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Questions, Discussion, Tutorials

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Posts

  • KallistiKallisti Registered User regular
    I have this issue at work in my Photoshop as well, and it's frustrating. I'm using cc at the moment so I don't know if it's that, but the computer is absolutely fine in terms of ram and such. It's only a problem in Photoshop, works perfectly fine in Sai. Checked message boards, no solutions. Using Windows. Let me know if you find something.

  • ScosglenScosglen Registered User regular
    edited October 2014
    Flay wrote: »
    Just tested it out on a friend's laptop, with the latest drivers, and the same issue is still there. I don't think it's a ram/processor issue, because their computer lagged a lot when making a stroke, but once it caught up the strokes looked identical to the strokes on my PC, which doesn't lag at all.

    I'm still not 100% sure if this is a tablet issue or a driver issue. Hopefully I can borrow a friend's tablet to test on my computer.

    Have you been using the same art program? Have you tested other art programs to see if the problem manifests there as well?

    I have no idea what the issue is, but my first step would be to try to narrow down if it's a tablet hardware, tablet driver, or art software issue, and then go directly to the customer support of whichever company's product isn't playing nicely. I might go Wacom regardless just to see if they might be aware of the issue and can offer more personalized help.

    Scosglen on
  • KallistiKallisti Registered User regular
    I can just about guarantee it's a Photoshop problem, it's been covered on countless message boards, it's a big problem.

  • FlayFlay Registered User regular
    edited October 2014
    I'm using CS6, but I get the impression CS6 and CC are pretty similar, if not identical.

    I tried installing the trial of Lazy Nezumi to see if that would help, but unfortunately it doesn't. Neat plugin though. Maybe I'll just switch to SAI for sketching.

    Flay on
  • KallistiKallisti Registered User regular
    edited October 2014
    Cc is pretty disappointing, especially if you're prone to using plugins. Cs6 will always be the plugin priority.

    2014 cc won't accept most plugins at the moment and plugin versions have to be made specifically for it in mind, so I've had to go back to just Cc at work, and even then it doesn't always handle them very well, has weird little lag spike issues. Which could actually be the same root problem as the drawing issue, it's frustrating for sure.

    Kallisti on
  • IcemopperIcemopper Registered User regular
    My Googleing might be lacking, but I have an issue that I can't quite figure out how to solve.

    I think the primary question is sharing files on a server in an office setting, and how do you do it in Photoshop CS5?

    The current issue I'm trying to tackle is setting up an Action automation that references a specific pattern I made, but it references a file on my local hard drive. If I bring the pattern file and Action file to another user's system, it fails at that point in the action as it searches for C:users/Icemopper.

    Is there either a way to change the path to which it is navigating, or is there a way to set up a server-side directory of patterns that I could then get everyone's machine to reference for patterns?

  • IcemopperIcemopper Registered User regular
    Ok, so it turns out that particular line wasn't an issue. As in I could delete the reference to my computer entirely and the thing would run just as well as long as the user had pre-installed one of my custom patterns.

    The real issue came up when running through the action on another person's computer and Photoshop said, "The Make command is not currently available." If anyone has a good idea about how to get around that, let me know. I've automated adding a color fill layer, then I'm trying to make a layer mask set to hide all, but it just freezes there and makes a layer mask set to show all for no real reason.

    Not a huge deal, but it is making me curious. As I get further and further into the depths of Photoshop I keep getting more surprised.

  • NakedZerglingNakedZergling A more apocalyptic post apocalypse Portland OregonRegistered User regular
    Should we start up secret santa sign ups? im more than willing to run it, if someone is needed to do such a thing.

  • IrukaIruka Registered User, Moderator mod
    I will talk to santa and see when he wants to get it up and running.

  • Tidus53Tidus53 Registered User regular
    Hey does anyone have any sound advice for facial exaggeration? It's something that completely boggles me that whenever I think about it ends up altering my style and the way I shape faces, even to the proportions of facial features. Like at some points I end up enlarging the eyes and now I'm experimenting with certain eye shapes and styles, but then I'm left with what to do with eye brows and the only option I have is to just have the skull grow as I need it and I DON'T KNOW I'm so confuzzled!

