To Import Animation Drawings Into Photoshop
Run Photoshop first. From the software, use the Main Menu > File > Open. Just as you would normally import an image sequence to a program like Premiere or After Effects, click on the first file (but don’t double-click yet). Referring to the lower-region of the Open Window, select “Image Sequence.” The Format should be “TIFF.” Then press Open.
For Frame Rate, choose Custom: 12 fps for double-frame animation (or 24 fps for single-frame phrases).
Photoshop will then import the image sequence as a Video Layer, trimmed to the duration of the clip.
You can then proceed with doing image “levels” adjustments, and removing the unwanted/unused white portions of the animation flimsies.
To Make Image Adjustments
Select the video layer in the Layers Palette, then go to the Adjustments Panel and choose “Levels.” If you can’t find the Adjustments Panel, go to the Main Menu > Window > Adjustments.
Click on Levels and proceed with modifying the highlights, mid-tones, and dark sections. Depending on the quality of the scans, you might have to adjust the tonal qualities frame-by-frame as you move the Current Frame Indicator across the Timeline.
Adjust the tonal qualities so that you end up with a good range of dark pencil lines, and flat white in the unused white regions of the flimsies.
To Make Transparent Sections Of Animation Flimsies
This method is good for rendering on-top of images, where you would use Photoshop to paint over rough, sketchy pencil lines below.
Once you have made adjustments to the negative white regions of the animation sequence, you can proceed with removing sections and leaving transparent areas, for compositing in After Effects later on.
Use the Current Time Indicator to move from one frame to another along the Timeline.
Referring to the Toolbar, use the Quick Selection Tool, which bundles with the Magic Wand Tool (the fourth button down from the top of the Toolbar).
By dragging the Quick Selection Tool along the white negative regions of an animation flimsy, make a selection of the area you intend to delete.
Once you’ve selected a region, inverse the selection, by going to Main Menu > Select > Inverse, and then use the delete key to remove the white and thus make the sections transparent.
When you work this way, make sure that, in the Layers Palette, you’ve selected and subsequently highlighted the Video Layer and not the Layer Adjustments (i.e., on the layer above).
In addition, once you’ve selected and then deleted regions, you will have to deselect the selection (e.g., Main Menu > Select > Deselect), otherwise you won’t be able to continue to remove negative spaces in the subsequent image sequences.
From here on, you go ahead with rendering the objects, using Photoshop for design, texture and colour. For example, you could draw directly on top of the image, or add another Video Layer (i.e., Main Menu > Layer > Video Layers > New Blank Video Layer).
Shift the stacking order in the Layers Palette so the new Video Layer sits on top of the animation sequence, and use the painting features to add strokes of colour. Go ahead and use other Video Layers as well.
Using the Layers Palette, you could vary the Opacity of the layer, to make rendering touches softer and seemingly translucent. You could also change the Transfer Mode to Multiply, to blend colours onto the image you are rendering.
To Remove All White Sections Of Animation Flimsies, For Back-Painting Later On
This method is good for rendering “underneath” animation drawings, when you would like to maintain rough pencil lines, smudges, and erase marks. In this case, you would use Photoshop to “back-paint” white sections underneath sketchy and bold pencil strokes.
Use the Levels Adjustments to modify the overall white regions of a given animation sequence, and them proceed with removing the whites and leave the pencil lines behind.
Use the Current Time Indicator to move from one frame to another along the Timeline.
When you do this, however, make sure that, in the Layers Palette, you’ve selected and subsequently highlighted the Video Layer and not the Layer Adjustments (i.e., on the layer above).
Referring to the Main Menu, go to Select > Colour Range. From the Colour Range dialogue box, make sure to select the following options:
- Select: Sampled Colours
- “Selection,” as opposed to “Image”
Click on the Colour Picker (the eyedropper icon). Move to a point in the white region of the animation flimsy in question, and use the Colour Picker to choose a selection.
Press OK. Doing so will select all of the white of the page, represented by an active scene of selection lines grabbing around the pencil lines.
Use the Delete Key to remove the active selection; that is, the overall white section of the animation flimsy. As a result, you should be left with a pencil line over a transparent background, represented by a checkerboard grid pattern.
Once you’ve selected and then deleted regions, deselect the selection (e.g., Main Menu > Select > Deselect), otherwise you won’t be able to continue to edit the subsequent images in the sequence.
Continue the above steps with each frame in the image sequence.
After that, go ahead with rendering the images, using Photoshop for design, texture and colour. The method of removing the whites of the page works well with the program.
Before you treat the image and apply colour, you should add a back-paint layer.
To do so, add another Video Layer (i.e., Main Menu > Layer > Video Layers > New Blank Video Layer). Name it “Back-paint” and shift the stacking order in the Layers Palette so that its Video Layer sits below the animation sequence.
Applying a similar frame-by-frame methodology as you did before, use the Brush to create an outline of a region that sits underneath the top-drawing. When you choose a brush, select a fairly hard brush, one that doesn’t have a soft edge. A strong painted line is useful, because you will also use the Paint Bucket tool to fill in the outline you’ve just painted.
Continue these steps with all of the images in the sequence.
If you wish, you could use other Video Layers as well, to layer the digital painting and design that you might choose to do when rendering underneath the rough animated pencil lines.
Using the Layers Palette, you could vary the Opacity of the layer, to make rendering touches softer and seemingly translucent. You could also change the Transfer Mode to Multiply, to blend colours onto the image you are rendering.
To Export A PNG Image Sequence, To Bring Into After Effects Later On
Once you’ve added colour to your drawings, painting the images with Photoshop, you should export them from PS as a high-definition image sequence. Referring to the Main Menu, go to File > Export > Render Video.
From the Render Video window, enter the following information:
- Location:
- Name: Give the file a very short name, all lowercase, without spaces (i.e., use underscores to mimic spaces).
- Select Folder > Locate the folder where images should go.
- File Options:
- Click to select “Image Sequence.” From the pull-down menu, choose PNG (and from the Settings, choose from the PNG Settings > Interlacing > None).
- Size: Choose “Document Size.”
- Render Options:
- Alpha Channel: Select “Straight – Unmatted.”
Finally, press Render.