Thanks for the advice. I actually hadn't considered portability, but I don't think I'd carry it around with me for sketching. I prefer to just use pencil and paper and not have to worry about the tablet. Looking at some of the Wacom stuff now, since that's what most people have recommended.
Drawings and short stories: sketchatron.tumblr.com
As an addendum, the pens I use keep either breaking or running out of ink when used on these. I usually go with sakura pigma microns, but after a week or so the ink just stops flowing almost completely, and they become useless. I tried switching to pilots, and got 2 hours out of them before they gave out. Not sure if it's me just misusing the thing, or if they're not meant for this. I have a rollerball pen that just wont write on post-its at all, so I wonder what the deal is.
I am sure shipping-forwarding is a possible thing, I know a few people who have done this.
As for the pen issue, are you right or left handed? Purely anecdotal, but I am left handed and I have all kinds of problems with roller-ball pens, even when they're marketed as lefty-friendly smooth-rolling etc etc.
The sakura pens... I am curious if it's a pressure issue? I know I've busted a few by trying to get a darker line than the nib of the pen would allow. Switching to a thicker nib might fix this. Option B might be switching brands: I bought a pack of Faber-Castell Pitt pens on DMAC's suggestion a while back and I get stronger lines from those with less effort, so I have come to prefer those for bolder lines.
@Fugitive
Ok, I've reached the point where I can use the pen in my programs, and it has pressure sensitivity. However, it only works with the UC Logic utility open. What did you end up having to do to fix that? I mean, its not such a big deal just opening the tool, but it'd be nice if I got it working 100%.
That's the one question I have no earthly clue about. One day it just... stopped needing me to do that? I'll still get problems where the tablet stops working, very rarely, and opening the utility kickstarts it again. But otherwise, yeah, it's probably one of those computer issues where a process on the ethereal plane that runs ribbon-like between worlds is crossing a 1 or 0 somewhere.
You might be able to hunt around a bit and find a HID driver or tablet process that could be the culprit, if you're down for even more of that bullshit, but I couldn't tell you where to start.
Sorry you've had so much trouble with the thing. It's part of what makes recommending a Yiynova so complicated, because there's no way to know if you're going to be the type of person who has a relatively smooth ride, or if you'll have to spend a month wiping operating systems and installing process-trackers to get it even close to functional. Glad you've got at least a somewhat functional box now.
Yeah if all I have to do now is open the utility, I'm fine. But the problems definitely make it more difficult to give recommendations. Can't really beat the pricing though.
I was thinking of taking up drawing, but I was wondering if anyone uses the iPad as a drawing tool and whether or not it would make things easier for a beginner like me.
I like the idea of being able to undo mistakes instantly, and not having to carry stacks of paper around. I believe with the right apps and stylus I could learn the basics with relative ease.
Any advice in regards to said drawing apps as well as a good stylus?
I would only really recommend drawing on the ipad if you already have an Ipad and have no other option available to you, honestly. Especially if you are just learning, a sketchbook is a low barrier of entry, just grab one. If you really want to be in the digital realm, I'd recommend a tiny wacom
When you are just beginning, you will learn best if you can eliminate as many confounding elements as possible.
Pencil on paper is as simple as it gets. If you wander off too far into the weeds of using digital devices and software too soon, you are going to have a very hard time figuring out how to solve problems, because there will be many more elements at play and you won't have the experience to pin down what exactly is going wrong.
Everyone who's gone through a basic education has an intuitive understanding of how to make a pencil work. You won't necessarily have the fine control of a practiced hand, but it's good enough to start learning. Working with a stylus and art software has many aspects that are quite un-intuitive, and can be very frustrating if you don't know how they work.
The Ipad is more of in the realm of something that a person who knows how to draw might noodle around on. If you are learning, the limitations of stylus options and lack of real pressure sensitivity is just going to create an extra layer of frustration over the fact that you are learning to draw. At least a low level wacom will take the "Is my hardware holding me back" out of the equation.
As an addendum, the pens I use keep either breaking or running out of ink when used on these. I usually go with sakura pigma microns, but after a week or so the ink just stops flowing almost completely, and they become useless. I tried switching to pilots, and got 2 hours out of them before they gave out. Not sure if it's me just misusing the thing, or if they're not meant for this. I have a rollerball pen that just wont write on post-its at all, so I wonder what the deal is.
