Stick figure
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A stick figure is a very simple type of drawing, generally of the human form, although stick figures of other types of animals are possible (for example, a stick figure dog). In a stick figure, the head is represented by a circle, sometimes embellished with details such as eyes or crudely-scratched-out hair. The neck, arms, legs and torso are all represented by single straight lines (thus the name). The neck and torso are different segments of one straight line.
Generally, stick figures are drawn by hand with a pen or pencil and have hard, defined edges. Though not displaying very much detail, what is drawn is generally required. For instance, if one was to draw a person, the person's eyebrows would generally only be drawn to provide a sort of facial expression, be it of anger or shame.
Stick figures have proven effective as a source of advertising, entertainment and as a form of storyboarding and practice for filmwork. This is especially crucial for creating "animatics", as a film special effects team is then able to visually display the outcome of a scene by using stick figures, but saving in money, time and effort of providing a completed shot, but only having to have the necessary information provided.
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[edit] Animation
[edit] Flash
- Further information: Flash animation
Stick figures are often used in animations made with Adobe Flash. Stick figures are easy to draw and can be traditionally animated a lot quicker than full drawings. Well known stick figure animations include Xiao Xiao and Joe Zombie.
[edit] PowerPoint
- Further information: PowerPoint animation
Microsoft PowerPoint has also been used to make stick figure movies. By creating a slide with a stick figure in it, copying and pasting a new slide and changing the new slide users can create a movie, although it is a much more laborious process.
[edit] Cutout Pro Stickman
Cutout Pro Stickman[1] is specifically designed for stick figure animation. Each figure is controlled with control points and key frames and saves drawing inbetweens. When an arm is moved, the whole body gets affected using skeleton simulation. Stickman has some functions for importing pictures, add control points and deform them. Users can export animations as .avi or .swf files. It is also possible to generate sprite sheets for use in 2D games. Figures can be created with a software called "Elemento" that follows with Stickman.
[edit] Pivot Stick Figure Animator
Pivot Stick Figure Animator is also designed for stick figure animation. As with Cutout Pro Stickman, this software allows a user to control key points/joints. It also allows the user to load images (sprites) and animate them.
[edit] This Is Stick Figure Animation Theatre (TISFAT)
TISFAT is tween-based stick figure animation software, allowing the user to create any kinds of figures and objects, that are animated in layers by keyframes, between which the program does the animation for the user. Movies can be exported as AVI, SWF and SIF files.
[edit] Project Dogwaffle
Project Dogwaffle can be used to animate stick figures, and is for the more experienced.[citation needed]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Stick Figure Deaths at the Open Directory Project
- Stickheads, Stickman comics and other stickmen art.
- Stick Page, a variety of stick-figure cartoons and movies
- Stick Death directory of stick death animations
- Droidz, a community fansite for the popular stickfigure animator, Pivot.
- Stick Fans, Stickman Art and Stickman Movies.
