DIGITAL ART 101
A beginners guide to digital painting, sculpting, illustration and many more….
In this guide we will be answering the what’s, why’s and how’s of Digital Art. It covers the sketching, drawing stuff mostly, just have a look.
But before getting started
Disclaimer ! This is mostly biased on FOSS lovers and beginners with a desire but low budget[with a few exceptions].
What is Digital Art ?
Digital Art is a collection of various creative works that can be done using a Computer, a creative software and sometimes additional hardware.
Photo Manipulation/editing, Animation Sculpting, Pixel Art, Concept Art, Vector Graphics / Vector Illustrations, Digital Painting … to name a few.
All of this might not be completely related, example Animation includes 3D but we will focus only on the art part.
Why should I learn Digital Art?
There is always a question of what can I do if I learn Digital Art. It is very common and clearing it is necessary. There are many opportunities and it depends on what you like.
1. Concept Artist.
2. Photo editor.
3. Animator.
4. Digital Sculptor.
5. UI Designers.
6. Illustrator.
7. Graphics Designer.
8. Game Designer.
Basically the skill of Drawing and working Digitally is widely used. So, pretty much every field needs you.
Most of the advice online is about the Adobe and Wacom products, I don’t think any beginner will be able to afford them and there’s no reason that he/she would love digital art in the long run. If you want to get started you should answer two things.
- Software
- Hardware
we will debunk all the myths and the costs is “ZERO” if you don’t want the hardware
What software options do I have?
Digital art is creativity combined with software. In the FOSS world there are some tools that are the best in their field. I present you “ THE FURIOUS FIVE…ahm FOUR for now”.
1. Krita
2. GIMP
3. Blender
4. Inkscape
All these software's are available for all the desktop platforms. There surely are many other free[non-libre] software like firealpaca, vectr its totally your preference.
Now its time to answer the most burning question about digital art…GRAPHICS TABLET.
Do I need a graphics tablet?
Mouse is a good option but I can tell you there is a lot of difference when you use a stylus. It’s true that there are people who use mouse to create art but pressure sensitivity is one of the most important feature of a Graphics tablet. Most of the articles is on using a stylus is because of this same reason.
Do keep in mind that you can get through Photo Editing, Vector Art, Animation[sometimes] with a mouse. But when it comes for Sketching, Painting…etc a tablet is preferred. I did not have a graphics tablet for a long time but I did do my Editing and other stuff with a mouse.
But as some artists say “Buying a Graphics Tablet is an Investment”. I expect you to think and also use these resources to decide. Feel free to do some research.
Disclaimer ! These are amazing artists with a lot of experience and they recommend some very expensive tablets. Don’t panic! just continue reading.
Ctrl+Paint — collection of videos about Why and how to use a Graphics Tablet.
YanSculpts — A video about the pros and cons of having a tablet
Sycra — A video about his experience on using a Graphics tablet. Do keep in mind that a lot of things changed from the time the video was published.
I totally respect your decision of buying or not buying one but lets go deeper into the rabbit hole and find more answers.
Which one should I buy?
When it comes to Digital/Graphics Tablets Wacom is the prime name.They are known for their quality and high prices. But they are not the only ones Huion and Xp-Pen are also prime players in the tablet market. They both have the reputation of being cheap and worth the money.
Mouse is a good option but I can tell you there is a lot of difference when you use a stylus. It’s true that a lot of people use mouse to create art but pressure sensitivity is one of the most important feature of a Graphics tablet. Most of the articles is on using a stylus is because of this same reason.
Here are some key features you should look into before buying a Graphics tablet
* Pressure sensitivity
* Connectivity type
* Type of stylus
* Drawing surface [Tablet size != Drawing surface]
Stylus with a battery are known to be heavy but they are better. Battery less stylus is light and the need for a new battery is gone.
Iv seen a lot of articles mentioning the best tablets for beginners and mention tablets worth $70+ [Rs.4800]. But I believe that a beginner might have not more than $50 [~Rs.3500] as I did.
