Liquid Effect Exploration in After Effects

1. Intro: Hello, everyone. My name is Karen's, and on this class you will learn how to create some really cool abstract liquid animations . You'll start by learning the basics of how this effect works, and then you'll be able to apply the liquid effect to a certain path or attacks. As we continue to experiment, you will be able to create an animated typography effect in a few minutes. Also, you will be able to great greats, animated backgrounds, color variations. There's some new tools on after the fact that you can use every day for your projects. We are going to explore more and greater colorful trip animation, just using some simple techniques. Finalize what we've learned. I'll show you how to create this really nice text animation in a few steps. By the end of this course, you will be able to create so many animated posters backgrounds and made it text on other trended visuals. You will need only after effects for this course, no extra plug ins, so make sure to unroll and see the whole class 2. Basic Effect: Hello, guys. So now you're in after effects and I just need to create a new composition. Andi, I'm creating gun each the video resolution on Do you can change the duration off the video right here. I'll just leave it 15 seconds and the frame rate 30 so I'll just click. OK on. The first thing that I need to do is create a background, so I need to go right here on the right click. Go to you Solid Onda. Uh, I'm going toe take purple color. Okay, They okay again? Andi, I'm going to create another solid. So let's change the color. I'm going to pick a yellow color because it always goes well with with a purple cell click . OK, now, as you can see, we have two layers on. I'm going to apply that liquid effect on the yellow layer. So to do that, I just need to go to effects and presets on type for Mercury. This is the effect that we're going to use during during this whole class to create those animation that you saw on the intro. So I'm just going to drag on the plight on the yellow, uh, player so as you can see, it made it disappear, and you can see only the purple layer, which is below the yellow one. But if you click play, you will see that it has applied the effect. And it is this liquid that is going down. So we need to make some adjustments to make it look better. The first thing that we need to do is make it feel the whole space. So we got start with the radius, the X and the Y. I'm going to increase it, and I'm going to do the same for the why and, uh, yeah. Now if we quickly again, we can see that it feels the whole space. But the other problem is that it is going down on the reason that it is doing that is because of the gravity. And you can see that there is this setting right here that says gravity. We need to make that zero on. When you make it zero it is. It will start floating around. So I think it looks much better like that. So now something else that I need to change is to make it look more flat because as you can see it has this kind of shadow which makes it look more like, uh, like, three d. So to change that, we have the light on the shading. So I'm going toe the light on, and I just need to decrease the light intensity zero. And as you can see now it is flat. So, yeah, you can also play around with these other settings, but some of them I'm going to explain on the other effects that we're going to create. So this was just so you can get the basics off this effect, So see in the next video. 3. Create a Path: Hey, guys, welcome back. So now that we learned the basics of the effect, I'm going to teach you how to make that effect Follow a certain path like a certain taxed or shape, whatever you like on. I'm going to show you an example like you have seen in the intro video. So as you can see, there is this liquid text that it is basically a liquid shape that follows a certain path on. I'm going to show show to you how to do it now. So we have again two layers, the first solid purple and the second solid with a yellow color on. I'm going to apply again. The mercury effect on it on. Let's move a little bit. I had so we can see Ah, how it effects. Ah, how every setting that would change will affect the liquid. So the main idea is that I want to make this a really small like a floating circle on. I'm going to explain you in a few where we're going to do that. So I need to change the radio sex to zero. The radius. Why zero? And I'm going to change some of these two for example, velocity, which is speed is going to be zero Onda. Uh, as you can see now there is a gravity on it, so I'm going to make it zero again. So now it is, uh, more like a circle. And I'm going to change also these birth, size and death size going to increase this a little bit timed Decrease this one. And as I said, I'm going to show you why in a few. And maybe we can do some other adjustments on it later. So now that we created the liquid, we need to create a path so the liquid can follow. So, as I said, we want toe do the like something like the example that I showed you before. So I'm going to add a text first. Salvato, Windows, tools toe Show this tax to tattle on DA. I'm going to uncheck this