The ULTIMATE ARTIST ADVICE Thread

[Amnesiac]

I've had enough and I want to start drawing. I've got the pencil&paper basics down with lots of help, so I'm okay there.

WHAT I NEED is for anyone here who uses a computer system and programs for ANYTHING involving the creation of their work to bring their accumulated experience to the open. So here's what:

YOU HAVE

1. Picture drawn on paper of your choice in medium of your choice
2. $$$ for a comp

WHERE DO YOU GO FROM HERE?

If you scan a paper picture or create it on the screen, tell me and everybody reading what to do. If you use Mac, tell us why; if you use PC tell us why.

Tell us what program you use and why it over others. Inform us as to how you convert drawings to digital information; OR how you step-by-step (first sketch, final sketch, detailing, shading, coloring, etc.) create it or tweak it.

You don't have to tell us every little detail (the manuals can help us there), but the big basic stuff, the stuff that is important and should be considered especially when it comes to controllin the details of the picture or transferring it to a specific data file mode.

Information on how to upload it to this site, and how to adjust for size is a bonus and really appreciated.

All on all, for myself, I'm looking to create material that will appear on screen with the kind of sheen and texture (be it color or B&W) as the work of Tomato_Dragon, Fairfeather, Shock, etc.

If you like, feel free to take us through the steps you take when beginning/finishing your work and how you get it to meet your satisfaction; as well as how long the process usually takes,and whatever mistakes you have learned from in the past.

So please help us out artisans of the bristle or digital brush, so that all anyone need do is to turn here for the best advice on how to get started.

 

[Tomato_Dragon]

Hey Amnesiac,
I love threads like this. Love seeing the steps which artists take in creating their work.

Computer Choice:

Well, for starters, I own a PC. No preference. Macs are good too, just worked on pc's more. I do alot of 3D work also and there seems to be more choice of programs available for pcs.

Scanning:

For getting your drawn image into the computer, any scanner will really do. What matters most is the dpi, or "Dots per Inch" which you set your scanner to scan at. Usually if someone is planning on their work only being seen on computer screens ( nothing actually printed ) then scanning your work in at 72dpi is the correct setting, since monitors only read this number. However, I find that scanning art in at 300 dpi, which is usually the setting reserved for those who plan on printing their work, gives a much more cleaner, crisper result...plus later if u want to print ur stuff out, it will print clear and not blurry. Do note that the higher the dpi, the larger the image file will be. It's not uncommon to have images well over 50 megabytes at 300 dpi. Once you're ready to save for the web, however, saving the image out at 72dpi is a good idea, because of size and downloading times on the web.

Paint Programs:
After the art is in the computer, you need a paint program to work with. I use Adobe's Photoshop, which is the industry standard. However, there are free downloadable paint programs out there which work wonders also. Paintshop Pro is a very popular choice. You can find alot of free, downloadable softer at: www.tucows.com

Wacom Tablet:
Another handy little device, thought not necessary, is the Wacom tablet...it basically takes the place of your mouse, but you use a pen. At first, it's a bit awkward, but let me tell you it's a joy once you got the hang of it. You'll never pic up your mouse again. It's a much more natural feel when working in paint programs.

Inking and Coloring:

Here are the steps I go through once I've brought the scanned artwork into Photoshop:
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v703/TDComics/Stipplewitz/DrawingStippSteps.jpg">

1. The original scanned pencil sketch.

2. Outline Inking: Here, I take my custom Photoshop brush ( you can design your own brushs and come up with many differnt kinds from mimicing pencil, to watercolor, etc) and trace over my pencil sketch.

3. Coloring: Most paint programs work in "Layers." Think of it like laying transparent cels one on top of another. So in a new layer below the Inking layer, I color in the pic with whatever colors are needed. Most paint programs have tools that get this done very quickly.

4. Shading: Now I make another layer and start putting in shadows. Shading is really optional, but can really add to the atmosphere of your image. It gives a sense of light and can add mood. Generally, I just darken the colors already used, and use them for the shadows. So like for Stipp's skin shadows, I used the same skin color but just darkened it somewhat.

That's it for the image. Obviously backgrounds can be added or whatever else you think is appropriate.

Saving for the Web:
The two most widely used image formats for the web are .gif and .jpg. Gifs are used best when your image has mostly flat colors (No shading or gradients...kinda like those old comic books from the 60's.) Jpgs are used best for everything else. You generally want to keep your images as small ( file size ) as possible if you are posting them on the web. This means, of course, sacrificing image quality. Photoshop has some great tools for reducing image size, and maintaining image quality. I try to keep all my images below 75k. It doesn't always end up that way, but sizes that get bigger, just means longer download times for someone trying to view it.

Uploading Your Image to the Web:
Alot of forums, like TMF, have the ability to pull your image directly from your computer and upload it to their server. But if this feature is not available, then you will have to find an "Image Hosting" service on the web, that will store your images. I use www.miamihost.net After you upload your image to one of these sites, you can use HTML coding to portray your image into, well, a message like this one. Some forums, thankfully, have buttons that will do the coding for your, like TMF. The "IMG" button will allow u to copy and paste the webaddress where your specific image is, and stick it into your thread.

Time:
Everyone is different on how long it takes them to finish a piece. I've worked on pieces from either 45 min. from sketching on paper, to finished product...to days at a time. Big thing to remember is not to rush and if you get frustrated, walk away for a bit. The worst thing you can do is try to draw when your fuming.

Well, that's about all i can think of...think this is the longest thread I've ever written hehe. I hope this helps out somewhat, and by no means are these rules. This is only just one example of a humble little artist's working steps. I can't wait to read the others 😀

 

[Amnesiac]

New Possibility

Here's a little something that's come to my attention recently that might change a few things...

I recently decided that I might want to try a Power Mac G5 dual processor tower. Price aside, the major problem is that the system would pretty much only be useful for film editing, which I probably won;t be able to get to as much as artwork (GOD, getting used to pencil sucks!).

Given the fact that Mac is best for film editing, but not for much else, given the programs and familiarity available with a PC, this no doubt presents me with a dilemma. I either choose a great Mac editing system or I go with a better PC programming library to do multiple jobs. I can't seem to get both.

On top of that, the constant struggle to find PC models that have the right number of ports without the proprietary hardware AND the performance specs that I want is fucking nervewracking! I'm getting a cozy laptop with quite a lot of room and performance quality, but I intend to take it online and security or no securty, there's no fucking way I'm risking storage of potential pages and pages of work, artwork or otherwise on an internet-accessible comp.

So now I'm looking at the possibilities for a Mac comp...anyone have experience on what to use for this system art-wise on the off-chance I don't stick with PC?