Learn Grease Pencil in Blender 3.X

This book will provide a foundational education in Grease Pencil and cover the full scope of a 2D production pipeline in 3D right from storyboarding to final compositing. By the end of this book, readers would be able to run efficient Grease Pencil pipelines and incorporate these tools into hybrid scenarios.

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Get to grips with the fundamentals of great drawing, illustrating concept art and planning a cartoon production by learning the principles of animation in a Grease Pencil environment

Key Features

Learn the foundations of 2D Animation and Grease Pencil to create concept art and storyboards with key images in color
Create Game Engine Animation and Tiles with 2D Sprites
Animate Explosions, Sparkles, and other effects using Geometry Nodes and Modifier combinations

Book DescriptionGrease Pencil is the ideal 2D animation tool to sit in the direct center of many creative pipelines. Its integration with Blender's other features and the newest Blender 3.0 features are very versatile, and everyone can put Grease Pencil to use as a storyboarding and planning tool.

This book will provide a foundational education in not only Grease Pencil but also animation fundamentals, solid drawing, and Grease Pencil's Blender integration. The full scope of a finished 2D production will also be demonstrated, from storyboard to final compositing, and serve as a template for setting up a robust 2D animation pipeline. You will begin by exploring the core Grease Pencil concepts, and use those tools as a medium for creative execution. This will be supplemented by using the tools in practice with a full animation pipeline: Storyboards, concept art, pencil tests, cleanup, color, and lighting. You'll primarily learn the core DNA of Grease Pencil's tools, followed by exercises where you must execute their usage with professional quality. Occasional exercises and chapters will then dive into a scaffolded project-based approach, culminating in a polished, complete animation product.

By the end of this book, you will be able to create beautiful artwork and 2D animations, run an efficient Grease Pencil pipeline, incorporate these tools into hybrid scenarios, craft 2D rigs, and generate strokes through several generative tools.

What you will learn

The primary conventions of Grease Pencil, a 2D animation suite that can integrate with all the 3D tools of Blender
The principles of animation in a Grease Pencil environment
The fundamentals of great drawing, illustrating concept art and planning a cartoon production
The layers, materials, effects, and compositing that build a final animation look
Advanced 2D animation setups, such as rigs and effects
Rendering finished animation, combining Grease Pencil with live-action, and making game sprites for use in a game engine

Who This Book Is ForThis book is for experienced Blender 3D generalists with general proficiency in Blender but haven't explored Grease Pencil, and now have a perfect project to do so. Also, animators who gravitate toward the variety of animation possible beyond 3D and want to know more about the different production methods would find the book useful. Technical artists familiar with complex rigging setups would be excited at the potential of 2D and hybrid rigging, thus finding this helpful. Readers should have some background in drawing and animation to make the most out of this book.