for now. So I'll just use this. Ah, this fun because it looks like handwriting. So I'll just click and type something like hi, because it is a short, uh, tax, because I just wanted to show you how it works, and maybe you can make longer, longer, Text said. I'll just tried toe Position it in the center. Now I'm going to create a new solid, So just right click Go to new solid Onda. Let's speak the color. Yeah, I'll click gate and I'll just put it below the high layer. Andi now I need to go to the mental. As I said, if you don't see these tools, just goto windows and make sure you are checking the tools option. Andi, I'm using the pen tool rack right now, and I just had to follow this path or something similar to its I'll just start and I can adjust it later yet. No, I can also make some adjustments by clicking on these parts. Second, just also change the angle. So I think it was good just to get an idea of how this works. Okay, so now that we created the path of the next thing that we need to do, it is ah, make the liquid effect, follow this path. So it looks like the example that I showed you, but we cannot do this directly. So first I'm going to create a circle so I'll just go again to the Ellipse Tool and I'm going toe Hold shift, too. Great. A perfect circle. Ah, yeah, Just very circle. You can click on the field and make sure you are selecting the solid color. Like Okay, Onda, uh, I'm going to rename this, so that's right. Name this circle on. Let's rename this other earlier path and we need toe copy the path. So I'm going to this arrow right here. Click on it. Go to the mask. Let's give some space for it. So under the mask, you have this Matt mask path. Click on it. Go to edit. Copy. Now we need to go to the circle to the transform. Go to position at it paste. Now, as you can see, it creates an animation on DA. You can see that the circle is following a path, so we need to adjust the position of it. So So it follows, Uh, the path starting from From here on, we need to change the anchor point. So I'll just change the X and the Y soul. So it it's positioned in the centre off where it starts, and I'm making sure I'm on the start free. I can also scale it, so I'm just going to scale it down. Okay, so now if I zoom out, I can see that it follows perfectly the path, and I'm going to make some adjustments on the animation. So I'm going to select all these key frames Goto animations, key frame assistant than like this. He's ease, and it basically does. It starts slow, it goes faster, and then it ends slowly. Okay, so now that we made the circle to follow this path, we need to make the liquid follow the same path. So to do that, let's go to the liquid. The layer. I'm going to rename this. They quit. And that's going this arrow Go to effects to the mercury effect. And we need to change this producer. And I'm going toe hold bulky and click on this icon right here. So now we need to drag this expression pick whipped, and we need to position it down the we need toe drag to the position of the circle. So basically, we will. The liquid effect will follow the same path as the A circle. So I'm which is going to open the position. Um, going to give some space here? Yes. So let's just drag this and put it in the position on, you know, Let's, uh, just ease. Okay? Now I'm going to inject the circle the taxed path on going to leave. Just a liquid. That's quick plate. And as you can see, it follows, uh, the path of the circle to create that. That text. Yeah. Now that we made that effect, I'm just going to make some other adjustments on the liquid and that some other layers, So see in the next video. 4. Text Following the Path: Okay, so, first of all, I need to make it flat, so I'll just go to the light on and decrease the light intensity. So it is now a flat color. Seem to change the talk to fool. So, yeah, the next thing that I need to do first have started from started and see how it looks. As you can see, there is this kind of liquid effect that maybe doesn't look good. So to fix that, I just need to change the birth rate right here. So if I increase it, it completes the text going to undo it for now. And I will go to the start, set a key frame and maybe make it like three. Like, Okay. And let's go. This position right here, maybe and make it again. Wow. Yeah, Let's see how it looks. Yeah, I think it looks nice. So the next thing that I can do is just make a copy of this liquid control C Control V. And, uh, I could make some some adjustments on these on this settings of the mercury effect, so it doesn't look the same. And first I'm going to change the colors. I'll go to effects and presets sense. Just search for field and I'm going to apply it on the second liquid. And that's just speak another color. Yeah, I'll click OK on, Gueye just need to make some adjustments here. So first I can start with a bird birth rate three. And let's go right here, and I'm going to change it to something like syrup on seven. So it's different from the previous one. Also, I'm going to decrease this other option if you make 1.8. Let's change the birth, size and the death sides, too, going to decrease this one on increase this 2nd 1 there that the size se I'm