how to make illustrated GIF stickers with procreate!

hiii guys!
here’s how I make my illustrated GIFs with Procreate for Instagram stories - I filmed this before I applied to Giphy, so this video focuses on how to make and share your own GIFs for personal use, rather than publicly through Giphy.
If you’d like to learn how I applied to Giphy (and how one of my GIFs randomly went viral???), I made a separate video about my experience & answering questions about that, which you can find here: • GIPHY ✴ how to apply ...
timestamps:
0:29 sketching out ideas
2:35 sparkle/flashing effect
7:43 line drawing effect
8:49 marquis/flashing effect
9:31 rocking motion
10:15 copying & adding GIFs as IG story stickers
tools & materials:
- procreate app
- iPad
- apple pencil
- texture-y brush set that I love! the vine charcoal sketch brush is my all-time fav - gumroad.com/dizzytara#cYZZT
quick disclaimer: this video doesn’t cover the basics of Procreate, so if you’re a beginner to the app, I would recommend watching this tutorial first! ( • Intro to Procreate :: ... ) learning the shortcuts and abilities of the app will you help you a ton when following this video!
if you’re stuck on technique or just how GIFs work in procreate, Lisa Bardot also made a great technical video on how to create GIFs! hopefully that will help fill in anything I skipped. :) • 5 Ways to Make an Anim...
if you have any questions, please feel free to comment below and I’ll do my best to help. can’t wait to see your cute gifs!
♥ mac
p.s. sorry if the “jiff” pronunciation drives you crazy, lol - but I looked it up and the ~creator of the GIF~ said that’s how you pronounce it!! so I’m sticking with it ;)
p.p.s. also! one thing I learned is that if you’re exporting a gif for your insta stories, you’ll want the Animated GIF file format. if you want to post the gif on your instagram FEED, you’ll need to export it as an Animated MP4. hopefully that saves you some time!!
- - -
music is from EpidemicSound:
my oh my - frook
old photos - cospe
tomboy t-shirts - peachy pavement
perfect storm - the eastern plain
about me:
I'm an illustrator from Vancouver, WA! I make & sell art on my Etsy shop, The Gladdest Thing. I also make commissioned work - you can find all info on pricing and projects on my website! I love dogs, unfancy coffee, 80s nostalgia, and anything with stripes. I'm glad you're here. ♥
come say hi!
etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/TheGladdest...
insta: / thegladdestthingshop
website: www.thegladdestthingshop.com
commissions: www.thegladdestthingshop.com/...

[@TeddyD4]

Hello everyone!!! If instagram is distorting the GIF, set your canvas to 1080x1920! You can also use the Web Ready tab when you click Share->Animated GIF-> and then switch from max resolution to web ready :) this worked for me at least, worth giving it a try! :D thanks for the video, it was INCREDIBLY helpful and I’m obsessed with making GIF’s now!

[@nursakirah4441]

The canvas didn’t work for me but save it to web ready worked!! Thank you so much

[@martinavazquez7998]

Uhhh thanksss that was the problem I had

[@dkiss726]

wow thank you for sharing!!!

[@neeniesims9980]

Thank you!!

[@followyourhar]

Hmm but the gif doesn’t look as nice with web ready :(

[@erin9868]

Just when I'd come to terms with your pronunciation of "gif", you got to "opacity". Just teasing :) this is a really helpful tutorial and is well made. Thanks for taking the time to share! Much appreciated.

[@lightpastels]

lolll

[@jdcv17]

Yeah, I noticed that too. Haha.

[@Charlotte-uf2ti]

you can also set the base design as "background" in animation assist so that way you don't have to copy/paste it for each frame!

[@doaalsaadi]

this is the best thing i watched in my whole life

[@MichelleMorera]

Omg this is easily my new favorite channel! So straight forward & I love your aesthetic!

[@MacFord]

thank you so much! 💛💛

[@Sasumiwo]

This is SO unbelievably helpful, thank you so much!!!

[@sheilayangyang9318]

Woah, this is so fun! Thank you so much Mac for the super helpful tutorial!

[@raimarameez]

please post more im absolutely loving this!

[@red_bun]

I was wondering how I could make my own gifs for ig stories! Thank you so much for making this tutorial!!

[@jamieheim5234]

you're an angel!! you are the kind of person others are sooo grateful for. I love using giphys and am always happy to see cute designs like yours. also the tip with copy instead of uploading to giphy omg!!! thanks

[@MacFord]

🥺💛 thank you so much!