I am sure shipping-forwarding is a possible thing, I know a few people who have done this.
As for the pen issue, are you right or left handed? Purely anecdotal, but I am left handed and I have all kinds of problems with roller-ball pens, even when they're marketed as lefty-friendly smooth-rolling etc etc.
The sakura pens... I am curious if it's a pressure issue? I know I've busted a few by trying to get a darker line than the nib of the pen would allow. Switching to a thicker nib might fix this. Option B might be switching brands: I bought a pack of Faber-Castell Pitt pens on DMAC's suggestion a while back and I get stronger lines from those with less effort, so I have come to prefer those for bolder lines.
Interesting. I am left-handed, and have several rollerballs (OHTOs, even a ceramic-ball one that is meant to flow excellently) that are a nightmare to get to work. It might be a pressure issue, but I'd be surprised if it was. I'm on the train when I do these, and I sketch into the palm of my hand, resting my last two fingers on the edge of the pad for balance, so there's really no weight at all on the nib. I'm plenty careful when I use these, and can't see any bent nibs, but the train does shake and move around a lot..so maybe.
What usually happens is the ink will flow smoothly for a couple of hours. Later on it degrades into a sort of 'sweet spot' where I can control the line width and flow of ink by tilting the pen, and then ultimately I can't get the ink to flow properly any longer and it becomes hard to get anything down. I'm wondering if the paper quality has anything to do with it. I might try switching to a normal ballpoint and see how that goes, and look into the post-forwarding.
Not sure if Amazon in the UK would be any more likely to mail to Sweden? They don't seem to stock the post it's you linked though.
Otherwise here are a few pen suggestions, these guys ship anywhere. I like pens
Pilot G-Tec-C4 (rollerball so maybe you will struggle still. But on offer here for 10p) - Pilot
Zebra brush pen (not really brush, more sort of a rubbery flexible nib - really nice lines) Zebra brush
Faber Castell Pitt Artist (as mentioned already) - Pitt artist
Staedtler pigment liners (cheaper microns I think, I really like them) - Pigment Liner
Copic Multilner - Copic
Sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs, you probably know most of those.
How come you are sticking with (haha!) the post it's for now if you don't mind me asking? If you fancy using a sketchbook anytime soon I am using one of these and really like it Leuchtturm Notebook
Not sure if Amazon in the UK would be any more likely to mail to Sweden? They don't seem to stock the post it's you linked though.
Otherwise here are a few pen suggestions, these guys ship anywhere. I like pens
Pilot G-Tec-C4 (rollerball so maybe you will struggle still. But on offer here for 10p) - Pilot
Zebra brush pen (not really brush, more sort of a rubbery flexible nib - really nice lines) Zebra brush
Faber Castell Pitt Artist (as mentioned already) - Pitt artist
Staedtler pigment liners (cheaper microns I think, I really like them) - Pigment Liner
Copic Multilner - Copic
Sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs, you probably know most of those.
How come you are sticking with (haha!) the post it's for now if you don't mind me asking? If you fancy using a sketchbook anytime soon I am using one of these and really like it Leuchtturm Notebook
Haha, naw I'm not going to stick them anywhere. I put sketches of people on the train onto a wall on the train station platform before, but people kept taking them.
It's an ease-of-use thing, really. I can fit a block of 3x3inch post-its into my back jeans pocket, and have a pen in the front. If I get a minute or two, I can start sketching straight away, without having to have a bag on me or anything. I like knowing that no matter where I am, I can always draw something. When I'm done, I take off the note, and stick it onto the back - I end up with a little booklet of about 100 sketches when the pages run out. Plus, it's post-its. There's no pressure or worry since the material is so shoddy, you just draw.
I like your flashcards idea. Those things are pretty damn cheap, too. They'd be loose, and they might bend in my back pocket when I sit, but I might try those out. I could get a stack, recut them to 9x9cm, and have them spiral-bound or something.
I use cultpens as well, and so far I tried Pilot drawing pens, Ohtos, Zebra and Tombow Fude brush pens (they can bleed sometimes), Faber-castell's PIT pens, Staedtler, Copics, Sakura pigma microns, and probably a dozen others. I actually tried to find the Hi-tec-Cs but i think the different names for them led me nowhere in the end.
