When should I avoid using the glass board effect in my video?

You should avoid this feature when you have a voiceover, a large amount of text, or an animation longer than two minutes. It is also a bad idea to use it for imported images that take a long time to draw because it distracts the audience from your main message.

What are the best ways to use the glass board canvas?

This canvas works exceptionally well for revealing math equations, writing titles for specific scenes, and embedding text into an image. These specific methods help maintain viewer attention while adding a highly impressive visual element to your presentation.

Why is it a bad idea to use the glass board with a voiceover?

The visual effect of a hand drawing behind a transparent screen instantly grabs the attention of your audience. If you include spoken audio, the viewers will focus entirely on the drawing action and they will likely miss the important information you are speaking about.

Can I use a custom image as the background for the glass board?

It is not recommended to use custom images as the main canvas because they often appear washed out or fail to display properly. Instead, it is a much better practice to bring in your image as a full size asset or stick to solid background colors.

How does the color black work with the glass board background?

A completely black background does not display well with this specific canvas style unless you lower the opacity level to sixty percent. However, white backgrounds and pretty much any other standard color will work perfectly fine without needing any adjustments.

Doodly Intermediate Tutorial: Glass Board Use

Showing good and bad practices using the glass board canvas in Doodly.

Glass Board Use

This article explains the best method and uses of the Glass Board canvas and provides examples of when not to use it.

Note: We all love the glass board. We really like the effect but ask yourself are you trying to get the effect over to the user or are you trying to get your message to them. The glass board tends to be really distracting from your message.

Primary Bad Practice Examples

There are plenty of bad examples for using the glass board canvas but here are some of the few.

Imported images without reveal paths with a duration of 2 seconds or longer.
Why make the viewer sit there are watch a reverse scribble for 2 seconds or longer? This tactic can drive a viewer away instead of keep their attention.

The entire doodle
The effect of entire doodle that is longer than 2 minutes of consistently watching a hand behind the glass reveal assets will like drive a viewer away than keep their attention.

Asset reveal
This is very distracting and will likely take away from your message than enhance it.

When a voiceover is present
The glass board takes the focus of the viewer immediately. Do you want the focus to be your voiceover or to be the character that are being revealed?

With an absorbent amount of text
It is best to not use the glass board canvas when having a lot of text in the doodle. At this point, we want the focus to be on the text and not the hand revealing it. The glass board will have the opposite effect by taking the focus away from the text.

Using an image background as the canvas
Unless it is a solid color, some images, even though 1920 X 1080, do not work while other images can appear very faded. It is better practice to use an asset as a full canvas image at this time.

Best Practice Use

Revealing Mathematical Equations
The glass board is a perfect canvas for revealing mathematical equations. The equations keep the focus away from the reveal hand and the glass board compliments them quite well.

Text Embedding
This is the practice of embedding text into an image. Seeing an image and having a hand come from behind it and carve text into that image is quite impressive to the viewer and is sure to keep your viewers attention and add to that WOW factor.

Title Text
When your scene has a title on it, using the Glass Board just for the title only for a scene while using a different hand for revealing the other items is a really nice method for keeping a viewers attention.

Background Color
Using a background color as an asset will allow for a nice burn into the color feature when using contrasting colors.

Read Intermediate Skill Level Doodly Tutorial #21: Using Contrasting Colors

Note: Using an all black color, or lack of color for those technilites out there, doesn’t work well with the Glass Board canvas unless the opacity is set to 60%. Any color in the spectrum and white appear to work just fine.

Glass Board Use

Glass Board Use

Primary Bad Practice Examples

Best Practice Use

Frequently Asked Questions

About the author

Glass Board Use

Glass Board Use

Primary Bad Practice Examples

Best Practice Use

Frequently Asked Questions

1. When should I avoid using the glass board effect in my video?

2. What are the best ways to use the glass board canvas?

3. Why is it a bad idea to use the glass board with a voiceover?

4. Can I use a custom image as the background for the glass board?

5. How does the color black work with the glass board background?

About the author