One Comment

Animation software: Video Editors

  By ,

fcp-box

This time we’re going to talk about video editors because after all no matter how much animation you draw unless you can edit it all together you’ll never get that film seen by anyone.

There are SO many better video editors all from which you can make a decent animatic. Did I miss your favorite app? Let me know!

Windows:
The first comes with Windows, Windows Movie maker is simple but can certainly be used to make an animatic.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/movie-maker

Another one is Ezvid
http://www.ezvid.com/
Another one is CyberLink Power Director
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B009716H00/ezvid02-20

Another is Movica
http://sourceforge.net/projects/movica/

Another is Corel Video Studio Pro
http://www.amazon.com/Corel-VSPRX5ULENMBAM-VideoStudio-Pro-Ultimate/dp/B007GFNPFY/ref=sr_1_1?s=software&ie=UTF8&qid=1361304413&sr=1-1&keywords=VideoStudio+Pro+X5+Ultimate

For the Mac there is Final Cut X which is fairly cheap
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/final-cut-pro/id424389933?mt=12

and iMovie which is cheaper.
http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/

Also you could use VideoLan Movie Creator which is free and works on all platforms including Linux
http://www.videolan.org/vlmc/

Well on Windows the first that comes to mind is Windows Movie Creator which is a free download. you could make simple animatics using that.

Virtual Dub is another one… but you gotta be on a PC for it… http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-video-editor.htm#VirtualDub

EZ Vid is a third: Again PC. See a pattern here?
http://www.ezvid.com/http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0075629QK/ezvid02-20

Cyberlink is fairly affordable at $189.00
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B009716H00/ezvid02-20

Sony Vegas is kinda weird but not too expensive.
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Studio-Platinum-Production-Version/dp/B0051M6IPI

For Mac there’s Avidemux which is free.
http://fixounet.free.fr/avidemux/download.html

And of course iMovie which is kinda kludgy but usable
iMovie
There’s also Final Cut Pro X which is pretty much the newest version of FCP and iMovie combined.

there’s Kden Live as well
http://kdenlive.org/

And Jahskaka.
http://www.jahshaka.com/

and finally VLC Movie Creator
http://trac.videolan.org/vlmc/

 

 

23 Comments

Software: Drawing programs

  By

Sketchbook Pro

With the news that Adobe is intending on forcing artists to pay monthly I sat down to compile other choices for digital artists of which there are many. Most cost over $25, some of them are free and even two are online solutions.

I categorized them bitmap and vector. My personal favorite is Sketchbook Pro because of it’s ease of use, superior pencil mimicking and small foot print (how much space it takes up on the hard drive) all which contribute to make it the best solution in my opinion. As you can see it’s relatively cheap in comparison as well.

Below is a comprehensive list of drawing software available to the digital artist in 2013. If I missed your favorite, comment below, explain why and I will gladly add it.

Bitmap software

Adobe Photoshop (PC and Mac)- $49 per month subscription

When it comes to drawing programs Photoshop is without a doubt the most well known Right out of the box it’s not the best drawing software but and is relatively decent when you finagle with it a bit. My favorite tools in Photoshop include the Liquify brush and the Free Transform tool

Autodesk Sketchbook Pro (PC and Mac) -$59
Hands down my favorite simply because it’s so easy to use, can be installed on a Motion LE1600 Tablet PC which you can get dirt cheap these days, it’s got some killer drawing tools and you can easily create custom brushes as well as edit the toolbar to your liking.

Corel Painter (PC and Mac)-$199
Painter is an extremely powerful tool but it’s interface has been sorely lacking since it’s introduction back in the early 90’s. Features include mixable paint, dripping watercolors and a brush nozzle that will let you turn any art into a brush. Personally not a fan.

Ambient Design Artrage (Mac/PC/Android)-$49.90
Artrage started out as a winner of a proof of concept software contest for the release of Microsoft’s Windows XP Tablet PC edition. It has since grown into a powerful painting and drawing app and is easy on the wallet to boot. There are many features but my favorite is the mixable paint. Drag one color over another and the two smear! I don’t believe any other program can boast that.

Open Canvas (PC) -$59
Not very familiar with Open Canvas. Anybody? Beuller? Beuller? Beuller?

PaintTool Sai (PC)-$5
PaintTool Sai’s interface to be convoluted and poorly designed and I had trouble even finding out how to make a brush to draw with. It felt like an old program that has not been updated in years.

ArtWeaver (PC)-$37.65
Artweaver is a relatively decent piece of drawing software and it’s interface is reminiscent of old school Photoshop 5 or 6. It has many of the tools you’d need to sketch but I find it lacking

TV Paint (PC/Mac/ Linux/Android)- $1522.79
A very expensive and powerful piece of software that is much more than a drawing tool. You can storyboard, composite and do particle arrays with it. That said, I find it’s interface and toolset to be one of the worst I’ve ever seen and really would only use it if forced to. It’s pencil tools however are almost as good as Sketchbook Pro’s.

Pixarra Twisted Brush (PC) -$19
Not a bad Photoshop replacement but it’s interface seems a bit cluttered and not so user-intutitive. Does support pressure sensitivity though.

CG Illust (PC)-$80
This online software and being free it’s certainly the right price but I found it to stutter if I drew too fast. Your results might vary.

Sumo Paint (PC , Mac and free ONLINE)-$19
A truly remarkable piece of software that you feel right at home using because it’s essentially the same thing as Photoshop… Online.

Paint.net (Online)
Pretty much the same thing as Sumo Paint and free as well. it has pressure sensitivity which works well. Tends to stutter a bit if you draw too fast.

Project Dogwaffle (PC) Free
Project Dogwaffle is an ambitious project of one man who has built it into an interesting array of tools. It’s basically easy to use, can be used to draw with and even has animation and particle plugins. that said, I don’t think i would ever use it in a professional environment but the prive is right.

