Photoshop and Wacom Intuos 3

[Alexander Morou]

Keh, 

I realize I should be more diligent with my art studies; however, every time I try to get into Photoshop with my tablet, I just feel discouraged and in a round about way, end up quitting.  It simply doesn't feel right, it's awkward.  At one point I even taped a piece of paper to the front of the tablet, but it didn't help me any.  Photoshop doesn't help much either, for someone who's never used anything but a pencil there's too many options that are useless for a beginner at digital media.

I can, with a LOT of time, draw line-art digitally (don't ask how long that took, and yes that horrible mix of things was a request), but I can't ever get the hang of anything more than that.

I'm interested in color, similar to Gueuzav and his Apple picture.

I've looked at tutorials that seem to take a certain thing or two for granted about what the user knows beforehand (such as the PST Art Tutorial, doesn't go into the 'how' of anything, but just theory).  So, does anyone here have any suggestions on where a beginner, who's never touched a paint brush for art's sake, that's interested in getting into digital media, should begin?  I realize I have to learn the basics, and I'm willing to do so, but I often wonder if I'm using the wrong program, or if I'm taking the wrong approach.  Also bear in mind I don't have the space or finances to purchase traditional media to do this traditionally, so I'm going to have to learn it all through my primary terminal.  I really don't know jack about brushes, strokes, color mixing, and a whole horde of other things that make no sense to me, as I am now.

If this is the wrong place, or there is no place for such things, I apologize.

 

[hima]

  Tablet take sometime to get use to it and to start drawing with it right away can be discouraging. My suggestion would be to start the drawing traditionally on paper. And use tablet for painting or inking after you scan your drawing for now. Breaking down any picture into a combination of shapes is a good exercise too, and this is easier to do in photoshop with your tablet.

  Also, do not care about coloring for the moment. It might be boring, but try to do everything in b&w first. Even when painting, try to do it in grayscale. This is so that you can understand volume. It isn't difficult to turn b&w picture into color using PTS too

Here are two links that I find useful

> http://www.itchstudios.com/psg/art_tut.htm

> http://www.anticz.com/drawing1.htm

P.S. Don't get discourage! I saw your work and it isn't bad at all!  Keep it up

 

[Alexander Morou]

Well the reason I want to go full digital is I don't have a scanner, nor the place to put one if I bought a cheap one (my apartment's really small, my desk barely fits my laptop).

I have done a fair bit of traditional drawing, and I'm not terribly worried about how to structure things (that's not to say I'm perfect, because the problem is I'm far from it).  I just can't get used to the digital aspect.

I'm worried that I might have to wait until I can take some traditional classes that actually explain how light, and color work together.  Unless there's just something I don't get when I look at tutorials (like the two you mentioned).

 

[hima]

Those are really good! I don't think the problem is your art skill now. Maybe it's just you're not use to tablet?

I also think you shouldn't use Photoshop. Personally, I find it doesn't really work well with tablet (though I've heard that it's improved in CS2/CS3). Try using  Corel Painter/Open Canvas, which suit better for digital drawing/painting. Pretty much all of my arts are drawn in Painter/Open Canvas and colored in Photoshop.

Other than that it all come down to practices. Just keep drawing and drawing (or painting and painting). It took me a long time to get use to drawing digitally, yet I still find it easier to draw traditionally (however, digital drawing save me paper/erasers.)

 

[Diaforetikos]

I don't know if you have the money for either of these things, but look for a magazine called ImagineFX. I get it every month. I look at it as an investment. Its completely focused on digital painting and drawing. They have tons of tutorials and little tips each month. Look for it at Barnes and Noble.

If your interested in the study color and light and don't mind investing some money into it, take a look at this DVD by Gnomon Workshop. This helped me so much. Its really cool.

I had the same problem with working with a tablet. I recently found out what my problem was... I gave up too easily. I would try and if my picture didn't feel right or I didn't think it looked good, I gave up on drawing for the day. It was a bad habit, but recently I found out that if I kept going, I noticed that I got better. I'm not good, but I noticed that my digital art got as good as my traditional. Just keep drawing on it, no matter what. It'll benefit you in the end.

 

[Alexander Morou]

Come two weeks from now, I think I'll buy that DVD.

 

[Shadow_Strike]

No no no, don't buy dvd, waste of money. Look at professionals, w.i.p.s... etc.

The thing about tablets is that it doesn't make you a better artist, its just a new medium to work with, like paints or clay.
Start by doing a bunch of sketches. Just rough, undetailed sketches.

Tutorials are fail, they're there to help you learn a function, not how to make a picture.

The thing is, a tablet will never be pen and paper, because it isn't. Its a totally different method of application than a paintbrush or pen or pencil.
But the most basic thing is - you gotta know how to draw, gotta know basic concepts... etc.

Pencil and paper until paints and canvas.

 

[Diaforetikos]

To Shadow_Strike,

The DVD is a video on the theory of light and color. It doesn't show you how to draw.

Other than that Shadow is pretty much on point with everything else. You can find cheap online classes or join an art group so they can show you more theories and give you clearer understandings to methods, terms, styles and helpful tips.

 

[Shadow_Strike]

High School art classes are pretty much what you need to get technical skills down, and some more independent studies.