I’m thrilled to announce my latest project – Brush Ninja. Brush Ninja is a browser-based animation app that aims to bring back the simplicity and creativity of early versions of similar platforms.
Sketch Star
I am employed by Miniclip, an online games website, where we develop various projects. One such project was Sketch Star, an animation tool built in Flash that allowed users to create animations online. Unfortunately, Sketch Star did not achieve the desired level of success and was eventually shut down.
For some time, I had wanted to create my own version of Sketch Star. The original platform started out simple but gradually became more complex over time with additional features. In my opinion, the earlier version offered more creative animations. I believe that limitations often encourage creativity and wanted to recapture that essence.
Brush Ninja
Following the closure of Sketch Star in April this year, I began formulating ideas for my own animation website. My vision for Brush Ninja was to keep it much simpler than its predecessor. It would feature just a few brushes, a limited color palette, and a handful of brush sizes. While there may be potential for expansion in the future, the primary goal will always be simplicity.
Before starting work on Brush Ninja (which was not yet named), I was concerned that Miniclip might view it as competition and not allow me to pursue it as a personal project. However, after discussing it with my manager and obtaining approval from the CEO and legal team, I received permission to proceed with development on my own. I would like to express my gratitude to Jeremy, Rob, and Brian at Miniclip for granting me this opportunity.
Several months later, the Brush Ninja splash page is now live, featuring a timelapse video showcasing an animation I created:
Currently, the website only consists of the video and a subscription form for newsletter updates. However, I am actively working on the site behind the scenes and plan to open it up to users later this year. If you’re interested, I would greatly appreciate it if you could sign up on BrushNinja.com.
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