    If someone wants to ask what I'm shooting for it's facial expression of levels between LoK and Gurenn; but that sounds like I'm describing a crummy fanfic so I'll just say a focus on animation and exaggeration.

  • JudasJudas Registered User regular
    I have a question regarding Sketchbook Pro 6, and I'm really hoping someone on here can help. I just tried to reopen a file I had been working on less then 15 minutes before and it is telling me that it could not open file, specifically - "This is not a valid image file, its format or its size is not supported, or you may not have read permission for it."

    The file is a 5mb TIF file, I'm using Windows 8 on the Surface Pro. I put 6 hours into this piece over the last 2 days, saved many times and I have no idea what went wrong on this last save.

    I love Sketchbook, but this is the THIRD file this has happened to me with; there won't be a fourth. My patience is tapped out. Please help.

    Hard pressed on my right. My center is yielding. Impossible to maneuver.
    Situation excellent. I am attacking.

    - General Ferdinand Foch
  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Do you have photoshop? Or do you know someone who does? My only suggestion would be to open it in PS and either resave the layered tif or save it as a psd. Sketchbook is happy to work with PSDs - actually after a few mishaps trying to switch between programs, I've stuck with psd over tif for anything time-consuming.

  • Tidus53Tidus53 Registered User regular
    Iruka wrote: »


    These are all pretty useful but what I was referring to specifically was the jaw. I'm not sure what to do with the lower jaw when creating highly exaggerated expressions? I somehow manage to make the cheeks too puffy and the character barely resembles what they look like. I guess I'm asking if anyone has experience drawing in an exaggerated style that knows how to keep it simple

  • delrolanddelroland Registered User regular
    edited November 2014
    What's the best place and most polite way to go about requesting an art piece? And who would be the best people to ask for, say, a Warhammer 40K piece? Drawing, specifically, and preferably in color.

    delroland on
    EVE: Online - the most fun you will ever have not playing a game.
    "Go up, thou bald head." -2 Kings 2:23
  • ChicoBlueChicoBlue Registered User regular
    The most polite way would be to pm or email artists whose work you enjoy and asking them if they are available for a commission.

    If they say yes, then it'd be good to have ready:
    - a description of the content of the piece
    - the size of it
    - what it's going to be used for
    - maybe mention a couple of pieces of theirs that you enjoy and would like your commission to look like
    - then ask for a quote on the price.

    If you're looking for someone on the forum, take some time to peruse the threads here and see if there is anyone that fits the bill. If you're looking for someone not on the forum, your best bet is probably to just Google something like "Warhammer 40k Artist Portfolio".

  • OllieOllie Registered User regular
    edited November 2014
    Iruka wrote: »
    Photoshop is becoming the animation program of choice for a lot of artists when you are on cs6, particularly for shorts. My only aversion to CC is that if you dont just need PS (of you need like, 3 programs) Basically spending 50 bucks a month is your only option

    If you are literally just starting out, I think Manga studio is one of the better deals out there. You can get their non-pro versions of their software for 50 bucks. Meaning you could have both anime and manga studio (their animation and their painting programs) for 100 bucks. This may not be the most robust software, but I think its a bit more polished than gimp, and there are people out there making brushes for it. If you download the free stuff and feel like you need to take another step, you could do worse than this.

    Manga Studio is a great program (I got 5 for ~$20 on sale on Amazon some months back) but I recently had to switch to Photoshop CC for drawing on my Surface Pro 3. In MS5, the cursor frequently won't line up with where I point the stylus on the screen, as much as 3 mm away from where my stylus is actually touching the screen. I don't mean it lags behind slightly; I mean it can lag or just decide to not line up at all and draw in a location different from where it should be. It might not seem like much but it is a huge problem that throws me off immensely and wrecks my workflow, especially if I am working on an image that's zoomed out to full view. I finally said "screw it" and went for PS CC, luckily for the student price, and I haven't had the problem appear since.

