Toon Boom Animation and educational publisher FableVision have released Animation-Ish, an innovative software program that allows people of all ages to unleash their creativity through easy, "do-it-yourself" animation.
The program is hosted by THE NEW YORK TIMES-bestselling children's book author/illustrator and creativity advocate Peter Reynolds, FableVision's founder and CEO. The program brings to life the "ish" philosophy that art pieces don't need to create a mirror image of reality to effectively convey ideas, popularized by Reynolds in his best-selling books THE DOT and ISH (published by Candlewick Press).
The books are printed in more than 20 languages around the world. Reynolds uses a playful, low-stress approach to coach children and adults to think "ishfully" about their art and be brave about expressing their creativity and originality.
"Too many people say, 'I can't draw.' I constantly remind kids and adults that their creations don't have to be perfect, they just have to be 'perfect-ish,' which is where the name Animation-ish came from," said Reynolds.
To help users overcome their possible reluctance toward drawing, Reynolds personally guides users through the program with dozens of video clips featuring drawing tips, and samples of his own artwork.
Animation-ish features:
--More than 50 "Inspire Me" video clips with Peter H. Reynolds--Three animation skill-levels--"Project Vault" with Reynolds' drawings and starter ideas--"Share" feature for exporting into multiple formats--24 lessons written by teachers for teachers--Additional lessons written by teachers available online--Additional tutorials by Reynolds and the animators of FableVision available online
Running on Mac and PC, Animation-ish is offered in two versions: retail and educational. The price for Animation-ish is $59.95 for a single copy. The educational version, which includes a printed Classroom Edition User's Guide, is offered at $499.95 for a 10-computer license, or $999.95 for a 25-computer license. Information and a preview of the program is available at www.toonboom.com/products/animationish/.