[@MacFord]

Hi guys, thank you so much for watching this tutorial! Just wanted to let you know that I also offer custom illustrated GIFs for brands & businesses - here’s more info on my website if you’d like to commission a collection! 💛 www.thegladdestthingshop.com/custom-gifs

[@annast4596]

Girl I am in love with your channel!!!🙈🙈🙈

[@namechange149]

this is all so pretty oh my god

[@MacFord]

Error_404 thank you! 💛💛

[@paolafigueroa1179]

This video is so amazing! I had no idea I could do this ! Thank Youuu

[@madisonlytle1258]

Love this! Can't wait to try it out sometime! -Merrylittle Studio

[@lioradawn]

Thank you for this tutorial! It was super fun to make my own gif~

[@nukinana]

Thanks for sharing this, is quite useful. I will try it right now ❤️❤️

[@louisaclinkenbeard2123]

i love your videos! i’m majoring in marketing and today i finally bought a ipad pro and i am sooo excited! can’t wait to follow your videos for tips and tricks on how to get started. I would love to see a beginners video to procreate, or a video on your most used apps! 🤍

[@MacFord]

Louisa Clinkenbeard yay, that’s so exciting! thank you so much 💛 love those ideas!

[@tarynngarrett4980]

this was awesome, very informative!!

[@Rebekahandes]

So helpful!! Thanks for sharing your insight👌🏻

[@itsdaksha]

You deserve bigger audience! Thanks for this video 💗

[@MacFord]

Daksha Giri thank you so much! 💛💛

[@anellejournal]

thanks for sharing!!! i loved your creativity! 😍

[@MacFord]

Anell Encarnacion thank you so much! 💛💛

[@danao1930]

i need to make my own!! thanks for the tutorial😊

[@MacFord]

Art with Dana yaaay! so glad you liked it 💛 have fun gif-making!! ☺️

[@TonjeMarieLiczm]

To be fair, you don't have to have taken the instagram story already, and you can add it without the "add sticker" button popping up. You just have to tap the story as if you'd like to add text, and then paste it there :)

[@solita.s6896]

Omg. The "add sticker" function has not been working for me lately, but this totally does! Thanks for sharing

[@OrincyWhyteDesigns]

I didnt even know this was a thing.... ill be completely overdoing it now in stories

[@lisaleha]

This was super helpful! I’m going to try and use your JJJIIIFFF tips to use in my videos! Thank you! :)

[@marsyakarim5126]

i think i always use your gif because it looks familiar! appreciate ur art!

[@florfranco6943]

me too! they are called gladdest

[@ericadisanti2889]

Love this! Do you have any tips on what to set the alpha threshold at when you set the background to transparent? Also, when I add to my story, it stretches out the gif for some reason once it posts. Do you have any idea why that happens? Thanks!!

[@STICKYArt]

Very cool! Great video will def check out more!

[@chumcg]

Want to see more of your brushes, a demo drawing please. Thanks!!!!!

[@kaidowind2370]

This is cool, thanks!!

[@auriy]

This is awesome, Mac! Keep it up!

[@MacFord]

thank you so much, Auri! 💖💖

[@auriy]

Mac Ford of course ☺️♥️

[@jangelsb]

This amazing! Thank you so much

[@vickiisays]

This was helpful and inspiring, thank you!

[@MacFord]

Victoria Chin yay! I’m so glad it was helpful 💛☺️

[@coby913]

This is great, thank you!

[@beninggita2431]

THANK YOU SOO MUCHHH

[@barbiedesoto7054]

Great video! Thank you!

[@Christina_Lane]

Stumbled across your post and was so surprised to see you're from my home town. :) I'm up in Ridgefield now, but always fun finding people in Vancouver USA.

[@MacFord]

Christina Lane aw that’s awesome! thanks for saying hi! 🥰

[@torischerle]

Tip, if you use drawing assit you can see the previous layer at a lower opacity without actually changing the opacity of each layer

[@MacFord]

Tori Scherle yesss animation assist came out in the new update right after I posted this video, lol! totally agree, it makes life so much easier! 🤗

[@axyleo]

Thanks !

[@mel_j_ley5661]

Hey, how do you make stickers that done move, so say I just wanted to make the days of the week but didn’t want any animation to it? Xx

[@beautyh.9898]

Thanks you so much 💕

[@eva8501]

What brush was you using when you wrote thank you in different colours?

