On the topic of books, I've got a question. I've seen a lot of what looks like conflicting information regarding Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Specifically it's mentioned in the tutorial thread, I've seen it mentioned a throughout this forum. But I've also seen a lot of harsh criticism towards it here. I recently signed up for a class that has this as the textbook. Should I be worried?
I'd like to learn to draw, but I don't want to learn things that are just going to have to be unlearned so I can start learning correctly. :?
Well, it's good, but it can be bad, if you take it too seriously.
It's good, especially for a beginner, because the exercises are designed to break habits of drawing objects as symbols (ie: notice how most kids draw the same kind of football shaped "eye", but it doesn't really look like a real eye? That's a symbol), and instead basing drawing based on direct observation- paying attention to the shape of the space around an object, drawing an object when it's upside down so your mind can't immediately recognize and dismiss it, etc.
On this level it's good- even though I've been told that the 'science' bits in between the exercises are actually somewhat shaky, the exercises themselves are solid, and teach necessary things.
The problem is that it's not a very thorough book (you can go through the whole thing by yourself over a weekend or two, as it was written primarily for "Hey, even YOU can learn to draw!" kind of workshops) and doesn't lead or suggest further study, which can hamper development if you believe what's laid down in the book is how it is, that's how you draw, and that's that (an idea that the text of the book does nothing to dispel.)
Direct observation is great, but without learning the concepts of measuring, of perspective, of understanding how light and shade works, of construction, or design, you'll have a hard time developing further, as these things not only sharpen your observation and drawing skills, but give you a greater flexibility to draw from imagination, or edit from the model to make a more compelling piece of art, rather than a xerox-like copy of the model.
TL;DR: The book is a good place for a student to start development- maybe the best one on the market for its specific role of teaching from a "so you don't know anything about drawing yet" perspective, but it is absolutely imperative that you don't let your development END with the book. (A lesson a lot of art teachers, unfortunately, haven't learned themselves.)
Thanks for the quick reply, I really appreciate it. I'll be sure to follow the book/class up with the other recomended books mentioned around here. Definately good to know I'm not shooting myself in the foot with this book/class.
Who knows, maybe I'll post something around here for hitting like a pinata with the criticism stick!
Edit: My command of the written word isn't so good at the moment. Fixing as I see things.
I'm a beginner at drawing but I'm looking to pursue a career in concept art. Right now I'm learning things by myself until I get the opportunity of getting a degree.
I've been practicing with the "just grab a pencil and a piece of paper" philosophy the last months but I'm getting tired of watching my drawings turn to crap in terms of shading and "color" due to crappy material (it's already bad enough that I'm still learning), so I was wondering if you guys could give me some advices on starting gear v2.0 :P
What should I start buying ? What kind of pencils/graphite ? What trademarks, etc ?
I hope I'm not repeating questions, since I didnt actually read the whole 40+ pages of this thread but from the links/tutorials/guides I've seen here and all around the internet I didn't really find an answer focused to this question.
Use something aside from computer paper...getting a sketchbook would actually be a great idea, because you'd be able to keep all your drawings together, and it's easier to carry around. I usually get the hardcover, book-bound kinds, because I like the texture of the paper (slightly more textured than computer paper, but not too textured), and the durability. Spiral-bound are great for having easy access to the entire page, and for taking drawings out, if you plan on doing that. The pages are also easier to scan, because the book lays flat.
Mirado Black Warrior pencils were a favorite of mine for drawing...and Faber-Castell make nice pencils, too (in a range of hardnesses - I suggest you start with an HB). If you're relatively new to drawing, I'd suggest you stay away from mechanical pencils for now.
An essential item that you will need is a good eraser. Pentel makes a great little click-able eraser for erasing that's a little more precise. A chunkier eraser (my all-time favorite) is made by Staedtler. The white plastic erasers are excellent, and the kind I mentioned are great because they don't smudge or leave marks on the paper, like lots of pink erasers do.
None of this stuff is expensive, by the way. The sketchbook will be the most expensive, and it'll be under $20 as long as you buy 11" x 14" or smaller. 11x14 is my favorite size, but some people prefer the good ole 8" x 11", or 10", or whatever size is the next smallest.
~~~~~~
Also: post your work here once you've done some sketches! One of the fastest ways to get better is to seek out honest critiques, and learn from your mistakes. Having another person look at your work is a great way to find out where the piece may need improvement - in an area you may have overlooked.