I'll give the pilot you linked a try, that 10p offer is insane! I've heard plain ballpoints can be sort of decent since you can control the opacity on them a bit, unlike brush pens and ink. We'll see how they work on smooth post-it paper.
A pencil's out of the question, I switched to ink to slow myself down, build dexterity and value control.
That sketchbook you linked looks interesting, but I think it might be too large to put in my pocket. I'll try it out though, and see if I like it. It would let me vignette different things onto a single page and have a little composition going, which could be dope.
A huge thanks to you for the info man, this was really helpful.
Be aware the pilot is gel ink, so not like a normal bic, more like a normal gel pen. But quite a bit finer than a normal one. Still at 10p worth a try.
If size is the main issue they do an even smaller notebook I've not tried here
I was thinking of taking up drawing, but I was wondering if anyone uses the iPad as a drawing tool and whether or not it would make things easier for a beginner like me.
I like the idea of being able to undo mistakes instantly, and not having to carry stacks of paper around. I believe with the right apps and stylus I could learn the basics with relative ease.
Any advice in regards to said drawing apps as well as a good stylus?
@Professor Snugglesworth I'll echo Scos' sentiments on this, since I started out exclusively digital and it caused me a tremendous amount of trouble. I picked up bad habits doing that that I'll be trying to rectify for a long time.
I will say that what interests you about it (the ability to undo mistakes instantly) is actually what will hinder your progress the most. Drawing on a wacom is unintuitive, you can't look at your hand as you draw, there is little tactile feedback, you're stuck with one type of pen (the nib), you can't tilt or change the grip much, and the pressure sensitivity feels artificial. When you add in the fact that you can undo any line instantly, you're likely to fall into the habit of 'guessing' into your strokes, undoing any bad ones several times before you luck into a good line. I started out drawing on a wacom, and before I knew it had stopped doing linework entirely in favour of just doing paint strokes. Problem is, I couldn't draw linework well enough and had no business trying to paint my way out of that problem. Knowing I could erase anything, anytime made me think less about what kind of stroke I had to put down, resulting in frantic attempts to stumble into something that looked half-decent rather than putting thought into what I wanted to put down.
Add in the fact that there's so much to customise in the way of brushes, and you could leave feeling frustrated.
Counter to Iruka's advice, I wouldn't even advise going for a small tablet. I started out like that, and developed muscle memory that still has me drawing very small to this day. I work from the wrist too much in life drawing, rather than using the whole arm, and it takes a concerted effort to combat this habit.
Honestly, spare yourself the hassle and get a pencil and sketchbook. or a pen and a sketchbook. You're learning how to draw, which will be the foundation for everything that follows, you want to develop that skill in a way that is as uncomplicated and straightforward as you can. If you like ease-of-use, you can always do what I do and put some post-its in your back pocket, and a pen or pencil in the front.
It might indeed be the paper, with the post-its-- the adhesive on them can cause some absorbency issues or weird waxy areas.
For pocket sized sketching I think Daler-Rowney makes a series of pad that's in the 3x4" range. I have a pad of their "Ruthless & Toothless" that's about the size of a closed billfold wallet. No idea on availability, since I'm posting from my phone, but worth a look.
@tapeslinger I swear I'm having a stroke or something. I looked up all daler-rowney pads, and couldn't find anything nearly that small. Looking for "ruthless & toothless" just got me weird children's toys results, as if my browser was haunted by the ghosts of young orphans. Any chance you could PM me the items in question?
@tapeslinger I swear I'm having a stroke or something. I looked up all daler-rowney pads, and couldn't find anything nearly that small. Looking for "ruthless & toothless" just got me weird children's toys results, as if my browser was haunted by the ghosts of young orphans. Any chance you could PM me the items in question?
oh snap, it might be an old product line... Also, I have caught the dumb today so it is possible I have the wrong brand-- I just realized the cover's been ripped off mine for some time so it is of little use for research. I will look and see if I can find something else online that would be a comparable size, but I did find something interesting while I was looking: "Artist tiles" (4x4" precut bristol)
Should have asked this before, but what's the best drawing tool for beginners? Assuming it's not just a standard pencil with eraser?
