How To Create A Simple Animation

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a simple animation from scratch.

Step 1 - Create The Message Bubble

Begin by drawing the message bubble using the Rectangle tool. Add the first rectangle and adjust its corner radius to achieve the rounded look. Next, create a square and rotate it 45 degrees to form the tail of the bubble. Adjust its radius as needed for consistency. Change the colors of both shapes so they are clearly distinguishable. Select both shapes and group them together. Double-click the group name in the layers panel and rename it to “message bubble”.

Step 2 - Add Animators For Motion

Select the message bubble group to prepare it for animation. Add two animators: one for scale and one for rotation. Each animator will generate its own timeline track where motion will be defined. Select scale from the animator list first, then add the rotate animator in the same way.

Step 3 - Animate The Scale

Move the playhead to the beginning of the timeline and set the scale to zero so the bubble starts invisible. Advance the playhead to around one second and increase the scale to 1.1, slightly larger than normal. Move to 1.5 seconds and return the scale to 1. This sequence produces a bouncing effect as the bubble appears.

Step 4 - Animate The Rotation

Start by setting the rotation at the beginning of the timeline to minus 10 degrees. Move the playhead to one second and rotate the bubble to positive five degrees. Then, at 1.5 seconds, return the rotation to zero. This creates a playful wiggle that complements the scale animation.

Step 5 - Preview The Animation

Hit play to watch the message bubble animate with both scale and rotation. Observe how the bouncing and wiggling combine to bring the bubble to life. Fine-tune any keyframes as needed to smooth the motion or adjust timing.

This technique can be extended to other illustrations, allowing you to replicate the process.