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[DrBo42]

Think I just ended up making a Taylor Swift/Margot Robbie love-child instead of Margot Robbie. Will get there eventually, need to up my reference game.

 

[DEATH™]

Sketch for today. Done totally without refs.

@Monocle Just downloaded Artpose. Why didn't I heard of this app before? It's awesome!

Also, I'm back to having problems with shading lol. I'm having a hard time shading/coloring anything beyond a simple form. Also semester work is starting to pile up and I can't practice as much as I want to. Help!

Also guys, After the contest finishes, what's next? Honestly I'm thinking that we can't really resume to a typical art challenge without a prize at this point lol. But at the same time, I want people around to be able to try out art and the buzz generated by the contests was good...

Also, on a different note, is it advisable for me to create a blog just to note my progress, thoughts and stuff? Do I need to be in a certain level to do so?

 

[Alastor3]

For the past months I have setup my paintbrush to try and do a Bob Ross painting but im just too afraid that it won't be as good as I have in mind

 

[DEATH™]

For the past months I have setup my paintbrush to try and do a Bob Ross painting but im just too afraid that it won't be as good as I have in mind

Don't worry about if it will end up good or bad for now. Just do it and see where you will get wrong.

Easier said than done though. Taking that first step and continuing through can be tough, and figuring out the lessons that you need to learn is just as hard too! At least we're here to help as much as we could.

 

[East Lake]

It tends to get extremely technical but this is basically my favorite resource.

http://www.handprint.com/

The perspective section is really great, and so are the color ones.

http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/perspect1.html#cues

Snip

Leonardo da Vinci devoted many pages in his notebooks (c.1490) to the analysis of perspective distortions, and he especially disliked the exaggerated apparent size of the perspective grid as it reached the ground line of the image plane (for example, as in the ground squares of this image). He recommended painting an object as it appears from a distance of 3 to 10 times its actual dimensions (e.g., a standing figure 1.75 meters tall should be viewed from 5 to 18 meters). This is equivalent to placing the figure within a 19° to 6° circle of view. In fact, modern vision research has found that most people say an object "fills their field of view" once it occupies approximately a 20° circle of view; the classical French rule has been to contain the image within a 30° circle of view. I use a 25° circle of view as a rule of thumb when designing or analyzing an image, which corresponds to a viewing distance to a finished painting of about 2.5 times its height, width or diagonal. (These issues are explored further in the section on display geometry & image impact.)

So the restricted circle of view "cure" for perspective distortions was well known to artists from the beginning of perspective practice (even if the necessary "dosage" was ambiguous). But these artists also realized that some distortions are more intrusive than others to a casual viewer. Apparent distortions in rectangular forms are more objectionable than distortions in curved forms; distortions in the horizontal direction are more obtrusive than distortions in the vertical direction (in part because the format is usually wider than it is high); distortions in unfamiliar objects are more acceptable than distortions in familiar objects; distortions in the apparent location of vanishing points are more acceptable than distortions in the outline of forms; distortions in a mixed perspective drawing are more objectionable than those in a rigorous perspective drawing; and so on.

As a result, if artists were working with a large fresco or canvas format, or wanted a panoramic effect, they adopted a radical practice guided by the context of the painting: they would simply "correct" or disguise perspective distortions wherever they appeared objectionable. This was almost always done for figures, rounded forms, the spacing between columns of a facade, and so on. Often several kinds of "corrections" were used at the same time.

raphael's school of athens (1511) from an elevated viewpoint

A fine example is Raphael's large fresco The School of Athens which fills an almost 30 foot wide section of Vatican wall. This huge format clearly imposes a panoramic context on the image design, which Raphael utilized in novel ways. He framed the perspective construction within a relatively restricted 40° circle of view, which crops extreme distortions from the image — although as a result the correct perspective viewing point is not even in the room.

The perspective distortions are disguised by the strongly cropped floor tiles and the enormous central passageway, whose vanishing point is hidden by the approaching figures. The rest of the picture space is filled by walls parallel to the picture plane, displaying a pair of square columns on each side. These are cropped at the top and hidden at the bottom by standing figures, eliminating the repeated sideways intervals or diagonal corners that would accent perspective distortions. The semicircular front arch of the barrel vault is also cropped, because it would otherwise appear to be elongated vertically. The floor tiles on either side of the foreground are hidden by groups of figures. The foreground stairs help to separate the figures vertically and interrupt the perspective continuity of the tile floor.

