Animation earliest mediums were pencil, paint, and paper. The proliferation of digital resources has given rise to intriguing new possibilities for artists.
There are a wide variety of opportunities available to digital artists in the $264 billion animation business worldwide in 2019. The film, VR, CG character design, video game development, and even teaching are all examples of fields of creative endeavor that belong here.
It’s not just 2D and 3D animation that digital artists can do; there are also motion graphics and stop motion. This Book delves into the best animation software and hardware, looks back at animation’s historical and cultural effects and lays down the groundwork for a career in animation.
1. CelAction2D
CelAction2D is a Windows program for creating 2D animation, and it comes in four different versions: Studio, Professional, Animator, and Educational. If you have a large crew and you’re making features, TV shows, or short animated films, the Studio form is the way to go. This edition is always the first to get updates and support, and it also gets all new features first.
The Professional version may be more suitable if you’re operating solo or with a small team. Although the Studio edition is required for asset creation, the Animator edition is available if you don’t need all of its rigging features.
Identical to the Professional version, the Educational edition is restricted to official educational institutions. Furthermore, you may not use this version for any for-profit endeavors.
2. Software by Adobe Systems
The computer animation and multimedia authoring software created by Adobe Systems is called Adobe Animate. Vector graphics and animation for TV shows, online videos, websites, web apps, rich internet applications, and games are all created with Animate.
In May of 1996, Adobe introduced FutureSplash Animator, the predecessor of Flash and Animate. As the first product of FutureWave Software, a tiny software firm, SmartSketch is a vector-based sketching tool for pen-based computers.
The FutureSplash Animator program allows users to design 2D vector animations. This software evolved from the company’s previous offering, FutureSplash, an animation tool for the Internet Explorer browser developed in reaction to Macromedia Flash’s popularity.
FutureSplash Animator was built to function autonomously and could be exported as a screensaver for either Windows or Mac.
It allowed for placing and morphing objects and using gradients, introductory text, and alpha transparency.
3. Renderforest
Video projects as diverse as YouTube openers, explainer animations, kinetic typography, product/service promo videos, music visualizations, wedding/travel slideshows, mobile app promos, event invitations, corporate presentations, infographics, and more can all be made with Renderforest, a video maker available in the cloud.
Quickly and easily create professional-quality films with Renderforest. You can take your tale from concept to finished video in a few minutes.
Every day, each of us shares a new tale. We’re always sharing these stories at home, at the office, and around the dinner table.
Stories can move, inspire, and test us. Here at SpeakUp, we think everyone should have a voice. As a result, we developed Renderforest, a free, web-based application that allows anybody to make high-quality films in a matter of minutes.
4. Pencil2D
Pencil2D is a no-cost, open-source program. You may use Pencil2D on Mac OS X, Windows, or Linux to create animations or drawings. Using either bitmap or vector images, you may make cartoons in the classic hand-drawn style.
Pencil2D might not be the best option for you if you’re a user needing many advanced options because it’s a relatively simple program. The intuitive design and powerful features make it suitable for novice and seasoned artists.
Pencil2D is a short 2D animation, sketching, and painting program that supports both bitmap and vector graphics, allowing you to create classic hand-drawn animation. The source code for Pencil2D is available for anybody to use.
5. Animation Paper
The Windows and Mac OS X program Animation Paper is a tool for creating animated 2D images. It’s meant to replicate the experience of working with 2D animation using only paper and pencil.
The sketching space afforded by the program is significant; it’s nearly five times the size of an A4 page.
Four distinct brush kinds are available inside the program: pencils, markers, charcoal, and paint.
Several drawing implements are at your disposal, including an eraser, a smudge tool, an airbrush, and a brush.
You’re not limited to only the brushes available when working on your 2D canvas; you may choose from various pen sizes. Create hand-drawn animations using the simple, attractive, and affordable program Animation Paper.
Thanks to the app’s hybrid nature as both a desktop program and a web service, you may access and edit your animations from any device, at any time.
Animation Paper’s functionality is minimal, but it serves a valuable purpose: animating a design to make it look like it was created by hand.
Different iterations of a drawing may be made by importing photos from your computer.
Even first-time users won’t worry about getting the hang of the app because of how sstraightforward it is to navigate. Advanced features, such as the ability to make frame-by-frame animations, are also explained in detail in the tutorials available to users.