Sketchpaint (PC)-Free

Gimp (PC/Mac)
The GIMP is arguably the most powerful free photo editor available today. With that comes the Photoshop comparisons. Often lauded as the “free Photoshop,” the GIMP does offer many features similar to Photoshop, but it has a steep learning curve to match. Unless I’m missing something though, it does NOT support pressure sensitivity which is a deal-breaker for me.

Vector Software

Autodesk Sketchbook Designer– $75
A capable vector editor similar to Sketchbook Pro

Adobe Illustrator -$49 per month subscription
Long the juggernaut of vector editing, there really isn’t anything that can beat it as of yet. Personally I’m not a fan of it’s drawing tools as well as it’s kludgey interface but if you want streamlined crisp vector art, Illustrator is hard to beat.

Pixelmator (Mac)
Not the greatest painting/drawing tools, but is a great alternative to Photoshop for most people.

Intaglio (Mac)
Intaglio supports both bitmap and vector but is primarily a very simple Illustrator clone.

Artboard (Mac)
A VERY simple vector program.

Inkscape (PC /Mac/Linux)- Free
Currently the only free vector drawing program and it works very well for what it is. Not as advanced as Illustrator but what do you expect for the price?

Acorn (Mac)
Vector-based. Used by tons of UI designers.

No comments

News: The Don Bluth Collection of Animation

  By

DL_258_B1

Sherm Cohen alerted me to the fact that there’s a huge resource of Don Bluth cels, animation drawings, storyboards, color models  at the Savannah College of Art and Design!

We interviewed Sherm a while back on Animation Insider.com.

From the site:

The Don Bluth Collection of Animation

The Don Bluth Collection of Animation came to the Savannah College of Art and Design as a donation from Don Bluth and Gary Goldman in fall of 2005. The collection consists of cels, animation drawings, storyboards, color models, and other materials created by Don Bluth Productions and later incarnations of this company in the creation of animated features and video games between 1979 and 2000. Also included in the collection are administrative, legal, and other documents, as well as scripts, concepts, and publicity related materials. The studio operated in both the United States and Ireland, and was, at various times, affiliated with other production companies. A preliminary inventory was completed by summer of 2006 and processing began in fall of that same year. Though the processing of the collection will continue for many years, materials already processed are available to researchers now. Presented here are selections from various animated features, concepts, and video games in the collection. The materials are divided by feature titles.

You can check out the huge repository of Don Bluth artwork here.

No comments

News: Petition to Adobe: Eliminate the mandatory “creative cloud” subscription model.

  By

rzVhxuLQRCuRALC-556x313-noPad

There’s been quite a buzz on the web about Adobe’s decision to make a cloud subscription mandatory to use their Creative Suite 7. Obviously not everyone is happy about this as evidenced by John Hack’s Adobe blog. Derek Schoffstall has created a petition to show Adobe that not everyone wants to rent their software.

Dear Supporters,

Thank you all for signing this petition! In just 4 and a half days we already have received more than 5,500 signatures from professionals, designers, freelancers, hobbyists and photographers from across the world.

Firstly, I wanted to inform you all, that as of late yesterday and early today there have been news articles written about this petition, including an article by CNNMoney and ComputerWorld. This is a small victory for us! As the media picks up on the fact that there are people out there who aren’t in favor of Adobe’s new changes, this petition will only continue to gain traction.

Secondly, I wanted to let you all know another important detail: As I have been reading around the web, I noticed a considerable amount of misinformation from both sides about the CC subscription model; those confused about the specifics of CC as well as deceitful propaganda coming from everywhere. Adobe has cleared up a few “myths” and misconceptions about CC, but nothing they have said has addressed the underlying issues. I wanted to let you know this so you all can be vigilant and support this petition for the right reasons.

Thirdly, know that this petition is not my petition- it is ours. There are many troubling problems that arise from Adobe’s change from licensed, owned software to a monthly rented subscription service. This petition is a conglomerate of many differing, yet valid reasons, for changing Adobe’s minds. Do not be afraid to leave Adobe your honest feedback and rationale in the comments section of the petition page, and let your voices be heard!

Finally, with all of that said, continue to share this around with everyone you know! Also think about sharing this petition on Twitter. You can link to this petition using this: http://mnch.us/adobe2. Also consider signing a petition by Corey Edwards, which asks adobe to reconsider their Creative Cloud subscription plan terms and pricing. You can find his petition on chang.org here: http://mnch.us/adobe.

This isn’t over yet.

Thank you everyone for all of your help and support,
Derek Schoffstall
@iamdts

What do you think  Can we make them change their mind? Do you care?

You can sign the petition here.

No comments

Promote Yourself: Rebusquest

  By

 

941698_10152809137005455_1792460152_nMy name is Cullen Pittman and I make webcomics that try to bring back the spirit of classic Saturday morning variety cartoons.
http://www.therebusquestwebsite.com/

My main cartoon is called Rebusquest. It’s about an average boy named Carson who gets pulled into a magic world where rebus puzzles are a way of life. With the help from a teenage elf girl named Reba, she and Carson must travel the many surreal lands of Rebusquest gathering objects that will form rebus puzzles which Carson has to solve every day. And they’re hoping they’ll find that special rebus that will finally send Carson back home.

Other cartoons on my site include X.O. Seal, who is a cyborg seal that fights crime while teaching us about circles and squares. And Skelroy and Bonus who are two skeletons who love doing crazy motorcycle stunts, then give us safety tips about not doing the crazy stuff they just did.

I want to make cartoons that will teach kids things like puzzle solving skills, shapes, and safety tips while getting some laughs as well. And hopefully, it might inspire kids to create their own cartoons.”