Paint digitally, and animate with friends: Tagtool’s live “multiplayer” painting project has already been a live visual hit as a non-commercial project. The “DIY” version relied on custom software and a gamepad; various artists created their own hardware. Now, Tagtool has come to iPad, which makes for easier painting and broadened appeal.
Tagtool had always been something unique; its creators described it as “a performative visual instrument used on stage and on the street … a VJ tool, a creative video game, or an intuitive way of creating animation.”
Now, on iPad, it continues that tradition. You can use ten-fingered, two-hands painting with traditional digital brushes. (Cleverly, you can flip the interface if you’re left-handed.) But you can also animate – swipe, and you can add motion.
A New Universe of Animated Art: Tagtool for iPad from Tagtool on Vimeo.
The only bad news is, the price is hefty compared to other similar apps, at US$39.99. (That’d be dirt-cheap for desktop, but one problem with mobile has been, even for creative and performative apps, people have been trained to expect less.) But, if it interests someone, I’d love to see a review – I can hook you up and let you try it out (ideally, you and a friend).
That’s the tool; here it is making actual performance. Description: “This is a video of a Tagtool session by Maki and iink at an abandoned industrial complex right next to the cemetery of the nameless in Vienna.”
The Night is our Canvas from Tagtool on Vimeo.
More:
http://www.tagtool.at/ [the new, official site]
http://www.tagtool.org/wp/about/ [the original, DIY tool]
iPads are practical, but there is a certain charm to these DIY hardware controllers.