Praise for MyPaint brushes

[Rodney]

If you've got some examples of MyPaint brush use in OpenToonz please feel free to post them here or in your own topic.

These brushes need to be seen and experienced to be fully appreciated.

MyPaint brushes have converted me from a user who had "Toonz Vector' as the default for new Levels to someone who prefers plain old generic raster.

In bygone times I would have said that was impossible... I like vector lines that much (and OpenToonz has some great vector brushes).

I recently added a few more MyPaint brushes to the collection on my computer and after someone else suggested yet another set they found online started adding those brushes to the program itself so others can enjoy them as well.

That addition is heading for release as soon as I can get it done.

BUT having said all that... I think I've fallen in love with the most basic of MyPaint brushes for it's similarity to inking with actual brushes.  This is something I never quite felt programs handled well enough and was reserved for those with expensive hardware.  The basic brush produces a smooth but occasionally rougher line as if drawn on paper which yields a fun classic comic book style.

AND that line work in turn has me itching to work with color to compliment those lines. 

My hats off to OpenToonz, MyPaint and everyone involved in bringing digital art capability to the rest of us.

 

[Rodney]

More MyPaint.

Here's a random (initial) test using the basic watercolor brush.

[Rodney]

More MyPaint doodles...

[Rodney]

Random pig.

This was mostly a test of texturing and line color control.

Not entirely successful but it helps to explore optimal workflow.

The colored linework was something of an accident.

The line is in black but I went for an automatic transparency and recoloring via FX but used only the red channel of the Transparency node.

[Rodney]

is started as a quick exploration into how I might use the Tape Tool to create those old style cartoon pupils.

The next thing I knew it had turned into a bit more.

The dialogue:

Little Guy:  "I didn't know OpenToonz could do that!"

Big Guy:  "Yes, little buddy, it can."

Vector drawing was used in this as well as MyPaint.

I used Mypaint primarily to soften everything.. painting the background... adding an 'environmental air' over the top of everything.

So three primary levels (Background, Foreground and Characters) although it would be definitely be best to keep the two characters on levels of their own.

A major production wasn't the intent here... I just wanted to create those old classic cartoon eyes with the Tape Tool.  ;)

Disclaimer:  I did in fact forget to draw the big guy's wings but I figure they are super tiny and therefore cannot be seen from this front view.  That's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it!

[openanim]

Lol the dialogue seems very oriented: D I like that. The water color brush is beautiful! Based on your remarks,
it might be good to make promotional videos of new opentoonz features.

Can we grant wishes with this green genius ? Where is the lamp ...

[Rodney]

Ha!  That's almost what my daughter said.

She said, looks like the genie from 'Aladdin'.**

As for the lamp.. I'll guess that in a bug's world the lamp would be a tiny Seed Pod that the genie (and other magical wonders) sprout out of.

The hint/theme being... sow the seed of an idea and it will someday blossom.

So, This little guy is his worlds Aladdin... the big guy... the genie...  Although as he was an afterthough I think his design needs some serious refinement.

All his various friends are wanna be artists which isn't something common in the woodlands of the forest.

Their dream is to bring their animated stories to life.

But the evil dark forces of the shadows will resist this anywhere there is no light.

Okay, I'll stop there.

Thanks for the story idea.  :)

I do think some promo video would be a great thing to work on although right now I'd settle for more behind the scenes stuff from works currently (and recently) in production.

**Of course as a fan of the artwork of Eric Goldberg and that marvelous style my reaction was "Huh???"

[Rodney]

I should note that there was no watercolor brush used in that background (with the fireflies).

I just drew lines/areas of color and blended them with the sponge brush.  ;)

See the earlier post with the girl and tenoptnl for example of using the watercolor brush.

[openanim]

Yeap same thought for aladdin...lol, I also talked about the brushes used on the girl :) but your blend for the background is also nice.

[Rodney]

I'm closing in on a potential storyline for these (and other) characters.

Not sure if it'll go anywhere but sometimes the characters want to tell their own stories.

Here's a rough princess concept to go with the other two fellows.

This design is based on one by an eight year old friend of mine.

In trying to adapt the character to my purposes I realized in very subtle ways she draws better than me.  

Kids are always inspirational! :)

As usual these days this is a 'mixed media' rendering as I was just exploring various ways to approach stylization of final rendering.

I will guess that because of the difference in eyes she is a different type of bug than the other two characters.

Well, of course she is... she's royalty!

[Rodney]

I haven't focused on use of MyPaint brushes for awhile (although I have been using them).

I decided to paint a stone column and in the process of adding a background this fog/smoke-like scene emerged.

It's a simple setup but worked well.