[Sotonin]

Yes, I know. this painting sucks.. more than words can describe. But before you fall over dying from laughter, this is my very first attempt at using my new Wacom Graphire 2 pad.

It is quite hard getting used to the feel of the tablet, but i think i am starting too. Right now im using some Painter Classic that came with the tablet. I really could use some advice about shading / brush techniques if anybody can offer up some tutorials?

I have photoshop7 as well. but so far ive found painter much more fluid and paint'ish like than photoshop. Is there some better software i should be getting or will the classic version suffice for now?

Asking for advice on this particular piece would be like asking a hobo to borrow his armani suit, but I wanted to see if i was hugely far off for a beginner.

[AndyT]

Sumaleth Link Archive - Tutorials

[Sotonin]

I think mainly what i lack is proper understanding of the tools. I have these detailed realistic paintings in my mind, but i can not make them appear on the screen and it frustrates me to no end. That is why i did painty look on this one, frankly because i suck at realism so far. (I have made many attempts but end up getting pissed and closing painter / photoshop.)

[AndyT]

Don't start with your graphire. Start with a pencil instead.
Start with reference pictures...

You have to study perspective, composition, color theory, figure drawing and so on to come up with your own stuff.
Loomis Books

Practice! It's essential

There's a lot about tools in the tutorials.

[oDD]

1. hello
2. practice more
3. me suck
4. practice more
5. white background = other colors look darker = bad
6. practice more
7. if you don't like me or you find my tutorial useless be sure to lower my member rating
8. I didn't invented this way of working
9. (practice more and me suck) X 10
10. [edit]untrue[/edit]

















[ September 21, 2002: Message edited by: oDD ]

[oDD]

[Sotonin]

wow, that was a very detailed example. Thank you very much for not flaming me, that is one thing i've come to like about these boards. I have been watching them for some time. You used Photoshop for that image? I tried in photoshop with out much luck, maybe im doing something major wrong. Do i need to download any special brushes?

To andy, sketching and drawing is not really my sore spot. I have always excelled at that. It is the digital process that i lack proper understanding of. getting it onto the screen and to look something other than doggy doo.

Thanks

[oDD]

i did the whole imiage using the default round hard edgegd brush(specialy for you ).Exept the bg witch was my old image..

Remember there are no special tricks!

Don't think so much about the application , choose the one you like more. Changing the app won't make you a better artist..

[Sotonin]

Ok. you must have used some good layers then? or some other trick with the brush. I see lots of variants in the strokes. Almost like theres some transparencies. When i tried painting in photoshop it's pretty much this color that color and not much blending. Painter i could at least get into it a bit, photoshop just seemed awkward, im not sure why.

[oDD]

stop thinking like there are some tricks that makes this pic speciall. brush transparency was set to a pen pressure.

[Sotonin]

I am just trying to find out things about the program that I obsiously do not know about yet. What i see you have done in those images i do not know how to recreate. Maybe you could suggest some good books about Photoshop (Painting in photoshop) or something to research?

[Xyster21]

Hmm some good books for drawing that I know of are Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life, The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, and Drawing on the Artist Within. All are good books for drawing... on the other hand learning photoshop. There is Photoshop 7 classroom in a book (i think it is) and Photoshop 6/7 Studio Techniques are just 2 to name off the top of my head right now. There's some others out there I know of but I just can't remember names and I am too lazy to get off my bum and look on my shelf... anyways books don't make you better (they teach you things to help you along the way) but the most important is practicing as much as you can when you can, then you will see vast improvement over previous works that's my lil bit of help for you I suppose gluck

[AndyT]

Sotonin, it's not easy to help you. Maybe you could try again and post step-by-step pictures. Comment on the steps especially when you think you need advice for the next step.

[Sotonin]

I don't think i'll be able to get much anywhere with painter classic. read somewhere its good for making basic paintings, and that's all. So i am going to try to find some books on photoshop and figure out how the painting works there. (been using photoshop for years now, but just for web logos and such, never tried managed to paint successfully, hehe)

[Bare Bonez]

I think it's a good start for a first. I remember my first wacom drawing, it was horrible. Absolutely horrible. I didn't read the manual on how to use the wacom and had the thing set on pen mode and couldn't figure out why the pen wouldn't draw curved lines. Anyhow, it's a good start. just keep on drawing and eventually you'll improve. Don't give up.

By the way, the dude reminds me of those 80's rappers. "Put your hands up in the air and wave them like you just don't care. HO-OH, OH-HO" Anyway, don't mind me.

Good start. ODD great tutorial and give yourself more credit, you don't suck.