Illustration and Design:

Depending on the project, I use a variety of tools and software to arrive at a final image.  I use Adobe Illustrator for jobs that require a high level of precision in their design and line work, such as logos or commercial illustrations.  For more straightforward “pen and  ink” style illustration, I’ll usually use either Adobe Photoshop or Manga Studio 5.  For any illustration requiring hand-drawn elements, I’ll use a Cintiq Pen Display.

Animation and Motion Graphics:

For animation, I’ve used a variety of tools over the years.  Autodesk Maya is the main software I use for 3D computer animation, while for 2D style animation, I mainly use Adobe After Effects.  Then depending on the editing demands, I may use Adobe Premiere for final video editing.

Of course, reality is these tools often cross purpose, with still images being created and rendered in Maya, or 3D animation being composited with hand drawn elements, so in the end there really are no hard and fast rules.  It’s basically whatever gets the job done, and I’m happy I have a variety of tools to work with.