What It Does
Paint & Stick 2 solves two problems After Effects’ built-in paint tool can’t: painting directly in the comp window (instead of the isolated layer view) and projecting paint strokes onto 3D renders without needing 3D geometry inside After Effects.
When you paint in After Effects normally, you’re stuck in the layer window with no context. This plugin lets you paint while seeing all your effects, track mattes, and adjustment layers in real time. The second feature, “Stick,” uses a patented algorithm to paint on one frame of a 3D render and have it track through the entire animation.
Key Features
Custom and Photoshop brush support. Export Photoshop brushes using the included tool or create custom brushes by clicking any part of your comp (with transparency). Your brush library lives right in After Effects.
Onion skinning for cel animation. Control frame step (1s, 2s, 3s), past/future/current frame display, and near-frame opacity. Apply Paint & Stick to an adjustment layer to use onion skinning on any animation, not just hand-drawn work.
Keyframe-based timing. Linear keyframes show a stroke for one frame, hold keyframes extend it until the next key. Retiming animations on 2s or 3s becomes straightforward.
Stick functionality. Paint on a single frame of a 3D render and the plugin tracks the strokes across the animation. Version 2.0 added support for sticking to live compositions, not just pre-rendered 3D passes. Requires a special Sticky Pass export, which is included as a free Cinema 4D plugin (R14-R20, with R20 requiring the plugin bridge).
Fast Draw mode. Strokes draw on the UI layer without rendering in the comp until you finish. Built for cel animators who prioritize smooth performance over real-time effects preview. Standard drawing is also fast, even at 4K.
Smart fill and path smoothing. Version 1.5 added a fill tool and brush stroke smoothing, especially useful when zoomed out. Anti-aliasing options range from Off to High with single or double pixel precision.
In-comp toolbar. Brush palette, onion skin controls, and drawing tools appear directly in the composition window. The brush palette (dockable as of version 1.5) includes hotkeys for faster access.
The plugin works with tablet pressure sensitivity. Astropad support for iPad Pro was added in version 2.1.
Who It’s For
Cel animators who need onion skinning in the comp, not buried in a separate window. Motion designers who paint on 3D renders without roundtripping to 3D software. Anyone frustrated by After Effects’ paint tool forcing you into layer view.
The Stick feature is most useful if you’re already rendering from Cinema 4D or another 3D app and want to hand-paint details like weathering, graffiti, or stylized textures without setting up projection cameras in the 3D software.
Compatibility note: Paint & Stick is not compatible with Apple Silicon Macs. Test the free trial with your hardware before buying.
Pricing
Two tiers:
- Paint Only ($99.99): Full painting features, onion skinning, custom brushes. Stick features are permanently watermarked.
- Paint & Stick ($199.99): No watermarks on any features.
Upgrade from Paint Only to full version by paying the difference (automatic discount in cart when logged in with the same account). Floating server licenses are available. Single-user licenses only, no subscriptions. Free trial available.
Version 2.0 was a free upgrade for existing users. Watermarks created with the trial or Paint Only version are permanent and cannot be removed later.