Drawing something, every day, is going to be better than any amazing paper, pencils, pens, markers, crayons, tablets... Just grab some cheap sketchbooks, mechanical pencils, and draw.
I use any old mechanical pencil and plastic eraser when I draw, and it all usually goes into one of these.
You could invest in a set of pencils with varying hardness to figure out what feels best to you, but like Bombs said, when you're starting out it's more about practice than the tools you use. Anything that makes a mark should do you fine.
I've got a question for anyone who's willing to field advice regarding design and brainstorming ideas with concept art and/or illustration.
I still haven't had a lot of experience in this area, and everyone seems to have a different method, but what do people think in regards to looking up reference before starting any sketches/thumbnails/silhouettes? I don't mean taking photos and copying them directly, just gathering images that you can use for inspiration based on (for example) main themes or concepts for the overall piece.
At the moment I feel that I run into a wall due to my lack of experience in general. If I allowed myself the excuse to find motifs or thematic images, it might just help jump-start the process.
Is this too limiting? Would I be using a crutch that would ultimately stifle my creativity? At this point I'm just trying to find a method that works for me.
I've got a question for anyone who's willing to field advice regarding design and brainstorming ideas with concept art and/or illustration.
I still haven't had a lot of experience in this area, and everyone seems to have a different method, but what do people think in regards to looking up reference before starting any sketches/thumbnails/silhouettes? I don't mean taking photos and copying them directly, just gathering images that you can use for inspiration based on (for example) main themes or concepts for the overall piece.
At the moment I feel that I run into a wall due to my lack of experience in general. If I allowed myself the excuse to find motifs or thematic images, it might just help jump-start the process.
Is this too limiting? Would I be using a crutch that would ultimately stifle my creativity? At this point I'm just trying to find a method that works for me.
Thanks in advance!
Great artists use reference, that's for sure. Don't be afraid to be inspired by other designs. If your work stands on it's own and can justify it's own existence, then you have successfully been inspired, and not just copied someone else's work.
Absolutely don't be afraid to start with reference or go hunting for some along the way as you establish what your image contains.
One badass painter I follow, Levente, has a unique process where he starts with a photo and basically just starts painting random stuff over it until he sees something in the shape mess and starts transforming it into something completely different.
Here's a couple of examples:
It's an interesting way of getting around the intimidation factor of starting with a blank canvas. Before you even lay your first stroke, you have a starting palette (which you can totally transform) and bunch of detail information you can choose to discard.
As far as reference work, a lot of matte painters go a step beyond using references and will actually mash heavily re-processed photos into their work. This has trickled over somewhat into concept art, and lately I've been seeing a lot of impressive sci-fi robot and vehicle designs that use tons of cut up and mashed photos of tech like engines, braces, pneumatics etc. but paint it together in a way that it feels wholly integrated:
Is it "cheating" to use bits and bobs from photos directly in your work? Well, there's definitely a line there somewhere, but there's also something to be said for being able to paint well enough that your painting work integrates seamlessly with photographic bits. As long as you continue doing a lot of 100% manually painted work as well I think it could be very very beneficial.
It makes sense I guess that this part in the process can tend to be the most personal and varied.
I see a lot of people who will only gather reference after they have nailed down a thumbnail or silhouette, and honestly whenever I've tried that I tend to hit a wall within the first few iterations. Perhaps once I've had more practice drawing things and doodling in general then this will come more easily, but for now I feel that finding reference during the thumbnail stage is probably a worthwhile endeavor.
Soooo I know this topic always comes up, but, portfolio website templates? I feel like I need clear presentable categories for my website and maybe smaller thumbnails or something that gives a better idea of what the image looks like, but I don't know where to begin in terms of super clean templates. I remember doing a search a few months ago with little success.
For example I really like Claire Hummel's site, I feel it's super clean and orderly, but I'm guessing a lot of it's been handmade?
Quick question for those who can field it and are interested:
What would you guys recommend for doing plein air digitally? I currently have an Ipad and a stylus, but of course there is no photoshop, and the stylus is not pressure sensitive.
Should I invest in another tablet that is? I want something light that's relatively easy to use (not MSpaint quality).
