Chapter 7. Rotoscoping and Paint

Image

It’s a small world, but I wouldn’t want to paint it.

–Steven Wright

Why roto something painstakingly by hand if a matte or motion track lets the computer do it for you? It’s always preferable to use a procedural solution when you can. Inevitably, though, it’s sometimes necessary to animate a mask or paint some frames. Rotoscoping (or roto) is the art (although not everyone would call it that) of drawing on a shot frame by frame, generally using masks. Cloning and filling using paint tools are variations on this task.

Notes

“Rotoscoping” was invented by Max Fleischer, the animator responsible for bringing Betty ...

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