Multimedia & graphics macOS
Pencil2D for macOS
Draw frame-by-frame 2D animations with Pencil2D, a free, open-source app for macOS. Use bitmap drawing tools, a keyframe timeline and onion-skin previews.
- Operating system
- macOS 10.14 or later
- Architecture
- Intel
- Download package
- DMG disk image
Publisher-listed stable Mac package. Native Apple Silicon support is not established here; older macOS versions have a separate legacy download.
Link checked · Download guidance
What is Pencil2D?
Pencil2D is for making hand-drawn 2D animation one frame at a time. Draw on a bitmap layer, add or duplicate keyframes on the timeline, and play the sequence to check the motion. Onion skin shows earlier and later drawings as a guide, while dockable panels keep drawing tools and colors beside the canvas.
The publisher offers Pencil2D 0.7.2 for Intel Macs running macOS 10.14 or later as a DMG disk image. This entry links to that package, not the separate legacy build. The screenshot is a historical Windows interface image from the publisher’s manual; it illustrates the workspace, not the appearance of the current Mac release.
Pencil2D includes both raster and vector workflows, but its 0.7.2 release notes warn that the vector engine is unfinished and should not be used for serious projects. Bitmap drawing is the more appropriate starting point when that limitation matters.
What it offers
- Draw hand-made animation frames with bitmap tools and color panels.
- Add, remove and duplicate keyframes on the timeline, then play the sequence.
- Use onion skin to compare previous and next keyframes while drawing.
- Arrange dockable tool, color and settings panels around the canvas.
- Switch between raster and vector workflows, subject to the publisher’s vector-engine warning.
Good to know
- The 0.7.2 release notes describe the vector engine as a work in progress and advise against using it for serious projects.
- The selected Mac package is listed for Intel and requires macOS 10.14 or later; this entry does not establish native Apple Silicon support.
Product images
Sources
References used for this listing. Retrieval dates do not indicate hands-on testing.
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