[@skayhall]

hi. nice video. when exporting how do you ensure the edges are crisp and not jagged? I'm having an issue with jagged edges for my transparent gifs.

[@kdelmal]

So cool :D

[@aylakhebal3305]

Great video! What kind of Ipad did you use or recommand?

[@jiliia196]

Ur putting a disclaimer on how “gif” is pronounced whether it’s “gif” or “jif” while I’ve been pronouncing it as “G-I-F” my whole life 😂

[@serrankare]

Do you know what makes the sticker stretch out when posted to Instagram? I’m trying to figure out what I’m doing wrong. Thank you

[@malakalami8667]

Hey, Super helpful video!I was wondering, what canvas size should I use?

[@MacFord]

Malak Alami thank you! I use 2048x2048 px :)

[@madiburrola7848]

Thank you!!!

[@Yuimomo]

I like it😍😍😍

[@zozeee1387]

Hi! I just found this video, it’s so helpful! But whenever I export the GIF to my camera roll there’s a black outline? Any way to fix this?

[@MacFord]

zozeee 13 hi! if it’s a black background, make sure that you “transparent background” checked before exporting. if there’s a black outline around the shape, you might be using a brush that creates semi-transparent strokes, which will appear dark when you export. try using a solid brush around the edges, like mono line!

[@zozeee1387]

Mac Ford ahh thanks so much for the help! It worked :)

[@MartianCreations]

I don't mind you saying jif 🤷🏾 do yo thang! Thanks for this video!!!! 🥰

[@kerianneodwyer8800]

Lots of cool tips! I never knew you could paste saved gifs straight into an insta story. Quick question though: have you has a sticker look perfect in preview, but stretch to odd dimensions once posted to your story? I am getting stretch in the gif sticker height...

[@MacFord]

Kerianne O'Dwyer yay, I’m so glad it was helpful! 💛 yes, someone in the comments actually figured out! just change your canvas dimensions to 1080x1920 px ☺️

[@craftdontcare606]

Mac Ford very helpful thx I will try

[@daisygatehouse9663]

Hello!, what size did you set your canvas too, giphy is saying max 720 pixels?

[@yangjjonger8319]

thank you for this tutorial, I try to make one on my procreate, but there is no animated gif option😭

[@evaprajnagupita2478]

Thank you

[@marissaallegra4695]

Hi! I designed some gifs but can't figure out how to upload them to Instagram for others to use. Can you assist?

[@whoman03]

Question: am i able to add personal gif like how you did using an Android tablet?

[@MacFord]

Deven Baker I’m not 100% sure, but don’t think the android version supports copying and pasting GIFs! I tried this with a client and she ended up needing to apply for a business account to access the GIFs.

[@damlaturanli343]

That was so helpful, thank you. I have a problem though, when I copy and paste it on an Instagram story the sticker changes dimensions. Somehow changes the height (not on sides). I don’t know how to fix it. Do you have any idea?

[@MacFord]

Damla Turanli yes! it started happening shortly after I posted this video and I couldn’t figure it out either! but someone in the comments found an easy fix - just change your canvas dimensions to 1080x1920 px 😊

[@damlaturanli343]

@@MacFord do you also have recommended DPI?

[@damlaturanli343]

Mac Ford thank you so much ☺️

[@damlaturanli343]

Well, it did not worked for me. Additionally, I tried screen size but no luck :(

[@gbdsn]

@@MacFord thank you!!! :)

[@chlosmith8152]

I really enjoy your art style especially the subject matter. The expressiveness and colors do really speak to me.♡˖꒰ᵕ༚ᵕ⑅꒱

[@hiichewww]

why when i add it on instagram where is a black outline of my drawings?

[@janettwy7149]

push the alpha threshold to around 80% when you export the gif

[@sumask7243]

Hello! Thank you for the video, it is very helpful, can we add Gifs from photos to Snapchat? I am trying to figure if it’s possible, thank you

[@cristinagomez1138]

Wheres your ipad case from?!

[@janetchan0421]

Seldom comment on KZbin . But this is super helpful ;) thanks a lot

[@karlipro5692]

what iPad you used :) ? adorable gifs :)

[@kit_kata]

These look adorable! Love them! I don't actually own an iPad so I can't really apply this directly into procreate but I did learn with the tutorial and I'm wondering if it's also possible to create this sort of content using other softwares. I'll definitely look it up! Thanks for inspiring us! :D

[@lauraserna4100]

I think you can do them with photoshop if you have it!!

