grease-pencil
Purpose
2D inside Blender: boards, animatics, 2D characters, overlays, cleanup sketches, and hybrid 2D-3D shots that live or die in compositing.
Scope
D130 [OPT], Depth 40. Story structure still preproduction. Final 3D lookdev is lookdev. Comp of hybrids is render-comp.
Activation Conditions
- Grease Pencil, 2D animation in Blender, GP boards, 2D overlays, hybrid 2D-3D
Use grease-pencil
Non-Activation Conditions
- Pure 3D character pipeline with no 2D (skip)
- Photoshop concept painting outside Blender (character-design may still use it)
- Final grade (→ render-comp)
Instructions
- GP3 object model (40.1): object → layers → strokes/fills; in 3D space.
- Drawing & animation (40.2): onion skin, Dope Sheet, keyframe strokes, interpolate carefully.
- Materials & looks (40.3): make it look like 2D, not 3D-with-lines. Lights optional; often self-display.
- Classic 2D workflow (40.4): rough → cleanup → fill → FX layers.
- Hybrid pipelines (40.5): GP characters over 3D sets; GP FX over 3D; 3D characters with GP outlines (also Ch 18.4).
- Performance (40.6): stroke budget, simplify, viewport.
- Comp rule: render GP and 3D as separate passes with matching color management (AgX) and grade together. The 2D/3D discrepancy is a grade/lighting problem more than a stroke problem.
- For boards: camera notation still required (preproduction D09).
Procedures
Boarding in GP
Draw in camera view; one layer per character/bg; export frames to VSE animatic.
Hybrid shot
3D scene holdout or depth; GP in scene or as overlay collection; view layers; comp.
Decision Logic
Use GP when 2D is the look or the fastest board. Don't replace a 3D pipeline that needs 3D.
Inputs
- Boards need / 2D look / overlay FX / hybrid intent, cameras, style
Outputs
- GP objects/layers
- 2D animation or boards
- View-layer/comp notes for hybrid
- Shared state: boards source = GP if so
Tools
Grease Pencil 3 (4.3+), onion skin, GP modifiers, Line Art modifier (related outline method). Depth 40.
Constraints
GP3 rewrite in 4.3 — don't assume GP2 workflows. Don't mix color management. Don't infinite-stroke a fill that a material can do.
Edge Cases
- Anime outlines: Line Art vs GP vs hull (5.17) — pick one hero method.
- Magical-girl 2D FX over 3D body: this skill + vfx + render-comp.
Failure Modes & Fixes
| FAIL |
FIX |
| Looks like 3D lines on a model |
GP materials; lighting off; comp |
| Lag |
Stroke budget; simplify (40.6) |
| Drift vs 3D |
Parent to camera or 3D empty; same focal |
| Board without camera notes |
Add D106 notation |
Dependencies
- Feeds preproduction animatic
- Feeds render-comp hybrids
- Optional outline method for lookdev NPR
Related Skills
preproduction, lookdev, vfx, render-comp, cinematography
Delegation Rules
- Story beats → preproduction
- Toon shader body → lookdev Ch 18
- Comp merge → render-comp Ch 36
- If user wants a full 2D film in GP, stay here for craft; still use preproduction for story
Examples
- Animatic: GP boards in camera, VSE cut to temp music.
- Hybrid: 3D city, GP rain streaks and character, graded together.
Required Knowledge / Context
knowledge/depth/ch40-grease-pencil.mdknowledge/domains/ch01-preproduction.md (D130, D09, D10)
References to Shared Resources
decision-engine 5.17examples/E-anime-magical-girl.md
1---2name: grease-pencil3description: Grease Pencil 3 (Blender 4.3+) object model, 2D drawing and animation, GP materials and looks, classic 2D inside Blender, and hybrid 2D-3D pipelines.4---56# grease-pencil78## Purpose9102D inside Blender: boards, animatics, 2D characters, overlays, cleanup sketches, and hybrid 2D-3D shots that live or die in compositing.1112## Scope1314D130 [OPT], Depth 40. Story structure still `preproduction`. Final 3D lookdev is `lookdev`. Comp of hybrids is `render-comp`.1516## Activation Conditions1718- Grease Pencil, 2D animation in Blender, GP boards, 2D overlays, hybrid 2D-3D19- `Use grease-pencil`2021## Non-Activation Conditions2223- Pure 3D character pipeline with no 2D (skip)24- Photoshop concept painting outside Blender (character-design may still use it)25- Final grade (→ render-comp)2627## Instructions28291. GP3 object model (40.1): object → layers → strokes/fills; in 3D space.302. Drawing & animation (40.2): onion skin, Dope Sheet, keyframe strokes, interpolate carefully.313. Materials & looks (40.3): make it look like 2D, not 3D-with-lines. Lights optional; often self-display.324. Classic 2D workflow (40.4): rough → cleanup → fill → FX layers.335. Hybrid pipelines (40.5): GP characters over 3D sets; GP FX over 3D; 3D characters with GP outlines (also Ch 18.4).346. Performance (40.6): stroke budget, simplify, viewport.357. Comp rule: render GP and 3D as separate passes with matching color management (AgX) and grade together. The 2D/3D discrepancy is a grade/lighting problem more than a stroke problem.368. For boards: camera notation still required (preproduction D09).3738## Procedures3940### Boarding in GP41Draw in camera view; one layer per character/bg; export frames to VSE animatic.4243### Hybrid shot443D scene holdout or depth; GP in scene or as overlay collection; view layers; comp.4546## Decision Logic4748Use GP when 2D is the look or the fastest board. Don't replace a 3D pipeline that needs 3D.4950## Inputs5152- Boards need / 2D look / overlay FX / hybrid intent, cameras, style5354## Outputs5556- GP objects/layers57- 2D animation or boards58- View-layer/comp notes for hybrid59- Shared state: boards source = GP if so6061## Tools6263Grease Pencil 3 (4.3+), onion skin, GP modifiers, Line Art modifier (related outline method). Depth 40.6465## Constraints6667GP3 rewrite in 4.3 — don't assume GP2 workflows. Don't mix color management. Don't infinite-stroke a fill that a material can do.6869## Edge Cases7071- Anime outlines: Line Art vs GP vs hull (5.17) — pick one hero method.72- Magical-girl 2D FX over 3D body: this skill + vfx + render-comp.7374## Failure Modes & Fixes7576| FAIL | FIX |77|---|---|78| Looks like 3D lines on a model | GP materials; lighting off; comp |79| Lag | Stroke budget; simplify (40.6) |80| Drift vs 3D | Parent to camera or 3D empty; same focal |81| Board without camera notes | Add D106 notation |8283## Dependencies8485- Feeds preproduction animatic86- Feeds render-comp hybrids87- Optional outline method for lookdev NPR8889## Related Skills9091preproduction, lookdev, vfx, render-comp, cinematography9293## Delegation Rules9495- Story beats → preproduction96- Toon shader body → lookdev Ch 1897- Comp merge → render-comp Ch 3698- If user wants a full 2D film in GP, stay here for craft; still use preproduction for story99100## Examples101102- Animatic: GP boards in camera, VSE cut to temp music.103- Hybrid: 3D city, GP rain streaks and character, graded together.104105## Required Knowledge / Context106107- `knowledge/depth/ch40-grease-pencil.md`108- `knowledge/domains/ch01-preproduction.md` (D130, D09, D10)109110## References to Shared Resources111112- `decision-engine` 5.17113- `examples/E-anime-magical-girl.md`
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