Xuân said:
Where do you draw? What tools do you use? Any tips for wannabe artists like me?
Oooh boy this is gonna be a long one- so hold on tight :0
I draw almost exclusively on Photoshop these days and I occasionally dip my toes into MSPaint when I want some variation/want to get back to the basics.
I use a gaming PC [heh- gamer-], which isn't a needed detail but uh- I guess it helps run my hundreds of layers when I have them lol- annnd a Wacom Intuos Pro, a graphics tablet without a screen. [The screen ones scare me lmao]
When I'm not doing digital art, I use anything from acrylics to alcohol markers to just a pencil. I nearly always carry a pen and sketchpad with me.
Honestly, one of my first tips for digital artists is to get a graphics tablet if you can. If you have a standard computer or laptop, it's pretty likely you can use one and download a free art program like Krita.
You can get some pretty budget-friendly tablets, like the Wacom One [not the one with the screen ahah-] which can be around £35 on Amazon. You can find 'em for around 30-50 bucks, maybe cheaper second hand.
It is always important to check compatibility though, especially if you use something like a chromebook.
As for art in general, there's so much I could say ahah.
When looking to improve art, it's the thing that's said again and again by artists, but that's because it's so relevant. References and life-drawing are always my go-to when looking to improve.
Not only does it help with anatomy, but it helps with lighting, shading, pretty much everything.
There's a lot of ways to use references, but I'd recommend trying to look for the shapes. What makes the object 3D, that kinda thing. It's a hard thing to explain, I'm no teacher ahah-
But when it comes to art, shapes are your friend, I'd recommend trying to look past where the line is formed.- I'm really not sure how to explain. There's a tonne of tutorials online that can probably explain better- Just search 'how to use references for
art' or somethin like that- [I might edit some in in a bit but- ]
Also- always remember to use multiple references if you're gonna use 'em-
And if you do just use a singular reference image, make sure you credit the original and follow any of the artist's/photographer's rules. ESPECIALLY if you're planning on posting the art anywhere.
But y'know, if you ask me it's kinda important not to get sucked in to the world of constant anatomy, lighting studies, reference work, etc etc. It's very important to improve but,, at the same time you wanna have fun with art, y'know? If you're losing inspiration or just getting a bit tired out, it's fine to drop the references and just kinda doodle to have fun! Not everything needs to be perfect-post-worthy art. [Something I should probably tell myself a little more eheh-]
Sometimes you just wanna do a fun little character doodle or sketch and not care about anatomy or line weight or lighting, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Another thing, especially on sites like Wolfplay where the art market seems to be HUGE right now, it's important to be patient when it comes to selling things. Patient and flexible ahah. Sometimes the things you put hours into just,,, flop and then a three-minute sketch gets all the love and attention. It's just annoying, but how it is sometimes. :') Pricing polls and all of those kinds of things can kinda,, hurt sometimes, especially when people vote only for the lowest option-
The fun thing about pricing art, is that you can always change it. Put it to high and no one ordered? Bring it down. Shop going crazy and slots are going too fast? Put it up. You can always change prices, and prices typically rise as your art improves, so it's important not to get disheartened when something doesn't sell for as much as you wanted it to.
ANYWAY- I could go on for hours and hours ahah- so I'll leave it at that for now :0
Mystic Moon Light
You're welcome- :0
I hope you find the brushes that work for you!
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