#1: Welcome
Hi there, welcome to my brand new newsletter! 😃
This is the first issue of the Brush Ninja newsletter so I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has signed up. I wasn’t sure if anybody would so it’s fantastic to see that so many want to be kept updated!
Happy New Year! #HAPPYNEWYEAR2021 #brushninja pic.twitter.com/kReEtB7kyp
— Ben 🖌 (@BinaryMoon) December 31, 2020
Version 2
As you have no doubt seen Brush Ninja Version 2 was published at the start of January. This was a total rewrite, from scratch, that took me the best part of last year to create.
I’m pleased to say the update has mostly been very well received. It’s always nerve wracking releasing new things, especially when the old version is well liked.
Eraser
The most common feature request is for an Eraser. This was available in the first version of Brush Ninja but unfortunately it’s no longer technically possible to support it.
Brush Ninja now uses a vector drawing library, previously it was a bitmap drawing system, to allow individual shapes to be moved, scaled, and rotated without loss of quality. This adds a lot of flexibility but it means an eraser isn’t possible.
Possible workarounds include:
- Going to select mode (the arrow in the menu) and deleting shapes.
- Moving, scaling, or rotating shapes in Select mode.
The library I am using is constantly changing and improving so I will keep an eye on this feature and will certainly add an eraser if it becomes possible, but I think it’s unlikely.
Fill
A lot of people ask about the colour fill/ paint bucket. It doesn’t work the way filling works in apps like Photoshop but the feature is now there.
At any one time you can set separate line and fill colours. The line colour affects the paint brush, straight lines, and the outlines on shapes. The fill affects the interior colour on shapes and the colour of text.
You can also add a fill colour to shapes drawn with the paintbrush by going to select mode, selecting a line, and clicking the fill colour (in fill mode) that you want to use.
In select mode you can change the line or fill colour on any shape at any time.
It’s quite simple once you understand it, but it’s different to other apps so may take some getting used to.
Brush Ninja Animations
This weekend I updated the Brush Ninja animation gallery to make it quicker to load, and allow me to add more animations. So, if you share something cool on Twitter I will add it more quickly, just use the #brushninja hashtag and I should be able to find it.
As a Star Wars geek I love [this animation of the Death Star exploding] (https://twitter.com/clymercreates/status/1351978245911142411) 😃:
Wow! Our 8th graders are loving the new updates to Brush Ninja, thanks @BinaryMoon! #middleschoolart #animation #brushninja @WoburnK12Arts @KMSWoburn pic.twitter.com/AqdB6V7JXb
— Mrs.ClymerCreates (@clymercreates) January 20, 2021
Current Developments
I am currently mostly bug fixing the new release, but I have a couple of features planned for the next month or two. If you want to get an early look at the new features then you can join the Brush Ninja Patreon.
The Brush Ninja Patreon helps to support the development of the app and website.
At the start of the year I decided to make Brush Ninja 100% free, but I still have to pay for servers and the services the app uses; so I need to earn some money to cover these. Every Patron that signs up helps me to cover my costs and hopefully, one day, work on Brush Ninja full time.
I look forward to seeing your creations on Twitter.
Until next month! - Ben