Do keep in mind that the products are more pricey.In India due to import charges but as you will see the prices mentioned on the site are irrelevant. Here are some of the best picks, don't expect them to have all the features but they are the best to start. Do check some reviews online and do your research before you buy.
All the reviews are based on the budget and price. I used Amazon only to help you to compare with other sites. Feel free to explore other sites before you buy.
XP-Pen officially has support to LINUX with Linux Drivers on their drivers page.
If you are a Linux user make sure you buy a tablet that is supported by the Linux community. Also check https://digimend.github.io/tablets/ as they provide drivers to popular tablets.
No links to the website are provided in the view of your privacy. So feel free to explore. TIP: Use a Private Window ;)
1. Huion 4 x 2.23 Inches OSU Tablet Graphics Drawing Pen Tablet — 420:
The Tablet looks big but it is very small.
-> US $24.99 on official site [does not include shipping charges]
-> US $19.99 on Amazon
-> Not available in official Huion India site
-> Originally Priced at ₹4979 [~$72] you get and offer based on the site you buy but its no less than ₹3200 [~$45]
2. Huion H420 Osu Tablet Graphics Drawing Signature Pad with 3 Express Keys (4 x 2.23 Inches) :
-> US $29.99 on official site https://www.huiontablet.com
-> US $27.99 on https://www.Amazon.com
-> Not available in huion.co.in
-> Originally Priced at ₹4,531[~$65] you get and offer based on the site you buy but its no less than ₹3200 [~$45]
3. XP-Pen StarG640 Ultra-thin Graphic Drawing Tablet (6" x 4", 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity, Battery-free Stylus):
-> US $29.99 on official site https://www.xp-pen.com
-> US $29.99 on https://www.Amazon.com
-> ₹3,999.00 on https://xp-pen.co.in/product/star-g640-sketch/
-> Originally Priced at ₹5,999.00[~$86] you get on offer based on the site you buy but its no less than ₹3499.00[~$50]
4. XP-Pen G430S OSU Tablet Ultrathin Graphic Tablet 4 x 3 inch Digital Tablet Drawing Pen Tablet for OSU! (8192 Levels Pressure):
-> US $27.99 on official site https://www.xp-pen.com
-> US $29.99 on https://www.Amazon.com
> ₹2,999.00 on https:/xp-pen.co.in
-> Originally Priced at ₹ 3,299.00[~$48] you get on offer based on the site you buy but its no less than ₹2,999.00[~$43]
5. Huion INSPIROY H640P Graphics Pen Tablet:
-> US $49.99 on official site https://www.huiontablet.com
-> US $49.99 on https://www.Amazon.com
-> Not available in huion.co.in
-> Originally Priced at ₹4990.00[~$72] you get on offer based on the site you buy but its no less than ₹4199.00[~$60]
Don’t worry I’v simplified stuff for you here’s a comparison table for all the products. Thank me later ;)
All these tablets have battery free styli. There are other brands and products too it depends on the budget and features. I have a Xp-pen G640 and I dont have any shortcut keys I preferred it because of its pressure sensitivity and it was cheap.
Where do you start?
https://drawabox.com/ — a completely free traditional drawing course with a lot of home works and practice.
https://www.ctrlpaint.com — amazing tutorials on digital art but based on Photoshop. Most of the tools can me related to Krita and is a good place to learn basics of both Traditional and Digital Art.
https://daviesmediadesign.com/ — one stop for everything gimp related.
https://www.blenderguru.com — as the name suggests pretty good blender tutorials.
https://www.davidrevoy.com — for everything related to Krita.
https://www.gdquest.com/ — for tutorials on blender, Krita and game development.
https://logosbynick.com — for everything Inkscape and GIMP.
Thank you for your time, feel free to comment your suggestions . This content is free to share and has no copyright to it. Have a great day!! Stay tuned for more software reviews and Beginner guides. Privacy is your Right, stay private. #privacyMatters