    This was particularly frustrating since Manga Studio is supposed to be one of best programs to use on the Surface series. I need to contact their support team and see if they'd let me download Clip Studio Paint, which is supposedly the same as MS but all digital vs a disc install and no need to update it from time to time.

    Note that this is something I have only had a problem with on my Surface Pro 3; it's an irrelevant issue on a normal drawing tablet, and I don't own a Cintiq.

    Ollie on
  • Tidus53Tidus53 Registered User regular
    Ollie wrote: »
    Iruka wrote: »
    Photoshop is becoming the animation program of choice for a lot of artists when you are on cs6, particularly for shorts. My only aversion to CC is that if you dont just need PS (of you need like, 3 programs) Basically spending 50 bucks a month is your only option

    If you are literally just starting out, I think Manga studio is one of the better deals out there. You can get their non-pro versions of their software for 50 bucks. Meaning you could have both anime and manga studio (their animation and their painting programs) for 100 bucks. This may not be the most robust software, but I think its a bit more polished than gimp, and there are people out there making brushes for it. If you download the free stuff and feel like you need to take another step, you could do worse than this.

    Manga Studio is a great program (I got 5 for ~$20 on sale on Amazon some months back) but I recently had to switch to Photoshop CC for drawing on my Surface Pro 3. In MS5, the cursor frequently won't line up with where I point the stylus on the screen, as much as 3 mm away from where my stylus is actually touching the screen. I don't mean it lags behind slightly; I mean it can lag or just decide to not line up at all and draw in a location different from where it should be. It might not seem like much but it is a huge problem that throws me off immensely and wrecks my workflow, especially if I am working on an image that's zoomed out to full view. I finally said "screw it" and went for PS CC, luckily for the student price, and I haven't had the problem appear since.

    This was particularly frustrating since Manga Studio is supposed to be one of best programs to use on the Surface series. I need to contact their support team and see if they'd let me download Clip Studio Paint, which is supposedly the same as MS but all digital vs a disc install and no need to update it from time to time.

    Note that this is something I have only had a problem with on my Surface Pro 3; it's an irrelevant issue on a normal drawing tablet, and I don't own a Cintiq.

    Is manga studio the on that allows importation of 3D elements?

  • OllieOllie Registered User regular
    Tidus53 wrote: »

    Is manga studio the on that allows importation of 3D elements?

    I believe so, but I haven't used the feature myself.

  • Tidus53Tidus53 Registered User regular
    edited December 2014
    I'm gonna post a link to an imgur album of my latest stuff, please please please critique and don't ignore it; I already posted it on another forum but no one has replied.

    MORE importantly, could someone explain to me the female torso and pelvis? More specifically to torso's shape and connection to the chest, I think I'm starting to understand boobs better to where I don't need to spam artists about it anymore

    Sketchbook link PLEASE LOOK: http://imgur.com/a/eQMoU

    Tidus53 on
  • IrukaIruka Registered User, Moderator mod
    edited December 2014
    Sorry dude, but one of the things I'm really not keen on is begging for critiques.

    You are still grappling with basic anatomy, but you often ask for specific instructions on learning things. No one can "Explain the female torso and pelvis" to you in words, or has the time to sit down and make a tutorial specific to your needs. If you need that level of instruction, you really need to look into buying books, taking classes. I would look into the basic online courses at watts: https://www.wattsatelier.com/course-previews/drawing/

    I recognize that you have a drive to learn and you are drawing alot, but you are going to need to have a little more agency to figure out this stuff on your own. There is a huge amount of resources out there on the internet, between tutorial tumblrs, and things like this http://pinterest.com/characterdesigh/, but we cant dig through them for you.

    I really, really recommend taking some classes because you are at a level where there is too much to go over in a forum critique. You need to start drawing from life and working your way to improving your general process of learning as an artist. We cant instruct you on the very first steps. It seems like looking at visual material and analyzing it critically so you can re-purpose the information is a roadblock for you. This is an essential skill, and we really cant provide you with small tips and tricks until you get around it.