just trying to make some adjustments so it doesn't look the same. And if we click play, we can see that they're different from each other. Onda. I'm going to make another one, so I'm going to click on the layer control C Control V, or you can just click control de to duplicate it. Andi again the same thing. I'm going to make some adjustments, going to move some key frames, and first I just need to change the caller. So we're going to see the changes that we make. So let make it le. Let's make it in light pink way. We can get some speed on this one. Let's increase the other option. And I think I'm going to make the birth size and the death sides with a small. So I just clicked on them. Yes, I was just says details. So if I click plate, you can see that it does that kind of floating effect. So, yeah, I think it looks really good. The only thing that we can fixes the hand that Yeah, it tends with this kind of circle on this floating things. So to change that, maybe we can just change the the scale. That's an easy way to fix it. So I'll just go to the transform, go to scale. So I'm going toe set a key frame at this. This part, what is about to end, go to scale on going to move a few key frames hadn't make it zero. Yeah, on. I'm going to do the same thing for these. No other liquids. Okay, so now that I fix it, let's click plate. Yeah, I think it maybe we can make it and faster But yeah, this is the basic idea of how it works. You can play around with the colors and with the settings from the Mercury effect. So, yeah, now let's move on to the other effects they'll see in the next video. 5. Kinetic Typography: gay guys. Oh, now I'm going to show you another way how to use that mercury effects. So I'm just like to play this video that I've created. So, on this part, I'll show you out grade this kind off effect. We will start with the typography on the background, then the then create the mercury liquid effect. So let's go in after effect and I'm going to create a new composition. Ondas always amusing the HD resolution duration. Maybe that's just make camp on. I'm going to click OK on. And now I'm going to create a new composition. So I need to go to composition new composition and I'm going to make the width 600 the height 100. I'll click OK and going to zoom in on Duh. I'm just going to type something here. So again, let's go to the type to let 12 in the tool. So, yeah, I'm just going to type something like typography first, uh, I'll select this the found so that's used to refound also decreased size of it. Also, make sure your field the whole space so I'll just try to put it in the center. Now we'll go to line and you just put it in the to align horizontally. Okay, so now come back to the main composition on. I'll go to Project. And now we have the second composition that we created, and I'm just going to apply in the centre on. I'm going to hold shift a Seiken, drag it and put it somewhere somewhere on the left side. I'm going to the composition to scale it, so I'll go to transform and just scale it down a little bit. I'll just put it on the side. Now I want to repeat this tax drink the whole time and at some animation to it. So I'll goto effects presets and type for this CC reptile on Applied on the composition on dime going to expand it right? So I'm just going toe. Let's make it like 10 thousands. So it goes on on the right side. Now I'm going to make some copies of it, so I'll click on the composition and just quick controlled deep. Yeah, Now I have four copies and I'm going toe unchecked. Two of them. I'll just click on the 1st 1 hold shift and I'm going to for it. below, and I'm going to do the same thing for the other ones. I'm going to select the mall and go to the line to lend. Uh, I'm going to click on this. Distribute vertically. Yeah. Now I just need to ah, find a way, toe any made them. So one roll moves on the left side and one on the right side and then just feel the whole space, so I'll see in the next video. 6. Fill the Background: Okay, So not toe any made these text URLs. I'm just going toe right. Click and create a new annul object and going to right click again. Create another object on. And now I'm going toe select some of the text rules and connect them to the now object. So I'm going to click both of these and yeah, connect them to the first Noel object on. I'm going to select the other ones on DA used this heiken right here to connect them to the second non object. So now whatever animation I do on the null object, it will, uh, apply whatever it is connected to it. So going to go on the transform on, go to the position, and now you can see that if I change the position, it changed the position for both off the off the elements. I'm going toe undo for now on. I'm going to set a key frame on the position. I will go to the end frame on. I'm just going toe change the position now. Okay, so now I just need to adjust it so it looks the same as the previous one. Okay, so now let's Ah, click play and see if it is so continues. So the end should be the same with start point. Yeah, I think it goes infinitely. So yeah. Now I'm just going to do the same thing for the other metal object. But I'll do the opposite