Recording a time-lapse of your painting in Paint by Zaweba

People love watching a picture come together. A short clip of a painting growing from a sketch to a finished piece shows skill in a way a still never can. Paint by Zaweba records that for you. File > Record Time-Lapse captures a frame every N seconds when the picture has changed, and Export Time-Lapse writes the result as MP4 or WebM (when FFmpeg is present), GIF, WebP or a folder of PNG frames.

How the recording works

You set the interval and start recording. From then on, every N seconds, Paint by Zaweba checks whether the picture has changed and, if it has, saves a frame. If you stop to think, answer the phone or make tea, nothing changes on the canvas, so nothing is recorded. The finished clip shows the work, not the pauses.

The interval sets the pace. A short interval catches every stroke and gives a smooth, longer video. A long interval gives a brisker clip that suits social media, where viewers want the whole journey in under a minute.

Choosing an export

MP4 and WebM are video formats, and they need FFmpeg to be present on your PC. MP4 is the safe choice for most social platforms and video editors. WebM suits websites.

GIF and animated WebP play anywhere images play, including chat apps and forums that don't embed video. GIF is the most widely supported; WebP is usually smaller and keeps more colour.

PNG frames give you every frame as a separate image. Choose that when you want to edit the time-lapse further in a video editor, add music and titles, or slow down one section.

Tips for a good time-lapse

Start recording before the first mark, even if you are not sure the piece will be worth sharing. The blank canvas and the first sketch lines are part of the story, and they're easy to forget once you are absorbed.

Think about length before you start. A four hour painting at a short interval produces a lot of frames. A slightly longer interval often gives a better result for sharing.

Hide private reference layers or anything you don't want to share before you begin, since what is visible is what gets recorded.

Who uses it

Digital painters and illustrators use time-lapses for portfolios, social posts and teaching. Art teachers can show a technique step by step. Retouchers can show a before-and-after transformation to a client. Anyone who sells commissions can give buyers a short process video as a bonus, which also helps show the work was hand made.

That last point fits with content credentials, another feature of Paint by Zaweba, which can sign each exported JPEG or PNG with a record that no AI was used. A time-lapse is the visual proof; the signed record is the technical one.

Part of the painting routine

Time-lapse recording runs alongside the brush engine and the rest of the painting tools without getting in the way. It works offline, writes ordinary files, and leaves what you do with the clip entirely up to you.