Traditional hand drawn animation is one of the most powerful but also one of the most work-intensive - ways of expression.. Frame by frame animation sometimes includes several hundreds illustrations for only one minute of motion footage. The transition to digital moreover means to scan a lot of drawings and costs additional time which can extend the production period immensely . To save time and expenses, different hardware tools are availbale which allow you to transfer your drawings directly into a digital format and retain the impression of a handmade illustration. The hardware manufacturer Wacom offers many solutions which are perfectly suitable for every kind of digital drawing or animation.
For the production process of my latest Project „Planemah“ I had the opportunity to work with an Wacom Cintiq 22HD. The high definition pen display with its 2048 pressure levels allows you to simulate the analog process of drawing in its best way. The huge 21.5 inch display gives you a comfortable workspace and provides a great overview of your work. The changeable pen-tips simulate the feeling of different drawing mediums from rough paper to a smooth underground. The display itself can be used like every other external display and can easily be connected to every Mac or PC. Like a common light table you can adjust the viewing angle which allows you to choose a comfortable position and for a better workflow the Cintiq offers its users about 16 Expresskeys for the most needed shortcuts.
To accelerate your production process the Cintiq 22HD is the perfect tool for every animator and illustrator. The direct and precise translation into a digital format gives you the perfect feeling of analog drawing. Even for fast frame by frame animation such a tool is indispensable.