Pencil2D

Pencil2D is a simple 2D animation, drawing and painting application. It is meant for traditional hand-drawn animation, and it works with both bitmap and vector graphics. The project is built entirely by volunteers.

What Pencil2D offers

• Hand-drawn animation — frame-by-frame cartoon work in a lightweight interface.
• Raster and vector tools — artists can move between the two approaches while sketching, inking and painting.
• Minimal design — the layout is kept simple so animators focus on drawing.
• Regular releases — recent versions on the site include stability work and new features, with nightly builds for testing.

Who it works with

Animators and illustrators, including hobbyists and people using it commercially, since the licence allows commercial use.

Key facts

• Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD
• Licence: open source and free to use
• Development: run by volunteers