Before investing in another tablet, it's worth checking out the software options - with the right program you can do quite a bit without pressure sensitivity. I find ProCreate is a pretty decent painting tool.
I can't link it, but I was gifted a pledge in the YuFu kickstarter which is supposed to be a pressure sensitive stylus for ipad. Will see how that turns out.
Posts
Thanks for the advice. I actually hadn't considered portability, but I don't think I'd carry it around with me for sketching. I prefer to just use pencil and paper and not have to worry about the tablet. Looking at some of the Wacom stuff now, since that's what most people have recommended.
I am sure shipping-forwarding is a possible thing, I know a few people who have done this.
As for the pen issue, are you right or left handed? Purely anecdotal, but I am left handed and I have all kinds of problems with roller-ball pens, even when they're marketed as lefty-friendly smooth-rolling etc etc.
The sakura pens... I am curious if it's a pressure issue? I know I've busted a few by trying to get a darker line than the nib of the pen would allow. Switching to a thicker nib might fix this. Option B might be switching brands: I bought a pack of Faber-Castell Pitt pens on DMAC's suggestion a while back and I get stronger lines from those with less effort, so I have come to prefer those for bolder lines.
Uncanny Magazine!
The Mad Writers Union
Ok, I've reached the point where I can use the pen in my programs, and it has pressure sensitivity. However, it only works with the UC Logic utility open. What did you end up having to do to fix that? I mean, its not such a big deal just opening the tool, but it'd be nice if I got it working 100%.
You might be able to hunt around a bit and find a HID driver or tablet process that could be the culprit, if you're down for even more of that bullshit, but I couldn't tell you where to start.
Sorry you've had so much trouble with the thing. It's part of what makes recommending a Yiynova so complicated, because there's no way to know if you're going to be the type of person who has a relatively smooth ride, or if you'll have to spend a month wiping operating systems and installing process-trackers to get it even close to functional. Glad you've got at least a somewhat functional box now.
I like the idea of being able to undo mistakes instantly, and not having to carry stacks of paper around. I believe with the right apps and stylus I could learn the basics with relative ease.
Any advice in regards to said drawing apps as well as a good stylus?
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Seems the popular opinion is to start on paper, then scan it for digital fine-tuning.
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Pencil on paper is as simple as it gets. If you wander off too far into the weeds of using digital devices and software too soon, you are going to have a very hard time figuring out how to solve problems, because there will be many more elements at play and you won't have the experience to pin down what exactly is going wrong.
Everyone who's gone through a basic education has an intuitive understanding of how to make a pencil work. You won't necessarily have the fine control of a practiced hand, but it's good enough to start learning. Working with a stylus and art software has many aspects that are quite un-intuitive, and can be very frustrating if you don't know how they work.
Interesting. I am left-handed, and have several rollerballs (OHTOs, even a ceramic-ball one that is meant to flow excellently) that are a nightmare to get to work. It might be a pressure issue, but I'd be surprised if it was. I'm on the train when I do these, and I sketch into the palm of my hand, resting my last two fingers on the edge of the pad for balance, so there's really no weight at all on the nib. I'm plenty careful when I use these, and can't see any bent nibs, but the train does shake and move around a lot..so maybe.
What usually happens is the ink will flow smoothly for a couple of hours. Later on it degrades into a sort of 'sweet spot' where I can control the line width and flow of ink by tilting the pen, and then ultimately I can't get the ink to flow properly any longer and it becomes hard to get anything down. I'm wondering if the paper quality has anything to do with it. I might try switching to a normal ballpoint and see how that goes, and look into the post-forwarding.
If the desire to use post it's is so you can stick them somewhere later this won't help, but if not maybe try some flash cards? Something like this?
Studywise flash cards
Not sure if Amazon in the UK would be any more likely to mail to Sweden? They don't seem to stock the post it's you linked though.
Otherwise here are a few pen suggestions, these guys ship anywhere. I like pens
Pilot G-Tec-C4 (rollerball so maybe you will struggle still. But on offer here for 10p) - Pilot
Zebra brush pen (not really brush, more sort of a rubbery flexible nib - really nice lines) Zebra brush
Faber Castell Pitt Artist (as mentioned already) - Pitt artist
Staedtler pigment liners (cheaper microns I think, I really like them) - Pigment Liner
Copic Multilner - Copic
If all else fails try a pencil!
