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⚡️ Never Stop Upgrading Your Toolkit
Today was a "back to school" kind of day, and honestly, there is no better feeling than cracking the code on a new technique.
I just spent some time diving into DaVinci Resolve Fusion and figured out how to build a dynamic lightning text effect animation from scratch. Watching static text crackle to life with raw energy is incredibly satisfying—and it’s definitely getting added to the motion graphics toolkit for upcoming projects.
If you haven’t learned something new yet this week, consider this your sign to open up that software, click that tutorial, or try that one feature you’ve been putting off.
On to the next render! 🎬
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Most of my collages are built from dozens of images that I source and combine in Photoshop. But sometimes the exact element I have in mind simply doesn't exist, or I can't find the right angle, lighting, or composition.
That's where AI comes in.
For this piece, I used Envato's AI Image Generator to create a custom starting point when I couldn't find the image I needed. I then combined it with assets from Envato Elements, using Photoshop to composite everything together, refine the lighting, color grade the scene, and create the final artwork.
Once the collage was complete, I used Envato's AI Video Generator to bring it to life with subtle movement, then finished the animation in Premiere Pro using additional Envato Elements assets.
For me, AI isn't about pressing a button and calling it art. It's another creative tool—one that helps me bridge the gap between the idea in my head and the final artwork.
Another quick tip video on how to make your UI cards more engaging with animations in Webflow. Have an amazing weekend all!
Card hover animations are so easy to overdo, but yours look restrained enough to still feel premium. What's your rule of thumb for how much motion is too much on a UI card?
Two posters. Everything from Envato — foil texture, font, tape PNGs. Sound design in the video too. One tab.
The build: texture on the background, text in Glanterd, then I brightened the texture, flattened the text and used it as a mask on top. So the foil on the type is the same asset as the background. I also applied the good old BG blur on top for a frosted glass effect.
Human by Design moment: it was done. Technically. And it looked boring. So I went back to Envato — not to fix anything, I just knew it wasn't there yet. Found PNG tapes, dropped a few on, moved them around. That was all it needed. AI would've called version one finished. It wasn't.
Something I'd actually ship to a client.
@envato #envatochallenge
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