    And just to reiterate my point, you really got some good feedback here:
    http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/30776898/#Comment_30776898

    But you focused on the immediate (Bacons drawovers,) but not on any of the overall advice. Unfortunately, getting that level of critique is not going to be something people can often do. Obviously, it would be beneficial to you, but people on the forums are busy artists themselves and they cant always focus on one artists work. If you need that kind of attention, you really need a teacher/tutor. Find some local classes, save up for online courses, start watching proko videos, whatever you need to do.

    Iruka on
  • Tidus53Tidus53 Registered User regular
    Iruka wrote: »
    snip

    Sorry Iruka, I should have remembered that spamming these boards about that stuff gets on peoples nerves easily. I don't know what to say from here honestly than to reciprocate an apology. I would love to do a life drawing course and would be over-the-moon about it, but the circumstances I am currently under sort of prohibit that (namely my old man being deathly afraid of me taking more college classes).

    I'm sorry for spamming this board about the sort of vague questions that I ask that are generally really vague and way too open-ended. I'll do my best from now on to be more specific and limit my questions to critical things over critique and tutorial requests.

    Sorry again.

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Look around for an open figure-drawing session - you don't have to go to a college, there's often life drawing classes at community halls/dult learning centres/ things like that. Cost a few bucks per session, totally up to you whether you go and for how long

  • IrukaIruka Registered User, Moderator mod
    I don't mean to be down on you, and I appreciate the apology. When someone sits down and writes out a crit for an hour, that's no small commitment of their time. The reason spamming and begging gets on the nerves of people is its not something they should feel obligated to do, If you really want that kind of dedicated time, you wont be able to avoid giving someone money for it. I just have to make sure that the casual atmosphere of giving good critiques on these boards stays in tact.

    I realize that not everyone one has the means to drop cash on a college course. Watts online courses are self directed and are billed monthly, if you can save up 90 dollars you can just buy yourself access to the beginner videos and really just grind as much as possible for a month. You can also do what I did in middle/highschool which is find a book store and just camp out in there, copying what you can out of the anatomy books they have. I was doing that before I had any means to buy a library of books I could refer to.

    Alot of times cheap life drawing sessions are open, so they are completely without instruction. It maybe hard to jump into one of those sessions and know what to do. But wats has videos:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKfsZaNrmzM

    and proko has videos:
    https://www.youtube.com/user/ProkoTV

    You can really be taking advantage of all those things. Book mark these pages, start trying to really copy these resources and take their advice in. Be patient, too, you arent going to gain these skills overnight. one of the things you are really going to have to commit to is to do some serious study. You can draw from a real face just by pulling up to a mirror and doing some self portraits, or try drawing basic shapes by drawing whats on your desk.

  • RiokennRiokenn Registered User regular
    Not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but it is an artist type question...

    Surface Pro seems to be a neat tablet for artist. I remember Gabe talking about how much he loved the Surface Pro 2 (Major plus for using Manga Studio) but not so much the Surface Pro 3 due to it's lag and displacement of buttons when drawing...

    If I ever make this costly decision in my life, should I get the Surface Pro 2 or the Surface Pro 3?
    I've wanted a new tablet for drawing since I know my Graphire 3(2004) tablet will die sometime eventually.
    But a tablet with a draw-on screen and it can play games? I can't pass that up.

    OmSUg.pngrs3ua.pngvVAdv.png
  • IrukaIruka Registered User, Moderator mod
    I just bought a surface 3 over the weekend. I like it, but if I was presented with the option to drop 2k and had none of the computer set up I have now, I would build a desktop and buy an intous. I do understand what gabe is talking about with the button position, but it doesn't seem to really get in the was of my work flow, I also don't drag my wrist on the screen much.