Staedtler Mars Leadholder
Sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs, you probably know most of those.
How come you are sticking with (haha!) the post it's for now if you don't mind me asking? If you fancy using a sketchbook anytime soon I am using one of these and really like it Leuchtturm Notebook
Haha, naw I'm not going to stick them anywhere. I put sketches of people on the train onto a wall on the train station platform before, but people kept taking them.
It's an ease-of-use thing, really. I can fit a block of 3x3inch post-its into my back jeans pocket, and have a pen in the front. If I get a minute or two, I can start sketching straight away, without having to have a bag on me or anything. I like knowing that no matter where I am, I can always draw something. When I'm done, I take off the note, and stick it onto the back - I end up with a little booklet of about 100 sketches when the pages run out. Plus, it's post-its. There's no pressure or worry since the material is so shoddy, you just draw.
I like your flashcards idea. Those things are pretty damn cheap, too. They'd be loose, and they might bend in my back pocket when I sit, but I might try those out. I could get a stack, recut them to 9x9cm, and have them spiral-bound or something.
I use cultpens as well, and so far I tried Pilot drawing pens, Ohtos, Zebra and Tombow Fude brush pens (they can bleed sometimes), Faber-castell's PIT pens, Staedtler, Copics, Sakura pigma microns, and probably a dozen others. I actually tried to find the Hi-tec-Cs but i think the different names for them led me nowhere in the end.
I'll give the pilot you linked a try, that 10p offer is insane! I've heard plain ballpoints can be sort of decent since you can control the opacity on them a bit, unlike brush pens and ink. We'll see how they work on smooth post-it paper.
A pencil's out of the question, I switched to ink to slow myself down, build dexterity and value control.
That sketchbook you linked looks interesting, but I think it might be too large to put in my pocket. I'll try it out though, and see if I like it. It would let me vignette different things onto a single page and have a little composition going, which could be dope.
A huge thanks to you for the info man, this was really helpful.
Be aware the pilot is gel ink, so not like a normal bic, more like a normal gel pen. But quite a bit finer than a normal one. Still at 10p worth a try.
If size is the main issue they do an even smaller notebook I've not tried here
@Professor Snugglesworth I'll echo Scos' sentiments on this, since I started out exclusively digital and it caused me a tremendous amount of trouble. I picked up bad habits doing that that I'll be trying to rectify for a long time.
I will say that what interests you about it (the ability to undo mistakes instantly) is actually what will hinder your progress the most. Drawing on a wacom is unintuitive, you can't look at your hand as you draw, there is little tactile feedback, you're stuck with one type of pen (the nib), you can't tilt or change the grip much, and the pressure sensitivity feels artificial. When you add in the fact that you can undo any line instantly, you're likely to fall into the habit of 'guessing' into your strokes, undoing any bad ones several times before you luck into a good line. I started out drawing on a wacom, and before I knew it had stopped doing linework entirely in favour of just doing paint strokes. Problem is, I couldn't draw linework well enough and had no business trying to paint my way out of that problem. Knowing I could erase anything, anytime made me think less about what kind of stroke I had to put down, resulting in frantic attempts to stumble into something that looked half-decent rather than putting thought into what I wanted to put down.
Add in the fact that there's so much to customise in the way of brushes, and you could leave feeling frustrated.
Counter to Iruka's advice, I wouldn't even advise going for a small tablet. I started out like that, and developed muscle memory that still has me drawing very small to this day. I work from the wrist too much in life drawing, rather than using the whole arm, and it takes a concerted effort to combat this habit.
Honestly, spare yourself the hassle and get a pencil and sketchbook. or a pen and a sketchbook. You're learning how to draw, which will be the foundation for everything that follows, you want to develop that skill in a way that is as uncomplicated and straightforward as you can. If you like ease-of-use, you can always do what I do and put some post-its in your back pocket, and a pen or pencil in the front.
It might indeed be the paper, with the post-its-- the adhesive on them can cause some absorbency issues or weird waxy areas.
For pocket sized sketching I think Daler-Rowney makes a series of pad that's in the 3x4" range. I have a pad of their "Ruthless & Toothless" that's about the size of a closed billfold wallet. No idea on availability, since I'm posting from my phone, but worth a look.