Most important, all figures are drawn as if centered on the direction of view — that is, with no perspective distortion. This is easiest to see in the two astronomers shown holding celestial globes (at right). Both figures are located at the righthand edge of the fresco, beyond the 30° circle of view. Rather than draw the spheres in correct but elliptical perspective projections, Raphael simply drew them perfectly round. Thus, the architecture enclosing the figures is presented in a carefully edited and arranged perspective projection, while each of the figures is drawn in its own, "head on" perspective space. Yet this hodgepodge of perspectives is perfectly judged.

The last piece of the puzzle is that the fresco is normally viewed from a vantage too close to the image plane and several feet below the center of projection, which causes a distinct upward convergence in the image verticals (image, below). Yet in context the convergence lends a soaring grandeur to the image, and by means of this esthetic impact the overall perspective space appears harmonious and convincing.

raphael's school of athens from a human viewpoint

 

[DEATH™]

It tends to get extremely technical but this is basically my favorite resource.

http://www.handprint.com/

The perspective section is really great, and so are the color ones.

http://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/perspect1.html#cues

Snip

raphael's school of athens (1511) from an elevated viewpoint

raphael's school of athens from a human viewpoint

Yo bookmarked!

Might update OP with all these awesome stuff!

 

[Chezzymann]

Working on a 3D model and got the basic shape done, any criticisms of the anatomy (or if anyone here knows about mesh flow, mesh flow too)? Ignore the wrinkles by the waist, im going to add more wrinkle detail and muscle detail via normal maps

 

[DEATH™]

Working on a 3D model and got the basic shape done, any criticisms of the anatomy (or if anyone here knows about mesh flow, mesh flow too)? Ignore the wrinkles by the waist, im going to add more wrinkle detail and muscle detail via normal maps

WAN PANCH!!!!!!!

This is actually pretty good for the basic shapes already. You just need to get to the nitty gritty anatomical details. Your mesh is pretty clean too. (Everything is quads!)

If you are all doing this via modeling and not sculpting that I salute you! Although I think eventually you would want to just sculpt this one via ZBrush, Mudbox or Blender and then retopo it later.

P.S. FUBUKI BESTO GURL! OH YEAAAHHH!!!

 

[z3phon]

Felt like doing one of the characters from overwatch. Started working on Tracer but thinking of doing Roadhog instead now.

 

[DEATH™]

Felt like doing one of the characters from overwatch. Started working on Tracer but thinking of doing Roadhog instead now.

That's nice! Just wondering, what software do you use?

 

[z3phon]

That's nice! Just wondering, what software do you use?

Thanks. I'm using Maya, once I've created the base mesh I'll take it in to zbrush to adjust the proportions and continue working on it in zbrush.

 

[Union Carbine]

Any good resources out there for getting started applying values and colors that might be a bit more beginner oriented than the books suggested in the OP?

 

[mrklaw]

Absolute, absolute beginner suggestions? (literally since school all I've done is art academy on 3DS). Just for fun or as a hobby.

My shortlist for a gentle entry into things
- Drawing on the right side of the brain
- loomis books
- proko or crilley youtube channels.

Would these be ok for an initial toe dipping?

 

[Monocle]

Absolute, absolute beginner suggestions? (literally since school all I've done is art academy on 3DS). Just for fun or as a hobby.

My shortlist for a gentle entry into things
- Drawing on the right side of the brain
- loomis books
- proko or crilley youtube channels.

Would these be ok for an initial toe dipping?

Yep, looks good. Wouldn't really recommend Crilley though.

 

[brau]

Absolute, absolute beginner suggestions? (literally since school all I've done is art academy on 3DS). Just for fun or as a hobby.

My shortlist for a gentle entry into things
- Drawing on the right side of the brain
- loomis books
- proko or crilley youtube channels.

Would these be ok for an initial toe dipping?

Loomis is a must go to. I recommend it. I can even share pdfs with you if you want.

 

[mrklaw]

Loomis is a must go to. I recommend it. I can even share pdfs with you if you want.

oh, is it out of copyright? that'd be good if so. Will see if I can find a 'drawing on the right side of the brain' in a local bookshop before trying amazon

 

[Droplet]

oh, is it out of copyright? that'd be good if so. Will see if I can find a 'drawing on the right side of the brain' in a local bookshop before trying amazon

I see early versions of the book at sales all the time so I'd say you have a good shot. Not sure if there are many big differences between the versions, but it's not like drawing is a field that updates itself on the regular.

 

[Alienous]

Absolute, absolute beginner suggestions? (literally since school all I've done is art academy on 3DS). Just for fun or as a hobby.

My shortlist for a gentle entry into things
- Drawing on the right side of the brain
- loomis books
- proko or crilley youtube channels.

Would these be ok for an initial toe dipping?

