Anime Studio for Print! I love it!

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 12:21 am

I had to do a poster for a play... fast... really fast.

Because of the short deadline... and the fact I don't get paid for the posters... I get to do whatever the heck I want... and they have to be happy with it.

I started out using photoshop.. then went towards a cartoon style... so I switched to Illustrator...

... Illustrator does not have an... easy way to do variable line widths... at least version 9 doesn't which is all I have.

I love being able to easily create variable line widths in AS so... I decided to do a print illustration using an animation application. I still have to format the poster and layout the text but this witll be the main graphic.

I also discovered how you can export to PSD with each group as a layer!!!! This is FANTASTIC! I could slide each character around after export very easily for tweaking.

I find it ironic that so many people want AS to have better drawing tools... and I end up using it INSTEAD of other drawing tools. I love AS drawing tools.

Whipped this out in a couple of days. I'll let you guys figure out what play it is.

-vern

Bones3D · Post by **Bones3D** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 12:27 am

I personally love Anime Studio/Moho's spline based tools for creating complicated shapes over the tools typically found in Adobe Illustrator or Freehand. While this does sort of expose my inexperience in the field of page layout, it still allows me to work much faster than I ever could in either app.

bupaje · Post by **bupaje** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 12:44 am

@heyvern, looks great.

I have to agree with Bones. I struggle with stuff with too many details and even though I have the student version of Illustrator I more frequently draw vector stuff in AS precisely because less tools = less confusion for a guy like me.

spoooze! · Post by **spoooze!** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 1:27 am

Nice work!

And the play is Arsenic and Old Lace which is one of my favorite plays of all time.

Although I've imagined Dr. Einstien more of a Peter Lorre type figure but the other characters are spot on!

James

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 4:35 am

Dr. Einstein... that was a tricky one.

Since this is the play... not the movie the characters are interpreted by the director I suppose. The movie was a bit different from the play.

I saw some cast photos in internet searches where the Doctor was portrayed in a sterotypical doctor "costume"... that is the direction I chose.

The beauty of using AS for this... I wanted to move the old ladies closer together...

... I had added bones for the arms so I was able to repose the lady on the left in a few seconds very easily with out a lot of fuss.

The Elaine character on the left also has bones for the arms so I could adjust the pose by simply rotating the bones.

Plus... I made all my "alternate" poses on subsequent frames so if I don't like it and want to "go back" I just render frame 1 instead of frame 2.

... try THAT with Adobe Illustrator or Flash!

This will also export pretty close to exact into SWF... I was surprised. the only things that don't go over are the black outlines around the old ladies which uses a layer "shadow". And the gradients in the strokes of the dresses.

Over all... this is a great way to do print illustrations in this style... I thoroughly enjoyed the process. Especially knowing upfront nothing would have to animate... my options were more open.

-vern

Mikdog · Post by **Mikdog** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 10:27 am

Looks stunning.

JCook · Post by **JCook** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 1:33 pm

heyvern -

Great job on the drawing! You seem to have the technique of drawing in AS down pat. I always find it awkward, as I'm used to drawing in Illustrator. If you have a tablet and stylus it's easy to make variable line widths in Illustrator. Just use the brush tool and choose, or make, a brush with variable line width and the stylus/tablet will give you the pressure sensitivity you need. Takes a little getting used to, but then so does drawing in AS. You can't do this with the pen tool in Illustrator, only the brush tool. But since you're doing such good work in AS I suppose you might as well continue with that.

Asenic and Old Lace is one of my absolute favorites. Never seen it as a stage play, but I've always loved the movie, with Cary Grant.

Jack

heyvern · Post by **heyvern** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 7:02 pm

Yes... custom brushes in AI...

That is what I used before I bought Moho... er... Anime Studio.

For me anyway... it is not as... easy... or... intuitive as AS. I love being able to click and drag on any point and change the width... in AI you have to set the width "by hand" so to speak.

I don't use my stylus with AI... I never got use to it. I like having pin point control. I will draw with a stylus in PS and trace in AS or AI. Even in Photoshop I do a lot of clean up on hand drawn lines.

Actually to get the control I liked in AI I outlined the strokes and changed their shape that way... which is even more time consuming.

Also.. in AI... if you move a point around, the curve handles stay in the original angle/position... so moving a single point in AI requires several steps. This one thing absolutely drives me nuts using AI.

In AS you move a point and the curve flexes, stretches and bends to match the curve... which is very quick and easy. I can see in my head where I want the line to be... when I move the point it goes there. In AI your line "distorts" till you fix the curve handles... you lose the artistic flow.

I also switched from AI to AS... been using Illustrator since like version 3 or 4. At first it seemed odd... now I like it much better.

Here is the final poster... anyone in Harrisonburg VA can go see it.

-vern

Mikdog · Post by **Mikdog** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:24 pm

Ya, very very cool!

Love it