How to Animate in Procreate (Easy Step-by-Step Fan Animation Tutorial, by Drawlifestyle on YouTube. 1 min 38 s.
- Video length
- 1 min 38 s
- Time to do it
- 20 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Open Procreate and tap the plus sign to create a new canvas. A square canvas works well for a looping animation.
Tap the wrench icon, open the Canvas menu and turn on Animation Assist. The animation timeline appears at the bottom of the screen.
Draw one fan blade in the centre of the canvas on a new layer. Keep it simple so the spin reads clearly.
In Animation Assist, tap Add Frame to create a second frame. Duplicate the first frame so the blade carries over.
Use the transform tool to rotate the blade a small amount, around 15 to 30 degrees, on the new frame.
Repeat the duplicate and rotate step until the blade has gone all the way around. Six to twelve frames is enough for a smooth loop.
Set the frame rate in Animation Assist. Around 12 frames per second gives a smooth, easy spin.
Press play in the timeline to preview the loop. Adjust any frames that jump or look uneven.
Tap the wrench icon, choose Share and export as Animated GIF or MP4 to save your animation.
Tips and common mistakes
Keep the blade in the same spot on every frame so the fan spins in place instead of wobbling.
Small rotation steps between frames make the motion smoother than big jumps.
Use onion skinning in Animation Assist to see the previous frame while you draw the next one.
Questions
Do I need Animation Assist to animate in Procreate?
You can animate with layers alone, but Animation Assist gives you a timeline, playback and frame rate controls. It is much easier for beginners.
How many frames does a spinning fan need?
Six to twelve frames is enough for a simple loop. More frames make it smoother but take longer to draw.
Can I export the animation as a video?
Yes. Use Share and pick Animated GIF, MP4 or Animated PNG depending on where you want to post it.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