Uncanny Magazine!
The Mad Writers Union
oh snap, it might be an old product line... Also, I have caught the dumb today so it is possible I have the wrong brand-- I just realized the cover's been ripped off mine for some time so it is of little use for research. I will look and see if I can find something else online that would be a comparable size, but I did find something interesting while I was looking: "Artist tiles" (4x4" precut bristol)
Uncanny Magazine!
The Mad Writers Union
Leuchtturm mini plain
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@7 4
Aw man, I saw you did this and then I completely forgot to say anything or do anything with it.
Updated the OP with these. I don't know how you did it, but it's much appreciated.
Twitter
Drawing something, every day, is going to be better than any amazing paper, pencils, pens, markers, crayons, tablets... Just grab some cheap sketchbooks, mechanical pencils, and draw.
You could invest in a set of pencils with varying hardness to figure out what feels best to you, but like Bombs said, when you're starting out it's more about practice than the tools you use. Anything that makes a mark should do you fine.
I want one where I can type a word and scroll through the fonts displaying that word.
That and FontExplorer are my favorites. Both cost money now I believe, but it's not much considering how much I use them.
My Portfolio Site
I still haven't had a lot of experience in this area, and everyone seems to have a different method, but what do people think in regards to looking up reference before starting any sketches/thumbnails/silhouettes? I don't mean taking photos and copying them directly, just gathering images that you can use for inspiration based on (for example) main themes or concepts for the overall piece.
At the moment I feel that I run into a wall due to my lack of experience in general. If I allowed myself the excuse to find motifs or thematic images, it might just help jump-start the process.
Is this too limiting? Would I be using a crutch that would ultimately stifle my creativity? At this point I'm just trying to find a method that works for me.
Thanks in advance!
Great artists use reference, that's for sure. Don't be afraid to be inspired by other designs. If your work stands on it's own and can justify it's own existence, then you have successfully been inspired, and not just copied someone else's work.
One badass painter I follow, Levente, has a unique process where he starts with a photo and basically just starts painting random stuff over it until he sees something in the shape mess and starts transforming it into something completely different.
Here's a couple of examples:
It's an interesting way of getting around the intimidation factor of starting with a blank canvas. Before you even lay your first stroke, you have a starting palette (which you can totally transform) and bunch of detail information you can choose to discard.
As far as reference work, a lot of matte painters go a step beyond using references and will actually mash heavily re-processed photos into their work. This has trickled over somewhat into concept art, and lately I've been seeing a lot of impressive sci-fi robot and vehicle designs that use tons of cut up and mashed photos of tech like engines, braces, pneumatics etc. but paint it together in a way that it feels wholly integrated:
Is it "cheating" to use bits and bobs from photos directly in your work? Well, there's definitely a line there somewhere, but there's also something to be said for being able to paint well enough that your painting work integrates seamlessly with photographic bits. As long as you continue doing a lot of 100% manually painted work as well I think it could be very very beneficial.
It makes sense I guess that this part in the process can tend to be the most personal and varied.
I see a lot of people who will only gather reference after they have nailed down a thumbnail or silhouette, and honestly whenever I've tried that I tend to hit a wall within the first few iterations. Perhaps once I've had more practice drawing things and doodling in general then this will come more easily, but for now I feel that finding reference during the thumbnail stage is probably a worthwhile endeavor.
For example I really like Claire Hummel's site, I feel it's super clean and orderly, but I'm guessing a lot of it's been handmade?
nm I got it
What would you guys recommend for doing plein air digitally? I currently have an Ipad and a stylus, but of course there is no photoshop, and the stylus is not pressure sensitive.
Should I invest in another tablet that is? I want something light that's relatively easy to use (not MSpaint quality).
Thanks!
I can't link it, but I was gifted a pledge in the YuFu kickstarter which is supposed to be a pressure sensitive stylus for ipad. Will see how that turns out.
My Portfolio Site
@Prospicience Perhaps Kuhler? I don't know of any others. This has a photoshop plug-in as well, which I think is standard nowadays.
They've got an explore section where you can check out colour schemes according to popularity and whatnot, that might suit you.