    Basically, this is going to be a great portable sketchpad for me, but I would be disappointed is it were my main computing device as its takes a lot of work and configuring to just get it at an acceptable amount of functioning. If portability is concern #1, I think its a pretty good option, but if you are going for an i7 you might want to just take the $200 leap and get a cintiq companion. (If you aren't aiming for an i7, you probably wont get much gaming done on it)

  • RiokennRiokenn Registered User regular
    I guess what I'd really want from a tablet is the ability to draw on it. Surface Pro seems to be up my alley, but I am concerned about the buttons when drawing on the Pro 3. Using it as a portable sketchpad I can draw on is exactly why I want a tablet. (Plus using it as a browser to go on the internet/youtube isn't bad either since for everything else I can use my desktop)

    And by games I meant Hearthstone or some Steam games if it's able to get on there. Nothing that would push it to the limit, just for short breaks n such.

    I've also considered iPad and Nexus tablets but I don't think they would be good for drawing.

    OmSUg.pngrs3ua.pngvVAdv.png
  • IrukaIruka Registered User, Moderator mod
    edited December 2014
    If you happen to be near a Microsoft store, I would go demo one, you can test the feel with just the basic one note app. I haven't experienced a button problem to the point of not liking the device.

    I will say I bought my tablet for work first, and for drawing second. If your budget allows for it and drawing on the go is your main concern, the cintiq is probably a better choice, but it is a super expensive choice.

    Iruka on
  • tapeslingertapeslinger Space Unicorn Slush Ranger Social Justice Rebel ScumRegistered User regular
    Yeah, for comparison, I use my Nexus 7 for drawing in Autodesk Sketchbook, but I wouldn't use it for any apps more intensive than that, really. I HAVE PS Touch but don't usually use it, it's not really suited to a drawing workflow. If you want to run computer level apps instead of tablet level apps, look at the more intensive machines rather than the basic tablets.

  • OllieOllie Registered User regular
    Here to chime in on the Surface Pro 3 - I have the i5 4GB RAM 128GB Storage version. I really like it, but it's not specifically geared for artists and you can tell. One of the things I think could be easily fixed is the texture on the screen. Drawing on glass with a plastic-tipped stylus is awkward and slippery, but could be fixed if they sold some kind of sandy screen protector.

    For strictly art purposes, a Cintiq would be the better choice. However, last I checked, the Cintiq Companion is more than twice the price of my SP3, and I don't know how much it can be used for outside of art-related stuff, like games. That said, I don't really do any intense gaming on my tablet anyway, and I needed to get a laptop for school/work purposes anyway.

  • Tidus53Tidus53 Registered User regular
    Hey can anyone tell me what the mechanical pencil equivalent to graphite pencils are?

    I just started using these graphite pencils I got from a dear Dansih reddit secret Santa (and a kickass Deadpool Pop! bobblehead, Danes are sweet people) and I'm already in love with them.

    Thing is I always prefer mechanical pencils to wooden one, because the longer you use a wooden one, the shorter it becomes until it's just a nub that's barely all that useful to begin with. Plus, all the mechanical ones have a really nice grip that's easy on my hand. There's also the fact that I love having one pencil that is always there and I will always, use again and again, to the point where it feels like my favorite hammer, or my own sword. Like a favorite pair of pants I guess?

    I tried doing a little research into graphite pencils but never really got a solid answer, all I learned was that standard 0.7mm mech pencils are equal to wooden #2 pencils (common-knowledge), and that #2 pencils are HB on the graphite scale. From that I guess 0.5mm is H and .09mm is B; what I'm trying to find would be a mechanical pencil equivalent to 4H. 4H just so light but visible; like I can do as much as I want with that one and still be able to come back with something darker.

    If anyone knows of anything like that I thank you, but I would also appreciate advice on coping with neck pain? ORAS and drawing don't mix well in the long run ("-_- ?)

  • ChicoBlueChicoBlue Registered User regular
    The .5mm is the size of the lead and the lead holder, rather than the hardness grade. Depends on the brand, but you can buy lead refills for regular old mechanical pencils that are of different hardnesses.

    dickblick.com/products/pentel-hi-polymer-lead-refills/

  • KallistiKallisti Registered User regular
    780c.png
    mAQMGGjBH68zct8jD7kpTgQ.jpg

    Lead clutch pencils are fantastic, sharpen really well.