Good luck!
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NappuccinoSurveyor of Things and StuffRegistered Userregular
edited November 2010
So... I've often thought about getting into photography, if only because it fits my method of inspiration a bit better (i.e. impulsive bursts of OMG need to capture that now).
But is it better go to with a film camera or a digital one if I'm actually thinking about getting into more than just quick pics with friends?
edit: a second thing i'm kinda looking for is (potentially) using a digital camera to make short films- if i do get a digital camera is there a good middle ground camera for that or would i be better off getting two different cameras in the long run?
So... I've often thought about getting into pornography
I hope I'm not only one who read it that way, but I suspect I am.
Your better off with digital, it's the cheapest format to make mistakes in and the difference in quality is a fairly marginal gap. You tend to experiment more when there is no cost involved except the power to run your pc to look at your results.
I've seen some absolutely epic (film quality) results from Digital SLR's that double as cameras, so if you've got the money get one of them.
Anyway, learning photography can be a beast of a subject to learn. I know the basics, but I'm still no where near capable of the results the guys in the photo thread get.
Though to be fair, Australia is the worst place in the world to do photography. The light here is terrible, it's like living inside a nuclear blast.
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NappuccinoSurveyor of Things and StuffRegistered Userregular
edited November 2010
Digital SLR's aren't far outside of my budget I suppose. But I was hoping to pick up something cheaper... that said there really is no good median... if i buy cheap now and like it, i'll be spending more in the long run.
MustangArbiter of Unpopular OpinionsRegistered Userregular
edited November 2010
It's not that you can't take a good photo with a compact, but they do limit what you can do compositionally.
SLR's can be a money sink though, good lenses will drain you of monies quicker than an IRS audit. I pretty well much just use a cheap 50mm prime on my SLR these days, it's the only lens I can afford that gets the results I'm happy with. If you do get an SLR, those 50mm primes (Canon and Nikon) are the best bang for your buck you can buy.
My dad is offering to buy me a Sony Nex or give me his Canon D50. I like that the Canon is a SLR, but it's HUGE! Still, which one is best for someone who on occasion needs a high end camera for work, but more often than not will use a point and shoot.
My dad is offering to buy me a Sony Nex or give me his Canon D50. I like that the Canon is a SLR, but it's HUGE! Still, which one is best for someone who on occasion needs a high end camera for work, but more often than not will use a point and shoot.
When using the Pen tool in Illustrator, what's the best way to start a new shape? Right now I'm using keyboard shortcuts to switch to a different tool and then back to the pen tool. That's only two keys, but is there a one button solution to this?
Use something aside from computer paper...getting a sketchbook would actually be a great idea, because you'd be able to keep all your drawings together, and it's easier to carry around. I usually get the hardcover, book-bound kinds, because I like the texture of the paper (slightly more textured than computer paper, but not too textured), and the durability. Spiral-bound are great for having easy access to the entire page, and for taking drawings out, if you plan on doing that. The pages are also easier to scan, because the book lays flat.
Mirado Black Warrior pencils were a favorite of mine for drawing...and Faber-Castell make nice pencils, too (in a range of hardnesses - I suggest you start with an HB). If you're relatively new to drawing, I'd suggest you stay away from mechanical pencils for now.
Thank you so much for your reply
I've got the erasers already covered, apparently.
I'm definitely going to start looking for those pencils you mentioned. I was wondering.. considering the ones you suggested, what range of which brand do you recommend for each "part" of the drawing ?
The ones I've been using are HB and a 2B (from Staedtler I think) that I had laying around here. It sucks to shade with them as you can't distinguish lighter from darker shades without ruin the already crappy drawings I guess that's one of my main issues atm.
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amateurhourOne day I'll be professionalhourThe woods somewhere in TennesseeRegistered Userregular
edited November 2010
Okay, so I need some help.
I want to make my next comic in shades of greyscale instead of black and white or color. So far the only tutorial I've found online is the one from Girls with Slingshots, located here. (http://www.gwscomic.com/gwstutorial.html)
Now, I get everything done up until the point of scanning, because it's the same way I draw strips. What I don't get is the stuff about a "layer palette" with 75%, 50%, 25%, and especially "25%+" grays. I get using black with the transparency turned down to those levels, but I don't understand how to do 25%+ and also how to set up and save a palette of those layers for working. Do I just have to do that each time?
