Introducing the Tagtool project

Last Wednesday I set up a 'taster' session at the library to introduce the staff team to the Tagtool project.


The Tagtool is a live performance instrument for drawing and animation.

It's similar to a musical instrument but it plugs into a projector instead of a sound system.







The great thing about the Tagtool is that people with little or no computer experience can feel at home with it immediately. It can be used by anyone who can hold a pen.

Everything you see is created on the spot by the artist.

Kerri, a youth worker from Grey Lodge Settlement picked up the pen and made this flower which was animated by Alistair from Science and Business. It just took about three minutes to make.


















Ida from the Local History department started tentativly saying, "Im no good at drawing you know" but after playing around with the colours for a few minutes she didn't want to come off.





Anyone who knows Ida will know colour is very important to her. The vibrancy of colour created by Tagtool made the tool very appealing.


Eilidh, arts and philosophy student from Duncan of Jordanstone dropped by. Despite living in the city for 18 months it was the first time she had been in the central library.

Eilidh met with some of the staff and we tried out projecting on ourselves and drawing to music.


Shona and Margaret managed to escape from of the Children's Department to try the Tagtool.

They'd like to see it used to enhance the activities in the children's area like storytelling sessions and baby rhyme time. With this in mind I invited local illustrator John Paterson into the library, his style of drawings would really suit the Tagtool.

You can see more of Johns work here. John is currently working on an online anti-bullying project creating animated characters for children to relate to.

Later in the week John and I met with Shona in the childrens department, together we discussed the possibility of projecting live drawings on the frosted glass windows to accompany story time.

Another option would be to make the tool available to children to animate the storytime sessions themselves.


We set up the tool for ten year old Harvey to try out.

In a matter of minutes Harvey was making his own football animations

Background info on Tagtool

...finally when Harvey had gone to bed, John made a late night attempt at a spaceship....