I'm going to suggest Ron Tiner's 'Figure Drawing Without A Model'. It goes from the basics to full figure drawings really smoothly.

My ability to draw the human figure increased dramatically using that book as my main source of information. It clicked in a way Loomis' books haven't, for me.

The only issue I have with it is it's done nothing to help improve my ability to draw faces; it does have a section on that but it clearly isn't the main focus of the book. Loomis' face and hands book is far better for that, but even then I don't find it nearly as intuitive as figure drawing in Tiner's book.

It's a shame. I can draw quite competent bodies but I struggle to do anything more than a smiley face as the head.

 

[Union Carbine]

oh, is it out of copyright? that'd be good if so. Will see if I can find a 'drawing on the right side of the brain' in a local bookshop before trying amazon

It was but not anymore. It's being printed again.

 

[DrBo42]

Put some work in last night on poor Margot. Progress and some hair for fun.

 

[DEATH™]

Guys, how do you achieve nice blending/gradating values on a pencil? I'm ho estly having a hard time right now doing a clean shade with a pencil. I did crosshatching + blender stump with varying results from really good to really bad. Its hard to get consistent values

 

[Monocle]

Guys, how do you achieve nice blending/gradating values on a pencil? I'm ho estly having a hard time right now doing a clean shade with a pencil. I did crosshatching + blender stump with varying results from really good to really bad. Its hard to get consistent values

In my experience your paper is at least at important as your pencil. You need something with a nice smooth surface, minimal tooth. (Of course this is a matter of preference, depending on how much texture you want in your tones.)

Using several pencils with different hardnesses helps too. HB, 2B, and 6B should get you decent results, but I would experiment, since different brands have different graphite quality. Tombow is nice. Staedtler seems alright too. You can't get deep blacks with HB graphite, and pressing down hard will mash the surface of the paper and create a distracting silvery sheen you probably don't want.

As for technique, try holding the pencil overhand and using the side of the tip to fill in large areas at once (a stump's optional, but it can help). Note which side of your stroke is naturally lighter and position your paper accordingly. Or get the pencil very sharp and use the tip to painstakingly fill in your area with small circular strokes, paying special attention to the little spots that are picking up less graphite. Accurate but time consuming. One of my favorite techniques is hatching (not cross-hatching), where you make a series of closely spaced lines. It take a certain degree of control, but you can get beautiful results with practice.

The Practice and Science of Drawing by Harold Speed is full of helpful drawing tips. One of my favorite little sections describes the how different line directions create different, sometimes subtle, effects. Diagonal = dynamic. Vertical (also horizontal?) = stable. I use the theory and techniques I learned from that book all the time. Super useful.

You can also look up the pencil work of Esad Ribic, an exceptional comic book artist who uses little patches of hatch marks at different angles to each other to create the impression of shadow. Another of my favorite techniques.

The key in any case is to work up your tones gradually. Nothing ruins a gradation faster than a stray dark mark. If you need me to clarify anything I said, just let me know!

 

[Inquisitive_Ghost]

The Practice and Science of Drawing by Harold Speed is full of helpful drawing tips. One of my favorite little sections describes the how different line directions create different, sometimes subtle, effects. Diagonal = dynamic. Vertical (also horizontal?) = stable. I use the theory and techniques I learned from that book all the time. Super useful.

Yeah, horizontal = calmest, most stable
Vertical = higher energy, evokes stability when combined with horizontals at right angles
Diagonal = highest energy, most unstable/disconcerting

You can also go into the psychology of curved vs rigid lines, different shapes, colour, tone, etc. This stuff is central to visual storytelling

Spoiler

and influencing the emotions of the audience/tone of the piece.

 

[Monocle]

Yeah, horizontal = calmest, most stable
Vertical = higher energy, evokes stability when combined with horizontals at right angles
Diagonal = highest energy, most unstable/disconcerting

You can also go into the psychology of curved vs rigid lines, different shapes, colour, tone, etc. This stuff is central to visual storytelling

Spoiler

and influencing the emotions of the audience/tone of the piece.

You remember the qualities of lines better than I do! Good breakdown.

 

[East Lake]

To back up what Monocle was saying graphite can be really finicky. For instance right now I'm using strathmore sketch paper for practice. I use long strokes like loomis does for quick shading sort of halfway between using the tip and the side of the lead. If I use my Cretacolor or General's HB it looks great. If I go to 2B it looks not so great. Not because the they're bad but because they're softer and look muddy with this particular technique. It would also look different if for example you use smooth vs medium texture/tooth (I like medium much more).

