Drawing on the computer

Jeff210

Hey all,

I have been wanting to get back into drawing for a long time. Now that I'm out of school and have some time/disposable income I was wondering what tools (software and hardware) you guys would recommend for someone like me.

I think eventually I'd like to learn how to paint but currently I would love to be able to draw using my computer, thus would need a tablet of some sort and I imagine photoshop or some equivalent.

Thanks in advance,

Metalbourne

GIMP and Opencanvas are both free and popular in the AC.

The questions and discussion sticky in the Artist's Corner has a lot of useful information also.

TychoCelchuuu

Drawing on the computer is something you do after you learn to draw in real life. Once you know what you're doing you get a tablet and almost any good image editing program these days, now that Photoshop's GPU support lets you dynamically rotate your image without actually changing it.

Apolloh

Yeah honestly i would begin first by drawing on some sketching paper and learning to draw that way before skipping ahead to the tablet.

Once you begin to get a footing with your own style you can begin using photoshop for your arts.

Lieberkuhn

TychoCelchuuu wrote: »

Drawing on the computer is something you do after you learn to draw in real life. Once you know what you're doing you get a tablet and almost any good image editing program these days, now that Photoshop's GPU support lets you dynamically rotate your image without actually changing it.

Not necessarily. Pencil and paper are tools, as is a tablet and photoshop. The main drawback to learning to draw with a computer is that tablets take a while to get used to; I guess your brain needs time to adjust to the weirdness of moving your hand while you look at something else. You might prefer a pencil to start with since it's cheap and can be used effectively from the get-go, but a computer can be very rewarding thanks to my all-time hero, the undo function. It's up to you, really; if you're planning on focusing on digital art then these are things you're going to be buying eventually, anyway.


Software: I recommend OpenCanvas 1.0: it's a very small freeware that doesn't require installing (I carry it around on a memory stick so I can use it wherever I go) and is surprisingly powerful considering, though it's admittedly a little buggy. Photoshop is a must for any serious digital artist, but not essential for a beginner, and it's very expensive. You might prefer Photoshop Elements, which is a much cheaper version designed for casual hobbyists rather than professionals.

Hardware: Buy a tablet. Absolutely. A4 or bigger is preferable. If you do decide to jump straight in with a tablet, don't be disheartened if you're shit at using it at first. Because you will be.

Awk

Get a sketchbook and nice pens and pencils and charcoal. and erasers.