Now I get shading and stuff, I don't get how she's applying the colors to the image. Most of my coloring experience is make sure your black lines touch and use fill. Which is not very experienced at all basically.
Once the colors are on, she does something to create the backgrounds and I'm just lost there.
I really want my comics to look better but I'm brain dead when it comes to photoshop. I'm running CS3 if it helps.
Any advice, places to look online, or even books would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much for your reply
I've got the erasers already covered, apparently.
I'm definitely going to start looking for those pencils you mentioned. I was wondering.. considering the ones you suggested, what range of which brand do you recommend for each "part" of the drawing ?
The ones I've been using are HB and a 2B (from Staedtler I think) that I had laying around here. It sucks to shade with them as you can't distinguish lighter from darker shades without ruin the already crappy drawings I guess that's one of my main issues atm.
Sure thing!
Personally, I think it's good practice to start with an HB pencil, and do 95% of the drawing using just that one hardness. The reason for this is that HB is right in the middle of hardnesses, and it offers a fantastic value range. You can draw very, very light with it, and you can get pretty dark with it, as well. It's just a matter of learning what type of pressure is needed, and gaining that dexterity in your drawing hand. I kinda feel that using a full range of pencils - especially when you're first starting out - may unnecessarily complicate things, and may not help you to learn that pressure dexterity I mention earlier.
I do almost all of my drawings using just an HB, but if I need to get something to a much higher polish, I'll use a 2H and 2B at the very end. 2H is not only good for making lighter marks - it's also handy for smoothing out the HB shading you've done, if you go over the marks lightly with the 2H. The 2B obviously helps to make things darker - but be careful not to press down too heavily with the HB in the dark areas, or it'll create a smooth kind of "graphite sheen" that the 2B graphite won't stick to.
If you're getting confused with the hardness of the pencils, sometimes it helps to have a scrap piece of paper lying around (that's the same type of paper you're doing the drawing on) so you can test the pencils out.
~~~~~~~
Another general tip is to shade with layers. Don't try to get the dark values completely dark at the beginning - build the dark areas slowly, layering and layering the strokes. So I'd suggest you start with the HB, and do as much as you possibly can with it...and then use the 2H and 2B.
If the paper you're using is very textured, making light marks with the HB may be more difficult. Don't be afraid to try out different papers until you find one that you feel works best.
I want to make my next comic in shades of greyscale instead of black and white or color. So far the only tutorial I've found online is the one from Girls with Slingshots, located here. (http://www.gwscomic.com/gwstutorial.html)
Now, I get everything done up until the point of scanning, because it's the same way I draw strips. What I don't get is the stuff about a "layer palette" with 75%, 50%, 25%, and especially "25%+" grays. I get using black with the transparency turned down to those levels, but I don't understand how to do 25%+ and also how to set up and save a palette of those layers for working. Do I just have to do that each time?
Now I get shading and stuff, I don't get how she's applying the colors to the image. Most of my coloring experience is make sure your black lines touch and use fill. Which is not very experienced at all basically.
Once the colors are on, she does something to create the backgrounds and I'm just lost there.
I really want my comics to look better but I'm brain dead when it comes to photoshop. I'm running CS3 if it helps.
Any advice, places to look online, or even books would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for taking a moment to help with this.
Change the opacity of the layer:
It looks like she colors in pure black on several different layers, then changes the opacity to various strengths (25, 50, 75) to get various shades of gray.
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amateurhourOne day I'll be professionalhourThe woods somewhere in TennesseeRegistered Userregular
edited November 2010
But how would that work and still get you different colors on the different parts? Sorry, just really confused.
When a Photoshop layer is 100% opaque, it is 0% transparent. So when a layer is set to 50% opacity, it is 50% transparent. Make 4 different layers in Photoshop, put down spots of black on each one, then change the opacity on each layer. Move the spots around and see how they interact.
That's just one way to do shading in Photoshop, there are many different ways. You could also color and shade the whole thing in color and then just change it to grayscale at the end. Or do all of the coloring on one layer. Or do base colors on one layer and then do highlights/shading on different layers. Try different ways, don't be afraid to make mistakes and gain experience.
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amateurhourOne day I'll be professionalhourThe woods somewhere in TennesseeRegistered Userregular
edited November 2010
Thanks for the advice nib.
She says in the how-to that she scans the original image in as a bitmap black and white at 600dpi for the printers.
First, is 600 too much, would 300 be fine, or should I use 600?
