Create animated digital comics
I've always been fascinated with animation and these days there are loads of professional software tools around that allow you to become a cartoonist yourself.
Pencil tool is a little different from the likes of Flash or Director in two ways: a) it is based around traditional hand-drawn animation techniques, and b) it's free.At the center of the application is a timeline, which allows you to add four types of layers: bitmap image, vector image, sound, and camera. The animation basically works by setting keyframes one each layer and arranging the different layers on top of each other.
You start by sketching out your characters in bitmap format using the pencil tool, before adding a vector layer and inking it out with the pen tool and fill tool.The principle is very simple and the interface is much clearer than that of Flash or a similar high-end animation tool. What I liked about Pencil is that all the tools and options are on display from the start and nothing is hidden, plus you can detach or remove palettes to make things easier on yourself.
The problem with Pencil is that it's very difficult to produce good quality drawings unless you have a graphics tablet - most mouses simply aren't conducive to precise sketching.What's more, there aren't any predefined shapes, objects or templates included that might help you get started. So, while this might be a good way to learn the basic principles of cartoon animation, it's difficult to create anything truly impressive unless you've lots of patience.
User reviews about Pencil
by Mona Shokrof
The attached download is not the software in the screen shots , it is a totally different app , it doesnt even include a drawing feature
by The Emerald
the onion skinning and animation is terrible do not download.
there was a lot of hype I saw on the internet and now that I've downloaded it I am very disappointed in the program. and the onion skinning is terrible and I am sad to say that it is not the right program for anyone
Pros:
its free? maybe? no not really it sucks
Cons:
animation
onion skinning
programming
ALOTMOREEEEEE More
by Anonymous
great mac animation program.
Works with mouse and bamboo pad. Easy cut-and-paste progression from old to next cell. Great results for me &; my kids aged 7-14. No complaints. No crashes. Easy export formats. Brilliant yet capable and easy-to-use.
Pros:
easy to learn
Cons:
none. More
by Anonymous
Pencil is Fabulous & Free!.
Pencil is a very well rounded and complete application. Don't be fooled by the fact that it is free! With regard to Pencil, free does NOT mean inferior. Furthermore, the old saying, "You get what you pay for," does NOT apply in the case of Pencil. Many other companies charge FAR MORE, and give considerably less than Pencil.
Pros:
1) For Mac, Linux, & Windows
2) YOU choose max layers & key frames
3) It has bitmap, vector, sound, and camera layers
4) User manual can be downloaded
5) Import & export images
6) Tablet compatible
7) Price...did I say it's FREE!
Cons:
No circle tool for my shaky hands to make heads, eyes, and wheels. More