I’m a horrible illustrator. While my personal writing often revolves around imagery, no ounce of creative skill translates to my fingertips. But that doesn’t stop me from appreciating the artwork of others—and with Wonder Painter, even a terrible artist like me can feel a sense of accomplishment seeing my thoughts, my creations, come to life.
Wonder Painter works like magic. All you have to do is draw whatever pops in your mind, snap a picture with your device (from phones and tablets to VR/AR headsets and smart toys), and watch your drawings turn into animations, instantly. You can even photograph real objects and people to animate. I’m still not exactly sure how it works, but I was amazed at how seamless the experience felt.
The company responsible for this wizardry—Xiaoxiaoniu Creative Technologies—was inspired by a Chinese folktale, in which a little boy’s magical paintbrush brings anything he draws to life. At the demo, I truly did feel a childlike wonder and power as I watched my elementary-level sketches dance across the screen. (And a little self-consciousness when I saw myself dancing better than I ever could in real life.)
But Wonder Painter goes beyond simply animating your creations. Xiaoxiaoniu also offers a suite of creative tools you can use to really let your imagination run wild. You can add your drawings to storybooks and video games—either from their collection of templates or your own inspiration. Imagine all the educational content you can make for kids that they’ll actually enjoy. Just the thought of their happy faces as they see their favorite characters on-screen really warms my heart. Plus, they’ll be excited to learn every time.
The Wonder Painter apps are in the App Store, but you’ll have to reach out via email to use them. If you do, you’ll be amazed. Guaranteed.