Second, I've heard a better way is to scan as greyscale and then use threshold. Is that better than scanning as black and white and converting to greyscale afterward?
Well, you're going to find different opinions on this. When I would ink my comics traditionally, I would scan the art at 600 dpi and in pure black and white (not grayscale).
When it comes to dpi:
200 – 250 is usually viewed as 'okay' for you're limited to your source materials.
300 is usually considered 'standard' for photos, etc.
450 – 600 is often used for lineart, drawings to capture more subtle details
1200 might be used for rasterized text
A typical desktop printer might range from 600 - 1200 dpi. A professional printer might do 2400 dpi or higher. At a certain point, it becomes very difficult to tell the difference between different print resolutions, especially when considering viewing distance (for example, large outdoor billboards are printed BELOW 300 dpi, because a typical view never gets close to it).
I say go for 600 dpi if your computer can handle it. It just seems easier to color/draw/correct details at a higher resolution.
As far as grayscale vs. black and white, you can go either way. If you're scanning pencils, use grayscale. If you're scanning inks, it becomes more complicated. Grayscale will capture more details, but you'll probably have to do more corrective work to your blacks (curves, levels). Scanning in black and white allows obvious borders for coloring on different layers, consistent black levels... Try scanning your work both ways, see which one you prefer.
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amateurhourOne day I'll be professionalhourThe woods somewhere in TennesseeRegistered Userregular
edited November 2010
Awesome, thanks man! Hopefully I'll have some work to share soon.
When using the Pen tool in Illustrator, what's the best way to start a new shape? Right now I'm using keyboard shortcuts to switch to a different tool and then back to the pen tool. That's only two keys, but is there a one button solution to this?
This is how I do it too! I always switch to the Move tool.
When using the Pen tool in Illustrator, what's the best way to start a new shape? Right now I'm using keyboard shortcuts to switch to a different tool and then back to the pen tool. That's only two keys, but is there a one button solution to this?
This is how I do it too! I always switch to the Move tool.
haha. Glad I'm not the only one. I've been using O (Reflect Tool) and P (Pen Tool).
Question for the art folks. I'm looking at buying my daughter a tablet to draw straight on our PC -we're converting to Mac next year- and I was wondering if anyone has an opinion on the matter, I'm sure some do. I've included a link to the one that I've looked at, the Wacom Intuos4 Small. I'd appreciate any input.
Thanks,
David <><
With a larger tablet, you can draw more with your arm, on a smaller tablet you'll be using your wrist more. It could be a preference thing, but I prefer to draw more with my arm. I don't think she'll have trouble drawing lines, etc. And if she got more serious about illustration, she could always sell the small one and get a larger model down the road. Wacom seems to have good resale value. I don't think you could go wrong either way.
So, I want to do something for my secret santa. I can be artsy, but I am not in the know as most of you.
I have 11x14 bristol that I want to use markers on (I assume I can use marker on it). After I do my drawing, should I use primer on it or is that not what primer is meant for? I want to matte or frame the image when I am done and add it as part of my present, so I want it to be all fancy and stuff so it looks nice.
Thanks for any help!
edit: Talking with some people, one said that if I just frame it it should protect the image. I might just do that.
I want to get a new tablet. A bigger tablet. A better tablet.
Problem is, I dunno which one to get. Now we get this kind of general question a lot, but mine are far more specific.
How big of a problem is the texturing on the intuos 4? Will I really be grinding through an entire pen nib every day, as one reviewer on amazon states? And does the texture itself wear down to create an uneven drawing surface?
My Intuos4 is fine. I've had it for a couple years maybe. The tablet itself is fine. I've gone through maybe 3 nibs. That guy must be pressing too hard.
It wears a lot faster than the Intuos3, that's for sure. I've used the same nib for months now, and it's still mostly kept it's shape. I'd imagine the sensation of drawing is better on the 4, though.
thats the kind of response im looking for. do you have any suggestions? where should I b looking?
In that case, I wouldn't suggest that you go to college for it. It sounds like you're looking at it more like a hobby or pastime, than you are looking at it as a serious career option...thinking "if I find a career somewhere in between, that would be great" is fine...but generally, if you want to be hired as an artist - especially a concept artist - you're going to need to take your art education much more seriously (and I don't mean "seriously" as in "going to school for it"....I mean, you're going to have to make an active attempt to always better your art...and become, and remain, at a competitive skill level).
