How to Create Dynamic Eye Animations in After Effects

Introduction – Animating Eyes in After Effects: A Comprehensive Guide

Adding life and emotion to your characters or motion graphics can be a game-changer. Animating eyes in After Effects is a key skill that can make your creations more engaging and expressive. The eyes are like windows to the soul, conveying emotions and intentions. In this article, I’ll walk you through the process of animating eyes using keyframes and expressions.

Step 1: Creating a New Composition and Adjusting Parameters
Start by creating a new composition and adjusting its settings to fit your project needs.

Step 2: Creating the Background Layer
Create a new solid layer named “Background” using Layer > New > Solid. Choose a color for the background.

Step 3: Activating Proportional Grid
Below the composition panel, click on the Proportional Grid button to activate it for precise alignment.

Step 4: Creating the White Eye Shape
Generate a new shape layer named “White Eye” using Layer > New > Shape Layer. Use the Pen Tool (G) to draw a white diamond shape, then switch to the Convert Vertex Tool to round its edges, resembling an eye shape.

Step 5: Adding the Eye Pupil
Select the Ellipse Tool (Q) and create a black-colored pupil. Name the layer “Eye Pupil.”

Step 6: Applying Set Matte Effect
Go to the Effects & Presets panel and double-click on the Set Matte effect. Configure the “Take Matte from Layer” property by selecting the layer named Eye White.

Step 7: Duplicating Eye Elements
Duplicate both the “Eye White” and “Eye Pupil” layers. Position the duplicated eye elements symmetrically. Adjust the Set Matte effect for the duplicated eye pupil layer.

Step 8: Organizing the Project
Rename layers appropriately, distinguishing between right and left eye elements.
Step 9: Setting Up Pupil Control

Create a new Null object through Layer > New > Null Object. Rename it “Pupil – Controller” and parent it to the eye pupil layers. Animate the position of the null object to control the pupil movement.
 

Step 10: Animating Pupil Movement
Keyframe the position of the null object to animate the pupil movement smoothly. Use easy ease to refine the animation curve. 

Step 11: Refining Eye Movement
Adjust the path of keyframes for the null object using the Convert Vertex Tool, creating a natural eye movement arc.

Step 12: Setting Up White Eye Control
Create a new null object and name it White – Controller. Make it the parent of the Eye White Right and Eye White Left layers, and also make it a child of the Pupil – Controller layer. Now you have four keyframes for the Position property. Select the second and third keyframes and move the null object slightly to the left. Then select the fourth keyframe and move the null object slightly to the right. This will create natural eye movement. Use the Graph Editor panel to make the eye animation smoother.

Step 13: Animating Eye Blink
Expand the properties of the Eye White Right layer: contents > Shape 1 > path 1 > path, and create a keyframe just below the first keyframe of the White-Controller layer (use the U key to reveal all created keyframes). Move the Current Time Indicator a bit forward, and using the Pen Tool (G), adjust the points to position the eye in a closed state. Automatically, a second keyframe is created after these adjustments. Now, copy the first keyframe you created and paste it after the second one. This will make the eye on your composition automatically open and close. To add realism and smoothness to this movement, use the Easy Ease option.

To have the second eye close as well, select the Eye White Left layer, expand the properties: contents > Shape 1 > path 1 > path, and click on it. Then, through the animation panel, choose “add expression”. For the newly appeared Expression property: path, make it a child of the path property of the Eye White Right layer.

Step 14: Fine-Tuning Blink Animation
Copy and paste keyframes to replicate blinking motions realistically. Adjust the timing between keyframes for natural blinking.

Step 15: Finalizing and Previewing Animation
Turn off the Proportional Grid. Preview the eye animation to ensure realism, using the spacebar or playback preview.

Conclusion
In conclusion, animating eyes in After Effects opens up a world of possibilities for bringing characters and motion graphics to life. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can create realistic eye movements that convey emotions and add depth to your compositions. Whether you’re working on character animations, motion graphics, or visual effects, mastering eye animation techniques will enhance the overall quality of your projects. So, dive in, experiment, and enjoy the process of adding a new level of expression to your After Effects creations.