video lessons. There are also downloadable resources such as worksheets, reference photos, guides and other materials which will help support your learning.

    All my courses are structured around a class project, which is a practical way of applying the skills taught in the course, and also means that you will have created something by the end of the course, as well as learning lots of new skills - I think this is the best way of learning!

  • The course content is exactly the same, whichever enrolment option you choose.

  • This depends on your enrollment method. If you enroll via Skillshare, you will have access for as long as you have an active subscription. If you make a one-time purchase, you will have access for as long as the course exists on the internet.

  • Yes you can - when you select the one-time purchase, there is an option at checkout to buy the course as a gift. All you need to do is enter the recipient’s email address and there is an option to add a gift message if you’d like to. The course will be sent directly to them with a link to access it, along with your message if you added one.

  • Gumroad is an e-commerce platform which allows creators to sell digital products directly to their audience. It is a popular platform for finding all sorts of products, like digital brushes, e-books and courses.

    When you make a one-time purchase of one of my online courses, you will be doing this through Gumroad. You can either create a log-in there, which will allow you to view all your Gumroad purchases in your library, or you can access the course by using the link which will be emailed to you after you have completed your purchase. There is also a Gumroad app, if you like to watch courses on your smart phone or tablet device.

  • No problem! I’m always happy to answer questions - please reach out using the contact form here