light tables

MikeF

Hey guys, i know this forum is primarily digital 2d/3d but i know there are some traditional animators as well. I've been asked to teach a summer traditional animation camp to kids aged 9-12 and I'm in need of some cheap or easily constructable light tables (and if possible cheap pegbars aswell)

Hito

You can get medium sized lightboxes for about 60$ each, I think they'er 10x14"? As far as i know there aren't cheap light tables unless you build it yourself. Usually cutting a hole in a board and mounting a lightbox under it.

I still have my 10F portotrace, the case is metal and is a bit heavier than the plastic light box.

plastic pegbars can be bought for a buck or two in packs of 10 or 20

http://www.lightfootltd.com/index.php/cPath/25_45

Mark Dygert

At the first placed I worked, we had a few DIY light tables/boxes. We also had some really expensive light tables but quite a few people liked to make their own and customize it to fit their needs. Most looked like plastic topped small podiums with a cricular florescent bulb mounted inside.

If you're thinking about building them to teach some kind of class, you MIGHT be able to get some places to donate the supplies.

Em.

I bought one that's usually used for scrapbooking and other craft-type stuff at an arts and crafts store(Michaels) and I believe it was 30$ or less. This was about 5 years ago, I think the brand name was Lighttracer or something like that. They're plastic and very light weight but durable. Found a link here:: Lighttracer

Rick Stirling

I built one out of a bust scanner.

r13

funny enough... i have a light table for sale. It's a Mayline Forester Light Table, 36" deep x 48" wide x 36" tall

It's a left over bit of equipment from my architect days. I recently put it up in my local craig's list listings, but haven't managed to make a sale yet. It's a full on professional studio bit of furniture. Top tilts up and all that. It is awesome. But as I haven't touched it for 7-8 years I figured it was time to stick it on the market and get it out of my spare room. Not that I'm expecting anyone from here to buy it... just waxing nostalgic on one of my old bits of history.

MikeF

hey... a scanner that could work out perfectly now that you mention it, the school i'm doing this for has piles of old ones going to waste.
thanks guys

Slum

http://msanfilippo.typepad.com/sanfilippo/2006/07/old_scanner_bec.html

There's a bit of info on scanner light tables.

MikeF

thanks slum.
While i'm at it, would anyone have some suggestions for simple exercises to get the kids into the material without scaring them away?

So far i've got:
-post it note flipbook
-ball bounce
-bomb explosion.

I'm working with a 2 hour time frame twice a week, so I cant get into anything too complex or time consuming.

aesir

penny walk cycle: where you take a penny and shoot it on a lunchbox going through a smooth up and down motion and draw on little stick legs so that its walking.

skrubbles

You can actually get them new for lower then $60. Dick Blick offers two different 10x12" light tables for $30.

Gagne Porta-Trace

Artograph Lightracer

Jeremy Wright

I have the 2'-3' porta-trace. I bought it about 5 years ago with a college loan refund, and it's the best $400 I ever spent. Pricey, but awesome.

spitty

are you only doing flipbook type animations? if you are using cameras to film your animations, you could always get them to do stop motion animation on everyday objects or even animations of themselves moving around.

MikeF

I'm starting them off with simple stuff like building a zoetrope, then moving on to stop motion, flip books, then finally shooting on film.

I mainly need some ideas for the on film portion...
I've got the ball bounce, penny walk, and explosion, still need 2-3 more ideas

Hito

picking up heavy weight;
jumping/stairs;
cat/dog running/walking;
open choice of what do they want to animate?

aesir

another good exercise is a two part pendulum. Think of a normal pendulum and then add a jointed second section to the bottom so as it swings back and forth you have to animate the seconday pendulum trailing behind it. Its good for secondary motion and helps you for animating arms in walkcycles (although in this case the arm would be breaking with every swing). I hope I explained that right. not really thinking clearly right now.

baseball and golf swings are also good more advanced exercises.

hawken

I used to have a fairly hardcore lighttable

thanks for the memories. Ah, the days before computers eh?

Neo_God

I remember at my last school there was an animation teacher who suggested just getting a large plastic storage container and a florescent light and put it underneath it. It shouldn't cost more than $30.