Animation program - what do you recommend?

[Meowster]

Hello all,

I want to knock together a brief animation using hand-drawn images that I've produced. I need it for my portfolio and I need it fairly soon, so it needs to be reasonably easy to learn too... and preferably free although if it's a very expensive package I may be able to dig out a version on a college PC.

Does anyone have any recommendations? All are welcome, tnx etc X

[RickJ]

Graphics Gale is straight forward to use.  There is a free version and a $22 version that supports more file formats and has a 30 day free trial.   You will probably need the later version so that you can save your animation to AVI or GIF.    Gale will allow you to import multiple files at once where each file is imported into a frame.   

http://www.humanbalance.net/gale/us/index.html

[Dualnames]

ProgZ is using ProMotion, but I'm wondering do you just need to create a gif or just reshape and redraw and animate images?

[Danman]

Pro motion is the best. But the problem is that the free version you have to save each image. Renaming them manually.
But is fairly easy.
and here is the link to the free trial version http://www.cosmigo.com/promotion

[Layabout]

I use Toon Boom Studio for all my 2D animation needs. It is ideal for hand-drawn animation. Disney used Toon Boom Animate for their latest film, Princess and the Frog, but studio is good enough for professional work as well.

I wouldn't recommend any of the other suggestions in this thread, as they are aimed at pixel art, not animation.

The Bay of Salty Sea Dogs should be your first port of call to acquire said package.

[Danman]

I have tested toon boom Animate before it is mainly for professional cartoon's. Not for games. And besides toon boom cost quite a lot of money. and for me It is very difficult to use too. I wouldn't recommend unless your planning on doing a couple of courses on it. And just to say isn't all digital art.  pixel art.

[Al_Ninio]

Toon Boom is nice if you want to vector stuff.
For bitmap animation - TVpaint.