because I want the tax to move on the other direction. So I'll go to the end Frayn frame and just copy the axe. So quick, control seat and Ah, yeah, let's go to the second now object. Go to transform and ah, go to the start frame. Remember, the first frame that is 960. So I'll click on the position and I'm going toe paste What I copied from the first now object, Onda uh, I will go to the end frame and just put 960 Now let's click plate Onda Uh, I think it should be a loop, so let's see how it looks like. So, yeah, I think it is. OK, Onda, uh, now I just need to pre compose this, so I'm going to recompose Think OK, on Duh. I'm going toe put it below by holding shift on. I'm just going to make some copies of it by by clicking controlled deep on going to change the position of them tool to feel the whole space can. I'm going to select the mall on, Go to the align and just drilled vertically. Andi, Maybe I can select the Mulligan. Right? Click and pre composed Click OK, and let's click Play again. Yes, I think it is working, so yeah, now we just need to apply the mercury effect, so see in the next video. 7. Liquid Kinetic Typography: Okay, so now we just need to make the animation. So I'm going to the pre composed ready than I'm going to click control, Detour, duplicative on the I'll just go to the facts and presets on Search for Mercury Effect on. I'm just going toe dragged under upon the layer and let's click plate. You're gonna see it that it doesn't look really good, So to fix it first, we're going to create the darker background. So let's go to new ah, solid on Let's speak a black collar click. OK, on Duh. I'm just going to drag it and put it below the mercury effect, and I'm just going to decrease the opacity a little bit so we can also see the typography. So let's make it 82. Okay, so now if we click play, we can see that it looks much better. But off course, we need to make some other adjustments to make it look good. So I'll just put it here and go to the pre composed toe. The effects and the first thing that we need to do is change the radius accent. Why, yes, so it fits the it feels the whole area. So let's see how it looks. Now we can see that it goes down and I wanted to float, so I'll just decrease the gravity also. But the last few meeting the speed and yeah, I think it looks OK, So that's click plate going to change. The quality is so it loads faster, and yet it looks good to me. You can also play around with the other setting. So something else that I need but I want to do is just create an adjustment layer so good, right click new adjustment layer. And I'm going to apply the glow effect. So on the effects and presets just search for globe and it should be under this tile eyes. So I'm going to apply the glow to the adjustment layer and ah, how I need to play around with the settings. So I'm just going toe increase the glow radius. Let's make it 95. So it looks up better on the glow intensity going to make it 2.5. Yeah, let's from going to change the quality to fool so we can see better how it looks. Yeah, I think it looks OK, so I think That's it for this effect. Now we need to move on to the other effects. So see you in the next video. 8. Grid Background: Okay, guys. So now I'm going to show you another cool animation that you can create with these. Ah, with this mercury effect on, it is going to be this one. So first of all, we're going to start with a background. So I'll show you how to create this kind of great background. Then then, uh, from there, do this colorful mercury effect. So let's go in after effects and, as always, will create a new composition. Let's go with HD resolution. First of all, I'm just going to create a new solid black collar as a background onda. Now we need to create a great So to do that, we're going to need we need to create a new solid. But this time it will be white because the great will be what? So on this wet background, we need to apply an effect than it is called great. So let's go under the generate and applied the great effect. Now, as you can see, it creates three grid, but we need to make some adjustments here on the effects controls. First, I'm going to change the size forms toe with the slider. I'm going to change the width of 50 and those are going to change Change the border to one . So, yeah, I'm going to make another copy of this white solid going to rename this. So let's call this great one. I'm going to duplicate it by clicking control deep and this is the second grade. So now we need to make some adjustments here. I'm just going to make the width ah, 100 on the border to so yeah, Now we can see that way we have this kind of great. But as we saw from the video, there are also these dots. So we're going to do that. We're going to need to create a new composition and you'll be just us mall size like 50 with 50 just a square composition. I'll click. OK, going to zoom in and let's start. Let's open the tools. I'm going to use the Ellipse tool. So I'm going toe called bulky and shift and control or commanding a Mac. And, uh, yeah, just ah, just small circle. Going to change the field color to white on the other. Stroke is to non, so it should be this saw red line in