:::New Adobe CS4 revealed:::

In September 23 there was the official presentation of Adobe's Creative Suite 4.
New versions with impresive features and new tools await for new great experimentations in creative paths. Just a glance of the new features!


Photoshop CS4

-3D model supportPainting and rotating 3D models, new dedicated 3D tool
-Pixel Grid taking advantage of GPU graphic cards allowing smooth, perfect zooming
-New Rotation Canvas tool
-Adjustment panel including all the adjustment options in one place (very handy)
-Content aware scaling (impressive!)
-Dedicated Mask panel with all the options about masks available in handy way
-Simple 3D animation ability

Illustrator cs4

-Multiple artboards available in a single file (up to 100)
-Improved Gradient tool/palette, support for transparent colour within a a gradient (like Flash)
-New Blob Brush, paint freely, all shapes will be emerged into a single path
-Separation palette to check and preview colours, overprints etc
-Redesigned Appearance panel for easier handling of each shape's properties

Flash CS4

-Excellent improvements in Timeline
-Separate properties for each symbol (scaling, rotating, positioning etc like After Effects)
-Improved Motion Tweens
-Motion editor exactly like After Effects Graph Editor
-Motion Presets panel
-Support for Adobe Air applications
-h.264 codec support
-XFL (extreme flash), new file allowing files from InDesign or After Effects to be imported into Flash
-Inverse Kinetics (!!!), Bone tool for excellent cut-out animation.
-3D Transformation tool, z axis available for Flash

I'm eager to lay my hands on the new Flash. There are radical changes and it's a great improvement for animation field.

Check everything here: http://www.adobe.com/

:::Designer's Mind:::

That's a new illustration despicting "A Designer's Mind" made in Photoshop

Enjoy!

:::Animasyros 1.0:::

As I had mentioned in a previous entry, I attended the new animation festival Animasyros, September 19-21. It was a great experience for all attendees and dozens of animated films were screened during the festival. In addition I was an official speaker about "2D animation in the digital era", presenting some techniques in the standard workflow for Flash & After Effects.

The event was hosted in Syros island, in Apollo Theatre (an italian opera-style building)andincluded apart from the screenings, valuable workshops, presentations and various activities.

:::Ilias Sounas’ Condomunity Member Illustration Tutorial:::

As I had told you before, there's a nice tutorial about how I created a Condom Character in Adobe Illustrator, which has been posted to Condomunity blog.

There, you can find interesting info about condoms combined with humour and a little of artistic touch and all these by my friend Simon from Switcherland :)

You can read the full tutorial here

:::Sounas as a speaker in AnimaSyros 1.0 Animation Festival:::

A new animation festival is born!

Αniμasyroς (animasyros) is an annual international animation festival located in Syros island in the Aegean Sea in Greece .

Αniμasyroς will last for three days in September (19-21), during which a variety of animated films from all over the world will be shown and seminars on the history and techniques of animation will take place. In addition, there will be workshops, seminars and presentations by Eleni Mouri (Animation History), Costas Tiligadis (3D Animation), Atanas Djonov (Beware unfenced road - Australian animators), Christina De Pian (something is moving!).

I will also be a speaker about "2D animation in digital era", where I will present an example of workflow for digital animation in Flash & After Effects.

There's no entry fee, so you are all welcome to take part and enjoy yourselves by watching animated films in the beautiful Apollon Theatre in Syros.

You can read more in the official site

:::Amphibious Vehicular Love::: animated music video clip by Sounasdesign

This is my new animated video clip for The Majestic Twelve music band located in North Carolina, USA. They have great music :)
"Amphibious Vehicular Love" is a very weird track yet exciting with happy tunes. The same applies for this animated journey. From the very first time I heard the music I had this strange idea of this happy world in a...

No more words.
Watch it yourselves in HD on MyToons.com.




It was created by using (as usual) Adobe Illustrator, Flash & After Effects.
Characters was drawn in Illustrator, then I animated the characters in Flash and finally the composition and camera movements were added in After Effects.
Here are some stills from the final version. Enjoy!