Wacom Cintiq

2009-09-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

If you are an animator, artist, graphic designer etc, and have seen the capabilities of the wacom cintiq but are in two minds about getting yourself one, let me help with my personal review. The Wacom Cintiq 12wx or 21ux is much needed if you are a serious artist who needs to work efficiently and simply.

I bought the cintiq 12wx to help me complete my animation course, but have considered it to be a great investment as I have already made back more money than I bought it for by applying for freelance jobs online.

A lot of companies that have employed me for work have liked the fact that I use the Cintiq because they know I can provide services in a shorter time frame by using this device. After your first use you will know it is well worth the money. Just having one of these beauties sitting on your desk is worth it.

Advantages of the Wacom Cintiq

Very natural and fluent feel
Full rotation just like paper
Time and money saving (no paper, pens, pencils, rubbers, paints etc)
Pressure sensitivity, dark and light tones, thin and thick lines.
Wacom warranty is very good. In a rare case of a serious problem with your wacom product they will send out a new one before you have even sent your damaged one to them.
Very stiff and sturdy LCD surface unlike a laptop or T.V
Handy buttons on either side for you to calibrate to functions of your choice. Great for quick zooming and scrolling.
The ability to adjust the angle from vertical to flat
Can be used on your lap without any problems

Disadvantages of the Wacom Cintiq

Would like to see a more portable version produced, there is a lot to carry with the power pack and leads.
It gets quite warm with long use, but nothing to worry about.
An expensive piece of equipment, but well worth it in the long run

On the whole it is rare to hear complaints about the wacom cintiqs. It is a great tool and investment. If you have been looking at it biting your bottom lip thinking it looks fantastic shall i get one? shall i?

I say go for it, you wont regret it.
Find one now

Toon Boom vs Flash

2009-09-18T06:14:00.000-07:00

The Biggest debates I had in University, is which software is better to use for animation? In my final year studying animation I needed to stick with one software to produce my final

piece.

I liked flash because it was simple and easy to use, but I didn't want my animation to look like the typical flash animations you see everywhere. Both pieces of software have there strengths, but after researching and testing both I had to go with Toon Boom by a long shot.

This is my animation which was produced with Toon Boom

Traditional Animation

If your talent translates best on paper, then Toon Boom Studio is for you. Scan in drawings with no loss of quality using any TWAIN supported device, then use Studio's proven technology to take your illustrations into the digital world! I used this process along with using a wacom tablet to draw directly on screen to save more time. I bought the Wacom Cintiq 12wx which was more than worth the money, especially when it was available to buy on a monthly payment scheme.
Cut-out Animation
Draw, create or import elements to build characters and store them all in your personal Library, then apply Studio’s powerful transform tool and motion paths to set timing and create movement. Even if you like drawing your animation frame by frame by hand this tool comes in handy when you want to repeat motions.
Stop-Motion

Create remarkable stop-motion animation just like Wallace and Gromit using any object you’d like to bring to life. Insert fun backgrounds using Chroma Key, or use time-lapse imagery to generate unique visuals. Add audio and easily export to the web!

3D Layouts and Camera Movements

3D layout and motion paths for animation elements
Animated elements
Animation peg System
Advanced Motion Paths
Multiplane camera moves and effects
3D velocity profiles
Colour transformation and clipping effects
Copy frame properties to any key frame
Improved visualization and manipulation of key frames from the Timeline

Professional and Cheap

I was shocked to see how many professional well known Tv shows and Films used Toon Boom to produced there work, and that I could be using the same software at home as they do.

Just look at a few below!

The Rugrats Movie (1998)
Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
Les Triplettes de Belleville (2003)
The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (2004) (Spongebob would not look as good in flash!)
Curious George (2006)
The Simpsons Movie (2007)
The Princess and the Frog (2009)

That is just to name a few!

So which is better?

Flash is a great program in its own right and is perfect for creating flash animations and online games and short animations but Toon Boom can do 99.9% of the processes that flash can do plus ALOT more. So my choice in purchase was the right move in choosing Toon Boom. You will learn something new with it everyday and the possibilites are endless.

If you are a beginner then I recommend Toon Boom Studio But if you are serious about your work and will be doing this for a long time then definately get your hands on Toon Boom Digital Pro

animation animator

Wacom Cintiq

Toon Boom vs Flash