To all the artists on the boards

[Tribal]

I post this here cause i'm not sure if they read the NGDs

 

My wife just gave me an wacom Intuos3 drawing tablet for our 10th anniv.

She wanted me to start drawing again and since I sit in front of the computer all the time it was a natural progression:)

 

But I'm a bit overwelmed, never used anything but pencils, Inks & paint before. I barely know where to start. It came with Corel Painter Essentials 3 & adobe Photoshop elements (never used either program before)

 

If anyone can give me some friendly advice or point me toward some tutorials.

Do you tend to do your pencils normal than scan in and work, or do you use the pad for everything. some :help:

 

here was my 3rd try with just messing with the tablet

[Sketchpad]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

Heya Tribal ...

I use a Wacom Tablet in everything I do art & design wise these days. I tend to draw on paper and then ink over them in Adobe Illustrator by making separate layers and tracing over the pencils. I prefer Illustrator because of the line quality, and then transfer them to Photoshop for coloration.

[Tribal]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

Thanks Sketchpad thats the type of info I need, will have to look into Adobe Illustrator

[Sketchpad]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

I highly recommend it It's a great program and works extremely well with the Wacom board (just ask Missus Sketch, she's been mapping with it all week ). The next thing I want is a Cintiq board

[Enforcer84]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

Whats a Cintiq Board if I may ask?

[Tribal]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

the cintiq tablet is wild, It's like taking down a flat screen monitor and drawing right on it. just like drawing on paper. unlike the other tablets where you draw on the tablet but have to be looking at the screen (which is taking a little getting used to)

 

Here is a video of someone using a cintiq

 

And the follow up video

[Radar]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

*momentarily speechless*

 

 

I know what my next major electronics purchase is going to be.

[Sketchpad]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

Yup ... that's them. Saw one in use one day and instantly said "Oh yes ... it will be mine!"

[Storn]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

Here is the big tip that started me well on my way for digital coloring. I, too, scan in either line art or pencils. I much prefer doing line art that ol' fashion way... brush and pen.

 

Line art is easy to color.

 

Coloring over pencils not so much... UNLESS you know this tip... the "multiply" layer. Setting a layer to Multiply keeps the pencil while you color over it. I usually have a layer above the Multiply one that is "Normal" which I paint on where I do NOT want to keep the pencil line. But often, pencil line I want to keep... here is an example of digital over pencil...

 

I learned this from Sketch magazine several years ago...and it revolutionized the way I work digitally. In credit due where credit is due category.

 

[Tribal]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

Thanks I really like you work Storn

 

what software are using , I'm using Corel painter essential 3 which is what I have been playing around with now, & adobe Photoshop (which I have not ventured into yet)

 

The Tablet is a 12 x 12 so I have been really enjoying sketching right on the pad. I thought I would have a problem looking at the screen while drwaing on the tablet but it hasn't been an issue so far. I started playing with the layers for coloring (using mostly airbrush or pencils), but havent played to much with it.

 

I need to take some of my old sketchs to work to scan so I can play with them.

 

Can you recommend any other reading material. I was thinking of looking for a class at the local community college but not sure if I can work it in.

[eternal_sage]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

as a recent graduate from a Digital Media program (East Tennessee State University) i can tell you that classes are only good for teaching you how to use a program, not the real art learnin' you may (or may not be looking for).

 

personally, i'd cruise CGTalk (http://forums.cgsociety.org/) which is were i find alot of my tutorials

 

i also suggest 3DTotal (http://www.3dtotal.com/), even though it is more devoted to 3d, it has some decent 2d tutorials

 

and this is just some random list of tutorials compiled by someone else: http://www.3dbuzz.com/vbforum/showthread.php?t=105003

 

i also suggest (if you have a tight budget) picking up GIMP and Inkscape for your use. both are freeware, and GIMP is a great Raster based tool (like Photoshop or Paintshop Pro) while Inkscape is a nice Vector based program (like Illustrator or Painter). your tools don't really matter, just your skill with them, so if you want to save a buck, i suggest either using these free programs or the ones that came with your tablet (although the tablet programs are both dumbed down versions of their respective high end packages, they are still fine for a hobbyist)

[Korvar]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

Line art is easy to color.

 

Coloring over pencils not so much... UNLESS you know this tip... the "multiply" layer. Setting a layer to Multiply keeps the pencil while you color over it.

 

So very true. Multiply for the win. Here's one I did a while back; the Elf is digitally coloured pencil using the aforementioned multiply technique; the background is CGI rendered.

[mancerbear]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

Hi Tribal,

 

I too prefer the old fashioned style of inking, but I colour all my work on the computer. The tablet has really helped with that, and touching up inking mistakes too I use Photoshop, and then layers, normally one for the inks sitting on top of everything else and set to multiply, then under that, from the bottom up, I have the flats, the shadows, and the highlights. Above those, and somtimes above the inks, I have a few special effects layers. There are a heap of tutorials on the net to look out for, and they are really helpful.

 

Good luck, and let us see your work

 

Cheers

[Tribal]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

Thanks for all the advice, just playing around with everything.

 

Started using layers, just need to get a hold of all the different tools and how they work

 

I did this just on the tablet, using the pencil tool to lay down everything then painting with the airbrush, Had to fix an ear that was too high on his head and this is what I got. please let me know what you think or what I may be able to do differently

[Sketchpad]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

That's not too bad Tribal I like the coloration ... nice use of brush stroke

[eternal_sage]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

hell, dude, i think all you need is a little practice in the new medium, as you seem to have a firm grasp of the basics already!

 

good job.

[Tribal]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

Thank you both for the kind words, I just have to stick with it

 

Normally with the pen & paper way I would get frustrated half way through a drawing, So I really need to give this my all, and keep practicing.

[Tribal]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

Ok still playing around. I took an old game day doodle and added color

Still needs some clean up but would like some Comments & feedback Please

[eternal_sage]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

again, i think you pretty much have it, just get a little more into the shading (unless cartoony is what you were looking for) but otherwise, i think you are well on your way.

[Comic]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

Okay, yes, they're clearly doodles.

 

But the transition from doodle to something else is clear, not just for the fact that they're colored advantageously, but also that there's hints and indications of more dimension, movement, characterisation and expression to the images than one associates with doodles.

 

If this is what happens to your doodles while you're still learning how to use the thing, then it's pretty impressive.

[Tribal]

Re: To all the artists on the boards

 

I was playing with an old scanned drawing

 

And did some cleaning up & coloring

 

Let me know what you think

Thanks