Introduction

Flourish animations are elegant decorative reveals often used in logos, intros, and design transitions. With Auto-Trace and mask animation, you can easily bring a flourish graphic to life.

Step 1: Import Your Flourish Image

Go to File > Import > File and import your flourish graphic into the Project panel.Step 2: Create a New Composition

Create a New Composition, then drag your flourish image onto the timeline. Step 3: Auto-Trace the Flourish

Select your flourish layer and go to:

Layer > Auto-Trace

In the Auto-Trace window, set:

Tolerance: 1 px
Threshold: 50%
Minimum Area: 10 px
Corner Roundness: 50%

Click OK to generate multiple masks outlining the flourish.

Step 4: Create a Solid Layer

Go to Layer > New > Solid and choose Black (or any color you prefer).

Step 5: Move Masks to the Solid Layer

Expand the flourish layer to reveal all the masks.

Select all masks and change Mask Mode to Add.
Copy all masks (Ctrl/Cmd + C).
Paste them onto your new Solid layer (Ctrl/Cmd + V).

You can now delete the original flourish image layer — all animation will be done on the Solid.

Step 6: Animate the Masks One by One

Now animate each mask’s reveal individually:
Start with Mask 1.
Move the CTI to the start of the comp.
For Mask Expansion, click the stopwatch and set a negative value (e.g., –40 to –80) so the mask is not visible.
Move the CTI 10 frames forward and set Mask Expansion = 0.
Keeping the CTI at this frame, open Mask 2, click the Mask Expansion stopwatch, set –40 to –80 again.
Move the CTI 10 frames forward and change to 0.
Repeat this process for all masks. This creates a smooth, sequential flourish reveal.

Step 7: Apply Easy Ease

Select all keyframes and press F9 to apply Easy Ease for smoother animation.

Step 8: Add Color With 4-Color Gradient (Optional)

Drag 4-Color Gradient from the Effects & Presets panel onto your Solid layer to add colorful styling to your flourish. Customize the four gradient points to achieve your desired look.Step 9: Add a Shadow (Optional)

To create a realistic shadow:

Duplicate your flourish layer.
On the bottom layer, delete all applied effects.
Offset its Position slightly so it appears as a shadow.
Apply Gaussian Blur and adjust the blur amount.
Reduce Opacity for a softer look.

Step 10: Preview and Refine

Press Spacebar to preview your animation. Adjust timing, mask expansion values, colors, and the shadow until the flourish looks stylized and smooth.

Conclusion

By using Auto-Trace, mask expansion animation, and optional color and shadow effects, you can create beautiful flourish animations in After Effects. This method works perfectly for logo reveals, decorative transitions, and elegant motion graphics.