 

[Chezzymann]

Making progress, got around to sculpting all the little anatomical details in mudbox. Not done yet (still have to add fine textures and make it look like he's actually wearing clothes by adding folds and such) but any critiques on the anatomy and such?

WAN PANCH!!!!!!!

This is actually pretty good for the basic shapes already. You just need to get to the nitty gritty anatomical details. Your mesh is pretty clean too. (Everything is quads!)

If you are all doing this via modeling and not sculpting that I salute you! Although I think eventually you would want to just sculpt this one via ZBrush, Mudbox or Blender and then retopo it later.

P.S. FUBUKI BESTO GURL! OH YEAAAHHH!!!

This is for a portfolio so i want the mesh flow to be easily visible, and at the level of detail i want to work with it would be verrry hard to see the mesh flow that way. So instead i decided to just do the basic shape in maya, sculpt the fine details in mudbox, and then apply them to the model with a normal map. I don't really know much about retopologzing either, i've heard there's programs for it that are semi automated but id imagine it would be rather time consuming to preserve all that detail while still keeping the mesh flow clean.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

first ever time painting something outside of elementary school lol. all done using a palet knife.

mainly trying out how colors mix and all that. it was harder to get what I had in mind onto the canvas but getting something down was exciting at least.

 

[Monocle]

first ever time painting something outside of elementary school lol. all done using a palet knife.

mainly trying out how colors mix and all that. it was harder to get what I had in mind onto the canvas but getting something down was exciting at least.

This is cool. That kind of art doesn't always work for me, but your piece does.

 

[z3phon]

Making progress, got around to sculpting all the little anatomical details in mudbox. Not done yet (still have to add fine textures and make it look like he's actually wearing clothes by adding folds and such) but any critiques on the anatomy and such?

This is for a portfolio so i want the mesh flow to be easily visible, and at the level of detail i want to work with it would be verrry hard to see the mesh flow that way. So instead i decided to just do the basic shape in maya, sculpt the fine details in mudbox, and then apply them to the model with a normal map. I don't really know much about retopologzing either, i've heard there's programs for it that are semi automated but id imagine it would be rather time consuming to preserve all that detail while still keeping the mesh flow clean.

For retopo you could use Maya, the built in retopo tools are great in it now. Since the character is symmetrical retopo will be pretty quick.
https://youtu.be/U2Jgj4b_KuQ
There's also a retopology tool in Mudbox. I've never used it but from what I've seen it looks amazing. Since you have the model in mudbox already it's worth trying that out.
https://youtu.be/MeVNGAARs8A

Before I make any comments on the anatomy please keep in mind, my anatomy knowledge is very limited so take what I say with a grain of salt.
I made a quick gif with the thing's that stood out to me. The only thing that I could call out for looking off is the arm length, so I reduced the length.
His waist size made him feel a bit fat so I reduced the waist and just made the head a tad bit smaller.

 

[DrBo42]

Did a projection test for the face, fun result. Further color/hair. Think ultimately I'll make it in fibermesh. Going to redo the jacket in marvelous designer once I learn how to use it. Hands are the next big project before all that though.

And a new quick thing. Haven't really done monsters so I'm trying to round things out. Pretty fun.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

This is cool. That kind of art doesn't always work for me, but your piece does.

Thanks. not too sure if i like it but i feel like it was a good first start.

 

[Monocle]

Thanks. not too sure if i like it but i feel like it was a good first start.

There's something about the layered lines and calm base that remind me of a rainy night or something. Usually I have trouble wringing any meaning out of abstract work, but yeah.

 

[DEATH™]

Just a quick announcement, there is a pretty ambitious project being launched on kickstarter right now by 3DTotal that promises content for both 2D and 3D Art! Support!!!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1794375019/100-hours-the-ultimate-video-training-resource-for

 

[DEATH™]

Guys, just as advised, I started using more smooth paper for graphite, particularly a smooth bristol board. I love it so far! The problem is bristol board are too expensive for just a bunch of scraps/sketches. Is there any other cheaper alternatives there?

 

[enzo_gt]

So after doing quite a bit of research, I bit the bullet and bought some Copic markers. They really are a thing of beauty, the shitty iPhone photo doesn't do the gradients justice. They feel a lot like watercolours in application, but with none of the preparation, cleanup or messiness in general involved. Feels great mixing colours through the alcohol on the paper, and creating gradients is wonderful. Pictured are R24 Prawn, R29 Lipstick Red and B24 Sky.

 

[Inquisitive_Ghost]

I have all of three Copics, and while I can tell they're quality stuff, I suck at using them, heh.