I'd suggest you try and find some cheap/free local art classes around you, and pick up some books and check out some websites (the first post in this thread is a great start) and start out with the basics. Feel free to post your work here and get critiques - we're here to help!
The main problem with going to school for art, and getting an expensive degree in it, is that in the industry your portfolio is going to matter more than the degree does - if the degree even matters at all. Furthermore, if the art-thing doesn't pan out....you're stuck with a degree that you can't really do much with.
I went to school for art, but that was because (A) I wanted a degree in general, as a handful of things I want to do later in life require one....and (B), I was planning on doing art for the rest of my life, seriously, for my career...so it was more for the whole "spend 4 years doing what you love" than "do what you love in your spare time, while going for a degree you really don't care about". Going to art school was also great for networking, and for meeting other artsy, like-minded people...and surrounding yourself in a creative atmosphere. You could also do this in an atelier or local art group/club, too, but...again, it kinda depends on your other goals.
I think maybe I gave off the wrong impression. Art is definitely something I've began to take seriously (not in the partical physicist sort of way), and by along the way I meant that sort of sarcastically. Its definitely something want to do. Like you said, doing what you love. So IDK. I'm not sure how Artists career progression usually goes because it sounds like its different per person depending on the skill level, I just don't know where to start.
You can see where I'm at if you look at my thread.
Can I grab old versions of Photoshop on a budget? What's the most recent version that you all would recommend using? I had previously been using CS3 on my laptop through less-than-legal procedures, but I'm trying to be legit now. At the same time, I don't want to spend $600 so I can begin to learn how to color stuff (the $400 tablet investment aside).
You could try to get the student version if your signed up for classes/have a student email address anywhere. In the US you can legally use the student version for paid work (not outside the us though).
I want to get a new tablet. A bigger tablet. A better tablet.
Problem is, I dunno which one to get. Now we get this kind of general question a lot, but mine are far more specific.
How big of a problem is the texturing on the intuos 4? Will I really be grinding through an entire pen nib every day, as one reviewer on amazon states? And does the texture itself wear down to create an uneven drawing surface?
i suspect earlier versions of the tablet had a more textured finish. mine (which i recieved on the day that you posted this question) was relatively smooth. i gave it a once-over with some steel wool just in case, and now it is a pleasant middle-ground between toothy and glass-like.
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Well, it's good, but it can be bad, if you take it too seriously.
It's good, especially for a beginner, because the exercises are designed to break habits of drawing objects as symbols (ie: notice how most kids draw the same kind of football shaped "eye", but it doesn't really look like a real eye? That's a symbol), and instead basing drawing based on direct observation- paying attention to the shape of the space around an object, drawing an object when it's upside down so your mind can't immediately recognize and dismiss it, etc.
On this level it's good- even though I've been told that the 'science' bits in between the exercises are actually somewhat shaky, the exercises themselves are solid, and teach necessary things.
The problem is that it's not a very thorough book (you can go through the whole thing by yourself over a weekend or two, as it was written primarily for "Hey, even YOU can learn to draw!" kind of workshops) and doesn't lead or suggest further study, which can hamper development if you believe what's laid down in the book is how it is, that's how you draw, and that's that (an idea that the text of the book does nothing to dispel.)
Direct observation is great, but without learning the concepts of measuring, of perspective, of understanding how light and shade works, of construction, or design, you'll have a hard time developing further, as these things not only sharpen your observation and drawing skills, but give you a greater flexibility to draw from imagination, or edit from the model to make a more compelling piece of art, rather than a xerox-like copy of the model.
TL;DR: The book is a good place for a student to start development- maybe the best one on the market for its specific role of teaching from a "so you don't know anything about drawing yet" perspective, but it is absolutely imperative that you don't let your development END with the book. (A lesson a lot of art teachers, unfortunately, haven't learned themselves.)
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Who knows, maybe I'll post something around here for hitting like a pinata with the criticism stick!
Edit: My command of the written word isn't so good at the moment. Fixing as I see things.
I'm a beginner at drawing but I'm looking to pursue a career in concept art. Right now I'm learning things by myself until I get the opportunity of getting a degree.
I've been practicing with the "just grab a pencil and a piece of paper" philosophy the last months but I'm getting tired of watching my drawings turn to crap in terms of shading and "color" due to crappy material (it's already bad enough that I'm still learning), so I was wondering if you guys could give me some advices on starting gear v2.0 :P
What should I start buying ? What kind of pencils/graphite ? What trademarks, etc ?
