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You asked, I listened! Here’s a roundup of the questions I get asked the most about the tech and apps I use. Also I’ve listed all the books, podcasts, and courses that have made the biggest difference for me as professional illustrator and animator. Let’s jump in!
Tech
Macbook Pro - I have 32GB of RAM which is great for complex animations or long videos, but if you’re just making short animations you’ll be just fine with 16GB of RAM. I wouldn’t go below 16 though because your computer will struggle with Adobe apps.
iPad Pro 12.9” and Apple Pencil - I definitely recommend the bigger screen. Also the Pro is the best for animating in Procreate Dreams.
Paperlike screen protector - I can’t stand drawing straight on the iPad screen, this screen protector makes it rough enough to feel like real paper!
Squarespace - I love Squarespace so much. This is where this blog is hosted, as well as my portfolio, my email campaigns, my client invoices, and more. The drag-and-drop features make it so easy to make a good looking website in a short amount of time.
After Effects scripts & plug-ins
Keyfast - Gives you quick buttons for common scale, position, opacity, cloning keyframes, sequencing layers, and more. I use this every time I animate!
Motion Studio - Easy buttons for common easing so you can avoid going to the graph editor every time.
GifGun - One-click GIF export!
Decompose Text - Turn text into intidividual characters, words, or lines.
Art
Nina Cosford sketchbook - I’ve tried lots of sketchbooks and now I buy this one in bulk because it’s so good. The paper is the perfect weight – thick enough so your markers don’t bleed through and so you can paint on the paper, but thin enough to feel like a traditional sketchbook.
Holbein acryla gouache paint - Again, I’ve tried all the different mediums (watercolor, gouache, acrylic, oil) and I keep coming back to acryla gouache again and again. It can be watered down to give you that beautiful painterly texture you get from water color or gouache, but once it dries it’s permanent like acrylic paint. It also has a smooth velvety texture that’s to die for.
Apps
Animation
Adobe After Effects - The leading 2D animation and motion graphics software. If you want to become an animator, you really need to learn After Effects, or at least the basics. Check out my quick 2-hr online course Design in Motion Workflow if you want to get started with After Effects and want to learn how to combine After Effects & frame-by-frame animations!
Procreate - For simple frame-by-frame animations I love animating right in Procreate. You can turn on the animation feature by going to Settings > Canvas > Animation Assist.
Procreate Dreams - this app is a complete game changer!! This is the best app for frame-by-frame animation on the iPad. You can use all your juicy Procreate brushes, and it’s a step up from animating in Procreate because you can have multiple layers instead of just one timeline.
Rough Animator - this used to be my go-to for frame-by-frame animation, but now I mostly use Procreate Dreams. But sometimes I’ll still use Rough Animator because their interface is easier to use. Rough Animator’s only $5 though so great if you don’t want to spend much.
Adobe Photoshop - this used to be my go-to for finishing/coloring frame-by-frame animations but now I use Procreate Dreams more often. I still can’t abandon Photoshop completely though because the timeline is a little easier to use and there’s no layer limits. For longer videos, I might stick with Photoshop for frame-by-frame animating.
Illustration
Procreate
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator for the iPad
Admin
Notion - Notion is like combining Google Docs, Google Sheets, and a task manager all in one. I use it to write all of my blog post and email drafts, store my notes from courses I take, house my database of contractors and client emails, and much much more. I even save all of my recipes on my personal account too hehe.
Asana - The best task and project management app out there. (Trust me, I used to be obsessed with trying out task manager apps and I tried them all and after years of testing, Asana is the best IMHO.)
YNAB (You Need A Budget) - The best budgeting app I’ve tried. It’s essential for me to track expenses and plan out where my money is going to go, for both business and personal use.
Operations
Notion templates by Knotably - I looove Knotably’s Notion templates. Their client portal template was a major upgrade for my client projects and makes me feel so professional and organized!
Books
Animation & Illustration
The Animator’s Survival Kit by Richard Williams - This is the bible of animation written by an OG Disney animator who learned from one of the founding fathers of animation at Disney. If you want to understand the fundamentals of animation on a deep level and really take your animations to the next level, this is a must-have book.
Find Your Artistic Voice: The Essential Guide to Working Your Creative Magic by Lisa Congdon - This book helped me a lot when I was starting out, and I still reference it today. She talks all about how to create illustrations that express your core self and how to be truly authentic in your creative practice. Highly recommend!
Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon - An essential read for anyone in the creative industry! This helped me define my style and taught me how to handle being inspired without plagiarizing.
Business
Art, Inc.: The Essential Guide for Building Your Career as an Artist by Lisa Congdon - This was my go-to business book when I first started. Lots of great tips for all kinds of revenue streams for illustrators.
Superfans: The Easy Way to Stand Out, Grow Your Tribe, and Build a Successful Business by Pay Flynn - This should be required reading for anyone offering products or services. Flynn teaches you how to really connect with your audience and build a base of raving fans.
Podcasts
Creative Pep Talk - Check out this recent episode that’s a favorite of mine, 7 Steps I’d Take If I Was Starting My Creative Practice from Scratch.
Thoughts on Illustration - I really liked his recent episode How I Found My First Agent and Editorial Clients.
The Bossbabe Podcast - I recommend her interview with Seth Godin, 428: Leveraging Real Marketing Strategy Means You’ll Never Have to Sell Again: Here’s How with Seth Godin.
Boss Reponses - Check out #61: Shifting from One-Time Gigs to Repeat Clients with Jamie Brindle.
Windowsill Chats - Her episode with Megan Auman was so good: How to Break the Cycle of Overthinking and Start Creating Your Best Work.
Design Matters with Debbie Millman - Check out her interview with Lisa Congdon, one of my favorite illustrators.
The Goal Digger by Jenna Kutcher - Check out Episode 478: What You ACTUALLY Need to Do Before Leaving Your 9 to 5 if you want to feel super inspired and scared shitless at the same time (but, like, in a good way).
Courses & Education
Design in Motion Workflow (my class 😊) - Learn to animate your illustrations with After Effects and Photoshop in 2 hrs or less.
Animation Bootcamp by School of Motion - This is the next-level, all-in class for people who want to become professional animators/motion designers. This helped me so much when I was starting out in my motion design career.
Make Art That Sells: Editorial Illustration
Ambitious Creatives Booked Solid and Creative Launchpad - great classes on getting fully booked as a freelancer
That’s all for now! Any other questions? Email me at lindsey@lindseydaystudio.com, I’d love to hear from you :)