)
Artists worldwide use Paint Tool SAI for animations to develop ideas and creativity quickly. They are primarily used for advertisements, gaming, education, and entertainment. So, how does Paint Tool SAI animate?
There is no embedded animation feature in Paint Tool SAI because it is a painting application. Thus, you will need to utilize a third-party tool to link together all the previously recorded layers and frames. However, this is not too challenging as online and offline tools can be used for this.
Continue reading to learn animation on Paint Tool SAI!
Creating an Animation on Paint Tool SAI
Making an animation requires two steps: drawing on Paint Tool SAI and then animating it using third-party software.
Drawing the Frames
As animations are essential for many artists, follow the steps below to learn how to animate on Paint Tool SAI:
1. Begin creating a new canvas by going to ‘file’ and ‘new.’ After entering the required height and width of the canvas, click ‘ok.’
2. After creating the canvas, choose the tool you want to use from the tools menu and draw the first frame of your animation.
3. After that, lower the opacity of the selected layer and add a new one using the panel on the workspace’s left side.
4. Reduce the opacity of the selected layer and draw the next frame.
5. Then, hide the first layer by clicking on the small ‘eye’ icon next to layer 1.
6. Continue until you have obtained the required number of animation frames.
7. Starting at layer 1 and hiding all other layers, save each layer individually. When saving each layer, increase the opacity back to 100%.
Repeat the last step for all layers while ensuring that only one layer is visible when you save it.
Making an Animation
To create an animation, you must use another application to combine layers saved from Paint Tool SAI. You can use Photoshop or Windows Movie Maker for this.
However, an easier alternative to using these is a free online GIF maker. This is beneficial because you will not need to install or pay for it, and it is very speedy.
How to Create a GIF
Online GIF makers are helpful as they do not need to be downloaded and hence take up no space on your computer. To create a GIF, follow these steps:
1. Visit a GIF creator website, such as ezgif.com/maker. You can use up to 2000 saved layers from Paint Tool SAI on this website, allowing larger animations to be created.
2. Click on ‘choose files’ and select all the animation frames.
3. Then, press the ‘upload and make a GIF’ button.
4. On the following slide, you may make final adjustments to your animation, such as changing the frame’s sequence and spacing.
5. After editing, click the blue ‘make a GIF’ button, preview your GIF, and download it.
Here is a video that takes you through the steps above:
Conclusion
Although Paint Tool SAI does not have a built-in animation tool, it is very useful for drawing frames which can easily be converted to GIFs using free online GIF makers.