I hope I'm not repeating questions, since I didnt actually read the whole 40+ pages of this thread but from the links/tutorials/guides I've seen here and all around the internet I didn't really find an answer focused to this question.
Mirado Black Warrior pencils were a favorite of mine for drawing...and Faber-Castell make nice pencils, too (in a range of hardnesses - I suggest you start with an HB). If you're relatively new to drawing, I'd suggest you stay away from mechanical pencils for now.
An essential item that you will need is a good eraser. Pentel makes a great little click-able eraser for erasing that's a little more precise. A chunkier eraser (my all-time favorite) is made by Staedtler. The white plastic erasers are excellent, and the kind I mentioned are great because they don't smudge or leave marks on the paper, like lots of pink erasers do.
None of this stuff is expensive, by the way. The sketchbook will be the most expensive, and it'll be under $20 as long as you buy 11" x 14" or smaller. 11x14 is my favorite size, but some people prefer the good ole 8" x 11", or 10", or whatever size is the next smallest.
~~~~~~
Also: post your work here once you've done some sketches!
Good luck!
But is it better go to with a film camera or a digital one if I'm actually thinking about getting into more than just quick pics with friends?
edit: a second thing i'm kinda looking for is (potentially) using a digital camera to make short films- if i do get a digital camera is there a good middle ground camera for that or would i be better off getting two different cameras in the long run?
I hope I'm not only one who read it that way, but I suspect I am.
Your better off with digital, it's the cheapest format to make mistakes in and the difference in quality is a fairly marginal gap. You tend to experiment more when there is no cost involved except the power to run your pc to look at your results.
I've seen some absolutely epic (film quality) results from Digital SLR's that double as cameras, so if you've got the money get one of them.
Anyway, learning photography can be a beast of a subject to learn. I know the basics, but I'm still no where near capable of the results the guys in the photo thread get.
Though to be fair, Australia is the worst place in the world to do photography. The light here is terrible, it's like living inside a nuclear blast.
SLR's can be a money sink though, good lenses will drain you of monies quicker than an IRS audit. I pretty well much just use a cheap 50mm prime on my SLR these days, it's the only lens I can afford that gets the results I'm happy with. If you do get an SLR, those 50mm primes (Canon and Nikon) are the best bang for your buck you can buy.
SLR + cellphone camera.
Twitter
Thank you so much for your reply
I've got the erasers already covered, apparently.
I'm definitely going to start looking for those pencils you mentioned. I was wondering.. considering the ones you suggested, what range of which brand do you recommend for each "part" of the drawing ?
The ones I've been using are HB and a 2B (from Staedtler I think) that I had laying around here. It sucks to shade with them as you can't distinguish lighter from darker shades without ruin the already crappy drawings
I want to make my next comic in shades of greyscale instead of black and white or color. So far the only tutorial I've found online is the one from Girls with Slingshots, located here. (http://www.gwscomic.com/gwstutorial.html)
Now, I get everything done up until the point of scanning, because it's the same way I draw strips. What I don't get is the stuff about a "layer palette" with 75%, 50%, 25%, and especially "25%+" grays. I get using black with the transparency turned down to those levels, but I don't understand how to do 25%+ and also how to set up and save a palette of those layers for working. Do I just have to do that each time?
Now I get shading and stuff, I don't get how she's applying the colors to the image. Most of my coloring experience is make sure your black lines touch and use fill. Which is not very experienced at all basically.
Once the colors are on, she does something to create the backgrounds and I'm just lost there.
I really want my comics to look better but I'm brain dead when it comes to photoshop. I'm running CS3 if it helps.
Any advice, places to look online, or even books would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for taking a moment to help with this.
Sure thing!
Personally, I think it's good practice to start with an HB pencil, and do 95% of the drawing using just that one hardness. The reason for this is that HB is right in the middle of hardnesses, and it offers a fantastic value range. You can draw very, very light with it, and you can get pretty dark with it, as well. It's just a matter of learning what type of pressure is needed, and gaining that dexterity in your drawing hand. I kinda feel that using a full range of pencils - especially when you're first starting out - may unnecessarily complicate things, and may not help you to learn that pressure dexterity I mention earlier.