[@kit_kata]

@@lauraserna4100 thank you for taking your time to reply to me! I don't but I do have medibang paint pro which is also a software used for drawing so it might work!

[@lauraserna4100]

@@kit_kata oh! I hope it does!! :)

[@samuelasanderinos1521]

Online, PicMonkey or canva would work

[@kit_kata]

@@samuelasanderinos1521 cool! Thank you ^^

[@vini1395]

My created gifs on Instagram gif section appear too small. Can you please help me with the canvas size & what else is to be kept in mind before uploading a gif?

[@sandihester]

really great video! subscribed - looking forward to watching more of your videos! -fellow artist and KZbinr

[@yttan8425]

Could it be used on ipad mini 5gen?

[@leviandvictoria]

WOW GIRL THANK YOU!!!!!

[@kravingwellness]

Hi everyone, I have a question. So I’ve been creating gifs on procreate and when I copy and paste them onto my Instagram story, the gif gets distorted. Does anyone know how I can fix this ? 😫 this just started happening recently

[@bennnyle]

Same here! It stretches mine out weird. Been looking for a solution

[@kravingwellness]

Benny Le yes ! I’ve never had this issue until recently. I’m thinking it’s an issue within the Instagram itself. But it’s so frustrating

[@bennnyle]

Karen Fuentes yeah I just made my first gif today but was really disappointed to not see it turn out right when I posted. Would like to find out the reason

[@ianasibrina]

My gifs also was flattened 😅 Changing the shapes of the canvas helped me. It is necessary to use not a square, but a vertical rectangle in the shape of the screen.

[@bennnyle]

@@ianasibrina Thank you!!! This helped so much!!

[@StephTarno]

How do you make a gif with animated text? For example "New Post" would start with the flag and then you would see you writing "New Post" almost like a timelapse of the work but as a gif/png?

[@MacFord]

Steph Tarno ooh good question! I’m making an updated gif video this week and I’ll add one like that to show the process! 😊

[@2lorec]

When I paste them into Instagram stories a share it, the sticker will change the shape and deform. Could you please help me understand why this happens?

[@ironiceilidh]

okay i did this and it exported to my files just as i wanted it to be... but when i put the sticker on an ig story the frame rate was all messed up and it looked confused and broken. the timing between frames became inconsistent and choppy. anyone know what happened between the photos app and the story that could have caused the weird delayed animation?

[@bhsusaj]

Ceilidh Faragher I had the same problem😭😭

[@throwsomeDEESx3]

What dpi do you set up the canvas with? Does your gifs come out blurry at times? 🤔

[@MacFord]

D S I think mine is set to 300 dpi! and yes, definitely - it’ll always be a little more pixelated than it appears in procreate, and uploading to giphy will take down the quality too. totally normal! the best to keep it clear is to get as close to the borders of the canvas as you can. 😊

[@rosepeach8133]

I am here for the canvas size, still don’t know what’s the size to use.

[@yesul9716]

i dont have procreate but can someone tell me if we export the gif at a high resolution like 2400px then upload it to giphy will it downgrade it? cs i upload my gif at 1080px to giphy but when i used it on Instagram it’s kinda pixelated and look unclear

[@Sofiartdraw]

HELP ME!! I have been trying for months to get giphy to approve me as an artist account, I created an instagram with the same user as in giphy and a web page, it has been 4 times that I deleted the giphy account and re-created it, in my instagram and web I uploaded the same content of gifs. what am I doing wrong? I need help and know what to do!

[@MacFord]

Sofia Vera feel free to message me on Instagram! make sure that you’re applying with a website-branded email as well - they added that requirement after I made this video!

[@artistevivien]

Does anyone know if this works for making stickers for sale in the App Store / for iMessage? Since it’s exported as a gif, it does right?

[@dawnrodriguez5099]

What size is your canvas? And is it at 300dpi?

[@chiarashine9117]

Do you know why my gif comes out vertically stretched when I paste it into IG Stories? lol

[@13moni13]

where is your ipad case from? and the pencil "case" too? TIA

[@MacFord]

Monica Marquez amazon! they’re linked under “amazon lists” on the free resources page on my website 😊

[@potterra9349]

Actually you are correct saying gif like that…. i saw a video that said that the creator of them call the exactly like that 😊

[@chase-ee4il]

hi! what canvas size & settings do you use??