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited December 2014
    Yeah mechanical pencils are graded by softness just like everything else, they just also have a size factor as well. If you want a 4H lead for your pencil, go to an art store and look for a 4H container of correctly sized leads.

    tynic on
  • Tidus53Tidus53 Registered User regular
    One more question that kinda goes back to one of the fundamental art supplies: does anyone know of a better mannequin then the standard drawing ones? You know these guys

    stock-photo-collection-of-artist-mannequin-in-various-poses-60882130.jpg

    I've come to discover that these are HIGHLY inaccurate in movement of the body and difficult to position, they also seem to lack the same range of motion and flexibility as their supposed subject. I was actually looking into the ones called Takara Gen X Core Body, which is apparently the central figure a company uses for their figures and that looks INCREDIBLY better than the current ones.

    So anyone have any suggestions?

  • OllieOllie Registered User regular
    I don't know of any mannequins that will accurately portray human movement, at least not without costing far more than the average person can afford to spend. I have some "high quality" mannequins, a male and a female, and still I can spin their feet around to be completely backwards, which a normal person can't do.

    I don't think those wooden mannequins are meant to be used as a serious art reference anyhow. I think they're decent for proportions, but it's more about getting the general shapes of body parts down, and seeing how light affects the general shapes.

    What goal are you trying to accomplish?

  • Tidus53Tidus53 Registered User regular
    Well I always though mannequins were for the purpose of being posed into the pose desired by the artist; which makes it easier for him to translate the idea to paper.

    If anything I want to those Takara Gen things, those things look perfect for modeling and posing a character.

  • OllieOllie Registered User regular
    edited December 2014
    Tidus53 wrote: »
    Well I always though mannequins were for the purpose of being posed into the pose desired by the artist; which makes it easier for him to translate the idea to paper.

    I was under the impression you wanted something more anatomically accurate. In this case, I don't see any reason why a simple wooden mannequin wouldn't suffice.

    Don't get me wrong, this totally looks more impressive, but with the right lighting and photographic set-up, you can make a lot of plain things look awesome. The cool poses the dolls were set to helps them look cool.

    If you really feel like it'll help you and you don't mind paying (what I assume would be) more, go for it, but it'll only take you so far. It can be helpful, but you have to be careful not to use it as a crutch and/or mislead you on how human anatomy looks and functions.

    BTW - I recommend you check this book out! Was one of my textbooks for an art class from a few years back.

    Ollie on
  • Lindsay LohanLindsay Lohan Registered User regular
    I started painting again about 2 years ago after about a 20 year hiatus from anything artsy (I oil painted in high school). I did acrylic as the starting price point was attractive and since then have adorned the walls of my basement game room with a bunch of random gaming paintings but more importantly I've had fun just with the process and it's been a nice way to get rid of stress.

    Now I'm finding since it's a hobby I've stuck with that I'd like to slowly start replacing my initial cheapy brushes with medium quality ones, and start buying better quality paints as I use up the ones I have (I believe mine are mostly those big transparent liquitex tubes or little tubes from random starter kits.

    Can anyone recommend what brand/keywords to look for on the paints as I start the process of upgrading? Also, what should I look for in better brushes as I start slowly replacing the ones I initially bought?

  • IrukaIruka Registered User, Moderator mod
    @Lindsay Lohan
    http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/139/3/8/know_how_to_buy_colors_at_the_store_by_martinacecilia-d7iz50d.png
    Source: http://martinacecilia.deviantart.com/art/Know-how-to-buy-colors-at-the-store-455135773

    Some notes I found on tumblr. Unfortunately I cant think of a similar post but for brushes right now. If you have an art store that is close to you that's not a Michael's or a Hobby Lobby, I suggest going there. I've always enjoyed Utrechts store brand paints, as the quality to the price was always pretty reasonable. But Yeah, if you go to a good artstore they usually have nice displays of how the paint looks on paper, and the staff is generally interested in talking about the products. My favorite is Jerry's Artorama, but they are only in a few cities. Plaza, Utrecht, Dick Blick, and artist craftsman and supply have been other good stores for me.

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