I do almost all of my drawings using just an HB, but if I need to get something to a much higher polish, I'll use a 2H and 2B at the very end. 2H is not only good for making lighter marks - it's also handy for smoothing out the HB shading you've done, if you go over the marks lightly with the 2H. The 2B obviously helps to make things darker - but be careful not to press down too heavily with the HB in the dark areas, or it'll create a smooth kind of "graphite sheen" that the 2B graphite won't stick to.
If you're getting confused with the hardness of the pencils, sometimes it helps to have a scrap piece of paper lying around (that's the same type of paper you're doing the drawing on) so you can test the pencils out.
~~~~~~~
Another general tip is to shade with layers. Don't try to get the dark values completely dark at the beginning - build the dark areas slowly, layering and layering the strokes. So I'd suggest you start with the HB, and do as much as you possibly can with it...and then use the 2H and 2B.
If the paper you're using is very textured, making light marks with the HB may be more difficult. Don't be afraid to try out different papers until you find one that you feel works best.
Change the opacity of the layer:
It looks like she colors in pure black on several different layers, then changes the opacity to various strengths (25, 50, 75) to get various shades of gray.
That's just one way to do shading in Photoshop, there are many different ways. You could also color and shade the whole thing in color and then just change it to grayscale at the end. Or do all of the coloring on one layer. Or do base colors on one layer and then do highlights/shading on different layers. Try different ways, don't be afraid to make mistakes and gain experience.
She says in the how-to that she scans the original image in as a bitmap black and white at 600dpi for the printers.
First, is 600 too much, would 300 be fine, or should I use 600?
Second, I've heard a better way is to scan as greyscale and then use threshold. Is that better than scanning as black and white and converting to greyscale afterward?
When it comes to dpi:
200 – 250 is usually viewed as 'okay' for you're limited to your source materials.
300 is usually considered 'standard' for photos, etc.
450 – 600 is often used for lineart, drawings to capture more subtle details
1200 might be used for rasterized text
A typical desktop printer might range from 600 - 1200 dpi. A professional printer might do 2400 dpi or higher. At a certain point, it becomes very difficult to tell the difference between different print resolutions, especially when considering viewing distance (for example, large outdoor billboards are printed BELOW 300 dpi, because a typical view never gets close to it).
I say go for 600 dpi if your computer can handle it. It just seems easier to color/draw/correct details at a higher resolution.
As far as grayscale vs. black and white, you can go either way. If you're scanning pencils, use grayscale. If you're scanning inks, it becomes more complicated. Grayscale will capture more details, but you'll probably have to do more corrective work to your blacks (curves, levels). Scanning in black and white allows obvious borders for coloring on different layers, consistent black levels... Try scanning your work both ways, see which one you prefer.
This is how I do it too! I always switch to the Move tool.
haha. Glad I'm not the only one. I've been using O (Reflect Tool) and P (Pen Tool).
Thanks,
David <><
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Wacom+-+Intuos4+Small+USB+Tablet/9235231.p?id=1218064395123&skuId=9235231&st=wacom&cp=1&lp=5
Thanks again,
David <><
I have 11x14 bristol that I want to use markers on (I assume I can use marker on it). After I do my drawing, should I use primer on it or is that not what primer is meant for? I want to matte or frame the image when I am done and add it as part of my present, so I want it to be all fancy and stuff so it looks nice.
Thanks for any help!
edit: Talking with some people, one said that if I just frame it it should protect the image. I might just do that.
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Problem is, I dunno which one to get. Now we get this kind of general question a lot, but mine are far more specific.
How big of a problem is the texturing on the intuos 4? Will I really be grinding through an entire pen nib every day, as one reviewer on amazon states? And does the texture itself wear down to create an uneven drawing surface?
I think maybe I gave off the wrong impression. Art is definitely something I've began to take seriously (not in the partical physicist sort of way), and by along the way I meant that sort of sarcastically. Its definitely something want to do. Like you said, doing what you love. So IDK. I'm not sure how Artists career progression usually goes because it sounds like its different per person depending on the skill level, I just don't know where to start.
You can see where I'm at if you look at my thread.
or something like http://www.retrosoftware.com/buy-new-used-and-old-version-adobe-software--adobe-photoshop.html
I don't know how legitimate it is but I googled buy older software and that's what came up
EDIT: As long as you're not buying from a third-party seller, that is.
i suspect earlier versions of the tablet had a more textured finish. mine (which i recieved on the day that you posted this question) was relatively smooth. i gave it a once-over with some steel wool just in case, and now it is a pleasant middle-ground between toothy and glass-like.