the middle, so click OK on now let's go to the main composition. Let's go to the project and we need to apply this second composition that we created in the center. So now you can see that we have just one dot in the center and we need to animated toe feel the whole space with these dots. And to do that, we need to use again this CC reptile Onda applied on the composition off of the circle on. Do we need to animate these old deception? This is expand the options, So going to click on all of them. Onda, Let's move to that. Yeah, the first of second. Then let's just animate the expand right and also expand left. And from here we can also animate these other ones. I'm just going to add just a little bit to expand on the down and up option. Just toe set a key frame and I'm going to move to the 3rd 2nd We can see the seconds here. Yeah, let's just feel the whole background sign. Thank you. You just feel the whole background. Let's click plate. Yeah. Now we can see that we created the any median background. So the next step would be to do the mercury colorful effects. So see, on the next video 9. Colorful Liquid: Okay, so now we just need to create this colorful animation. Eso It is just, ah, kind off liquid animation and it is applied the mercury effect on it. So let's go to the so after effects and I'll create a new solid. That's just make it black like Okay, on the the first effect that we need to applies the fractal noise and I'll just drag it. Onda Uh, yeah, on the fractal type. Let's make it dynamic on the noise type. I'm going to make its blind. I'm going to increase the contrast. Something like 400 onda decrease the complexity to three. Now, if I ah, click play, we can see that nothing happens. So to add some animation to it, I need to change the evolution so I'll just click on it. Go to the end frame on Let's make it like 10 sell click plate and, uh, going to degrees of colleges. Sites place faster, and as you can see, we created some animation. But now it is just black and white, so the next step would be to at some colors to it. So how we can do that just broke. Two effects and search for colora, MMA and, uh, just apply. Now, I've made another tutorial. Where? Explain more about the fractal noise Kalorama stuff like that. So I'm not going to deeper on this this time, so I'm just going to the output outputs cycle. Onda, uh, I need to change the colors. I don't want to use the default one, so yeah, I'll just click double click on that, triangles off the colors and change them one by one. Okay, now that I change the colors, you can click play, and you can see that the animation is colorful now, but we can still add some more animation to it. So I'm just going to change this cycle repetition. So said a key frame food on the start on the first frame, Go to the final frame and let's just change it from one to maybe eight. Yeah. So you can see now that the colors change constantly. Yeah, I think it's it's good. Maybe Yeah, maybe I can make the psycho six. Yeah, I think it looks OK. So let's move to the next step. As you can see, I'm applying them all on the black solvent. Uh, layer the next thing that I cannot change the colors more is use this color balance effect and just drag it about the fractal noise and the colora MMA on. I'm just going to change the Hughes. I'll click on it on the first frame, go to the end frame and let's make a full of cycle off colors. If we click play, you can see that it has more variations of color snow. So, yeah, now that I applied the color balance, the final effect is the mercury effect. So I just need to apply. Tend. If I click play, you can see that it happens the same thing as it always does. So we need to make some adjustments here. First, I'm going to change the radius, change the gravity zero as always, and the not going to show you some other effects that you can apply on it are actually some some changes that you can make. So on these animation, we have always used the explosive one. You can see that there are a lot off options that you can try. For example, the fractal explosive they have, ah, different ways off looking even see that there is also the fire one. This is the one that I showed you on the example on. Duh. The vortex that goes up so you can just see them all and see what you like. Maybe you can try something different than me prepared to me. So I'm just going toe. He was the fire one. And I'm not going to apply the a glow affected. So I think that's good. Yeah, it seems the full. So I can see the quality of it. Yeah, I think it looks pretty good. Soul. Now let's move on to the final effect. 