# pencil2d/pencil

> Pencil2D is an easy, intuitive tool to make 2D hand-drawn animations. Pencil2D is open source and cross-platform.

- GitHub: https://github.com/pencil2d/pencil
- Website: http://pencil2d.org
- Category: UI & Design (https://ideas.asveas.com/c/ui)
- Tags: animation, bitmap, cartoon, cplusplus, drawing, graphics2d, linux, macos, multi-platform, onion-skin, pencil2d, qt5, cpp
- Language: C++ · License: GPL-2.0
- Stars: 1,879 · Forks: 329 · Open issues: 208
- Last push: 2026-11-10 (yesterday)
- Vibe score: 77/100

## What it is
Pencil2D is a free and open source animation/drawing software for Windows, macOS, Linux, and FreeBSD. It lets you create traditional hand-drawn animation (cartoon) using both bitmap and vector graphics. Pencil2D is a community-driven project developed entirely by volunteers and we are always looking for more helping hands! There are many different ways to contribute, so anyone can help regardless of their background. For more information, please see the Contributing section below.

## When to use it
Reach for pencil when you want your app to look great fast — components, icons, motion, charts or rich editors — it's written in C++ and fits stacks tagged animation, bitmap, cartoon, cplusplus.

## Maintenance
pencil2d/pencil looks very actively maintained: the last push was yesterday (2026-11-10), with 1,879 stars and 208 open issues.

## Quick start
```bash
git clone https://github.com/pencil2d/pencil.git
```

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Source: https://ideas.asveas.com/r/pencil2d/pencil · Catalog: https://ideas.asveas.com/llms.txt