Make sure the branches start at the stem as accurately as possible. Then click the Create New Layer icon, rename the new layer “Branch 1,” and use the Spiral tool to draw another swirl coming out from the stem, as shown above.Ĭontinue the same steps (new layer, draw new branch swirl, check fill is None) for as many branches you would like to have coming from the main stem. In the Layers panel, double-click Layer 1, rename it “Stem,” and click OK. With the path selected, go to either the Toolbox or Color panel, click the Fill icon then the None icon to remove the default white fill, leaving only the black 1-point stroke (going to View>Show Transparency Grid can help confirm this is done).

With the Direct Selection tool, select the right end point of the Pen tool path and the left end point of the swirl path and go to Object>Path>Join to create a single path. Then switch to the Spiral tool to draw the swirl on the right. Click OK, then using the Pen tool, create the main stem for the left side of your design. Create a new document called “Swirls” at 720×540 pixels, and set the Color Mode to RGB.

Let’s start out in Adobe Illustrator CS3, by far the best tool for creating such design elements-and as you’ll see, hugely important in providing the actual animation paths for us also (yes, you read that right!). But creating and animating such elements is really not as difficult and time-consuming as it would seem, even if the shapes are detailed and intricate. Get Thicc Stroke for Free.ĭownload the new variable stroke plugin for After Effects here.Animated swirls are all the rage in the motion graphics world, and there are some pretty cool things that can be done with them. The Plugin lets you add gradients along a path as well as offering tapered stroke effects to previous versions of Ae, going back to AE CS6 and up. The new additions to Ae are a great start, yet, if you are looking for a bit more features with variable-width strokes in Ae, you can check out Thicc Stroke from Plugin Everything. Thicc Stroke is free, and Lets You Use Gradients. The feature also lets you add a wave to the stroke, making it easy to get a loose and hand-drawn type of feel. Tapered Strokes and More.Īe’s new internal tool for creating variable-width lines sits right where you’d expect it, under the shape layer taper twirl-down. Creative Dojo’s VinhSon Nguyen has a look at the new tapered stroke, how it works, and also shows how you can make a simple animated accent with it. It’s always a bit of a shock to note that After Effects lacks internally some of the essential tools that artists would expect.

It’s been a long time coming, but now you can create tapered strokes natively right in Adobe After Effects.

Creative Dojo shows how to create a simple accent swirl using the new tapered stroke in Ae.

After effects stroke path