How to Make Cartoons on a Mac

Combine the old and new by drawing and importing your cartoon images.

If you're looking to become a cartoonist you have a number of online animation tools that are compatible with Mac computers as well as other computers and other operating systems. YouTube, GIMP, and other online sites offer easy cartoon-making tools but if you don't have access to them and want to use only the tools native to your Mac, you could draw your own images, then import them to your computer's video editing program. To do this you'll need to use the iMovie program that comes on most Mac computers.

Things You'll Need

• Scanner

Instructions

1. Draw your cartoon images on paper with each image showing a slight deviation in movement from one image to the next. Use as many sheets of paper as you need to create the cartoon you want.

2. Scan each image and save them as .jpg or .gif images to your computer's iPhoto program. Save the files in their own folder so that you can easily import them to iMovie. Be sure to scan them from first to last so that they are in the proper order when you import them.

3. Open the iMovie program and start a new project by clicking "File," then "New Project."

4. Import your cartoon images by clicking the camera icon under the iMovie Video Viewer, Locate the folder where your images are saved, then hold down the "Command" button to select all the photos in the folder at once. Your images will then be imported into your iMovie Timeline.

5. Double click on one of the images that you just placed on the Timeline. This will open the video inspector. Under "Duration" type ":05" and check the box that reads "Applies to all stills," then click "Done." This makes your still images appear for as short as possible. When the images play side by side you'll see the effect of motion.

6. Add transitions and titles by selecting the Title and Transition icons from under the Video Viewer. When you're happy with the look of your cartoon, click "Share" to have it published on YouTube or to save it as a movie file for use elsewhere.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to create your cartoon using graphic images you can also use Keynote, a Mac program that comes with many computers as part of the iWork package. Start a new file by clicking "File," then "New," then use the "Shapes" tool to create shapes.

References

• Marketing Pilgrim: YouTube Rolls Out Editing Options

Resources

• Apple: iLife
• GIMP: Simple Animation
• YouTube GoAnimate