10. Apply Texture to Text: Okay, guys. So the next final effect that I'm going to show you how to great this this one. So it's just a tags that feels like it is floating. So, like a liquid taxed. So let's go to after effects on the first thing that we need to do is create tax. So I will need this This effect actually, the Mercury one, but without the mercury Ah, effect. I just need the the animation, the colorful animation. So I'm going to delete the these other ones for now. Onda Uh, yeah, I'm going to use the type tool and I'm going to type something, so just liquefy like a like the one Like the example that I showed you. So that's Ah, creases size. I'm going to use a bolt taxed. So let's go to the align. I'm going to put it in the center. Onda Uh, yeah. Now I need to apply that colorful background to the tax, so make sure you have the background below the text and, uh, just go to this Alfa mate liquefy, which is basically the text above. So, as you can see, it is applied on the text now, And if I click play. You can see that it plays within the the text. So, you know, I'm going to create a new composition. Sorry. Composition your composition. Andi, change the size. Yeah, Let's start with you. Solid. Ah, like okay. And ah, Now I need to create a backgrounds like this one that you can see on the video and then at the text. And also apply some other mercury effect on top of it. So see on the next video. 11. Liquid Text: Okay, so let's start by animating the background and we will use some similar effects. Like like we used the on the previews animation. So let's start with fractal noise and I'm just going to drag and drop it on the black solid again. Let's make this dynamic sorry, dynamic, linear. And now we need to make some other adjustments, like increasing the contrast. Sorry, going to decrease the brightness Going to change the complexity to three on. Duh. Yeah, again, we need to animate this. So we're going to do the same thing as we did before. By changing the evolution south, click on the key frame and, uh, go to the end. Let's make this eight. Yeah. Now we have an animation. The next thing that we need to do is at some color suit. But this time I'm not going to use that Kalorama, because I just want to change the white color so I'll use this tent. So is this dragon dropped on a Z can see map map black to means that we can change the black color map. White two means that we can change. The white color is what we want to do so going to pick a pink color. And yes, you're going to see Now we have the the animation with a pink color. Okay, Now I'm going to add the color balance effect toe change the huge Do any made you on the alcoholic on the first frame by clicking on the few and go to the end frame. Just make this one to make a full rotation off color. Yeah. Okay. And now the effect that we have been using all the time, the mercury effect. So type search for mercury, and I'm going to apply. I'm going to speed this up because you have already seen how it works. Okay, so now that we animated the background, I'm going toe, go to the projects, and I need to drag this liquefy tax to the main composition. So its composition one, it's going to be tracked here on Duh. Yeah, if we click plate, we can see that the liquefy effect stands still. But we need to change that, so it looks more like it is on a liquid element. So, of course, the changes that were going to use the mercury effect I'm just going to drag, apply We need to make some adjustments that it looks good. I'm going toe increase the Radius X and the effect that is going to make the text appear more is the birth rates. I'm going to increase it to something like 10. As you can see, the Texas starting to show I'm going toe make the gravity zero. So it just floats. Yeah, maybe I can just increase a little bit, uh, blow up the death size on Let's click late, see how it looks. So, yeah, I think it looks pretty good. So now I just need to make some final adjustments by adding some globe. So all right, click you adjustment layer on. Let's search for Glow. That's a blight on the adjustment layer. And I'm just going to change these three options. So let's goes on right where we can see more. Going to increase Go threshold. Also radius Andi. That's slow. Let's think he's a little bit glow intensity. So yeah, I think it looks pretty good. Yes, you. In the next video 12. Explore More: Okay, So before I show you some other examples off what you can do that I just wanted to say that if you have enjoyed this class until now, I would appreciate a good review on also, I would love to see your projects. And you can also put your instagram name on the description so I can re share them and tag you. So here I've opened some some postures that I've created using the mercury effect. So for example, this one, it's ah, basically just I've created an animation and I've applied the mercury effect on it. Andi, Also, there is this tax animation on some great under on the background on the also it is this one with the with the tax terrain. It is similar to the last effect that I showed you. Onda uh, try another one. Let's see another one on Yeah, this one is ah, with a typography animation. But I've also added some other elements to it to make it more more fun on the out suggested to see other ways off how you can use that effect. Maybe you can do combinations combination off the typography in effect and, uh, colorful effect, like on this one. Or maybe you come up with another way off how to use it. This is just an exploration off this effect than showing you ways off how to do it, how to use it and how to come up with are some cool results. So, yeah, thank you very much for watching. And I hope you have enjoyed it that learn something new. So yes, he on the next class. Bye.