[@MacFord]

Nikki Angela Pascua 2048x2048 px :)

[@laurenprebble6437]

Hi what program are you using to design your giffy? I’m using the apple sketch program then uploading images to GIPHY but they always turn out fuzzy.

[@MacFord]

I use procreate!

[@ashleynicole3352]

If I like a giphy on Instagram can I save them ? Is that sometimes I try to found the ones I like to use but when I search it, I don’t found it. . .

[@MacFord]

Ashley Nicole that always happens to me too! if you download the Giphy app, you can browse and save your favorite gifs 😊 then just copy and paste them from there into your stories!

[@justjan7332]

Does anyone know if I can share my gifs with other people who don't use an IPad?

[@vamoya55]

Hi! So I tried doing this on my story and when it posted, the gif got warped and looked nothing like how it saved onto my photo library :( do you have any idea why that’s happening? This video was so helpful otherwise thank you!!

[@adrianaseptialy545]

Change the canvas size just as same as the instagram story size

[@Esron-Eknathwise]

Can we put the stiker on video? Can i make it on android?

[@toriasharrow9719]

When I copy my stickers in they post looking stretched, any advice on this anyone?

[@adrianaseptialy545]

Change your canvas to the same size as instagram story size. This will help

[@clauacostaoficial]

My “new post” won’t stay like yours. It moves like the stars. Can you explain again how I can do it? Please! Thanks!

[@MacFord]

Clau acosta for elements that you want to stay still, just duplicate the layer. then you can add other moving elements around them! 😊

[@clauacostaoficial]

Mac Ford Thank you!

[@soeyunwe]

Hello, I made a gif and tried to add it from my camera roll (without getting the GIFY) account, but the GIF image warped/distorted when it’s posted. I am not sure why it always does that, any idea? Thank you!

[@verenaklampferer5235]

i have the same problem - obviously you have to change the canvas size to the size for IG stories. I really don't know why... but there are also a few comments above from people who had the same problem...

[@MacFord]

Soe Yu Nwe yup, just change your canvas size to match your phone screen! I think this is due to a glitch in an instagram update - but that should fix the stretching! 😊

[@mahmoudalkhaled1786]

I upload in 1080 times 1920 and max resolution to gify but it ends up looking so pixelated on instagram😢 any advice?? Please help!

[@Advtiime]

anyone knows what which ipad model this is? :)

[@kenniluvesyou]

Can you show how to make stickers using your procreate art? I like if i wanted to sell them on my website? I can seem to figure out how to export it easily that way. Please help! 💛

[@MacFord]

Kennedi Pennel totally! I’m working on an updated video that shows you how to use animation assist or a different app for the animation - super easy and quick 😊 and to export them for a website, just save them as an “animated gif”!

[@emmat4510]

Sorry if you have already said this in the video I got distracted but what Is the canvas dimensions?

[@serrankare]

can you tell me where you purchased your pen cover?

[@MacFord]

serrankare amazon! it’s the uppercase nimblegrip 😊

[@trinylm]

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I can’t paste it on my Ig story :(

[@charismanda]

Hello. I want to ask, why did my stickers stretch when I uploaded them via iPad. How to restore? 😞

[@charismanda]

I tried uploading a sticker to ig stories. but the result is my sticker is stretching (change the size)

[@MacFord]

@@charismanda I've never run into that problem so I'm not sure! I would say first, double check that it's exporting as an animated GIF, and then if you're uploading to Giphy, try using a computer. if you're copying and pasting it as a sticker straight into Instagram, maybe try using your phone instead!

[@zhiyuenkhosummer4274]

@@MacFord Hi I tried all methods but my stickers still stretched, can you share with us your canvas information?

[@MacFord]

Zhi Yuen Kho Summer sure! I just use the default square canvas, which I believe is 2048x2048 px

[@charismanda]

@@zhiyuenkhosummer4274 I have found the solution. create the gif on the same canvas size as instagram stories. not square. that fix it for me :))

[@audreyhewitt5345]

I can get it to share to instagram as a sticker with a transparent background. But I can’t share it to GIPHY with A transparent background! Help?!?

[@MacFord]

Hi it’s Audrey make sure you’re using a computer or iPad to upload to giphy! I know other people have run into problems when they use their phones 😊 hope that helps!

[@audreyhewitt5345]

@Mac Ford that worked! Thanks 😊