Also for some reason my indigo is REALLY overeager and the ink comes out way too heavily. Like, I have a really nice hardcover sketchbook with thick pages that I do ink and marker drawings in, and the damn indigo is virtually guaranteed to bleed onto the next page every single time.

 

[enzo_gt]

I have all of three Copics, and while I can tell they're quality stuff, I suck at using them, heh.

Also for some reason my indigo is REALLY overeager and the ink comes out way too heavily. Like, I have a really nice hardcover sketchbook with thick pages that I do ink and marker drawings in, and the damn indigo is virtually guaranteed to bleed onto the next page every single time.

Yeah, I find if you don't buy various specialized bristol-board-esque paper by marker companies or more expensive sketchbooks, you're bound to have some bleed through. What I do is I keep two pages of printer paper underneath the page I'm working on, and a glossy paper page underneath that. I got that glossy piece of paper as a handout at a workshop I went to, and in the chance that you're rubbing so hard that it makes it through the printer paper, the glossy paper stops the ink in it's tracks unless you're colouring over the same spot without letting it dry for a good 15-20s straight. Never hurts to have that extra insurance.

Paper is really important, I find. A lot of my sketchbooks were way too thin to use.

 

[Fall Into The GAF]

I am trying to do figure/face sketching and I am having a really difficult time with deconstructing them to basic shapes (Proko is great though for this) and facial perspectives. I have an easier time with frontal profiles but anything at an angle might as well be an abstract incapable of understanding. Also, what is the consensus on tablets? I have a Wacom Intuos, but it's really unintuitive looking at the monitor while drawing on something else.

 

[Inquisitive_Ghost]

Also, what is the consensus on tablets? I have a Wacom Intuos, but it's really unintuitive looking at the monitor while drawing on something else.

This is really just a thing you get used to. I can switch between drawing while looking where my hand is and drawing while looking at the screen without skipping a beat nowadays.

 

[Violet_0]

I am trying to do figure/face sketching and I am having a really difficult time with deconstructing them to basic shapes (Proko is great though for this) and facial perspectives. I have an easier time with frontal profiles but anything at an angle might as well be an abstract incapable of understanding. Also, what is the consensus on tablets? I have a Wacom Intuos, but it's really unintuitive looking at the monitor while drawing on something else.

I'm not really qualified to give any advice but you could check out the Andrew Loomis books for figure drawing. That's what I'm doing at the moment

I like to use my Galaxy Tab 2 for digital art, SketchBook works exceptionally well with it. As for the Wacom tablets, you just have to get used to it

 

[Fall Into The GAF]

I think getting over the hump of getting used to it won't be so bad as much as making presets for it on Photoshop. I am somewhat at a loss and overwhelmed on what settings to use. Anybody well versed in the wacom world can give me some hints. At the time I got it, I think I was using hard brush presets, but they still looked too soft, even when I used specific brush patterns.

 

[Inquisitive_Ghost]

I think getting over the hump of getting used to it won't be so bad as much as making presets for it on Photoshop. I am somewhat at a loss and overwhelmed on what settings to use. Anybody well versed in the wacom world can give me some hints. At the time I got it, I think I was using hard brush presets, but they still looked too soft, even when I used specific brush patterns.

What are you using them for?

For painting, I find the hard circle brushes do the job well enough, but PS doesn't have great linework options. I usually paint with a combination of the circles and some custom brushes.

Go into brush settings and check off smoothing, brush size: pen pressure, and transfer>flow: pen pressure. Possibly also transfer>opacity: pen pressure, but I usually only have flow checked.

Does your tablet have programmable buttons?

 

[Monocle]

I am trying to do figure/face sketching and I am having a really difficult time with deconstructing them to basic shapes (Proko is great though for this) and facial perspectives. I have an easier time with frontal profiles but anything at an angle might as well be an abstract incapable of understanding. Also, what is the consensus on tablets? I have a Wacom Intuos, but it's really unintuitive looking at the monitor while drawing on something else.

I think getting over the hump of getting used to it won't be so bad as much as making presets for it on Photoshop. I am somewhat at a loss and overwhelmed on what settings to use. Anybody well versed in the wacom world can give me some hints. At the time I got it, I think I was using hard brush presets, but they still looked too soft, even when I used specific brush patterns.

Struggling with your basic drawing skills, learning an unfamiliar tool, and wrapping your head around a complex program is a lot to handle. I'd try to separate things out as much as possible. Focus on one thing at a time.

Head Drawing

For head drawing, Proko and Loomis are good, and Michael Hampton's anatomy book is very useful for the form based approach you should shoot for, but I especially recommend Rad Sechrist's head tutorial on Gumroad. The important thing is to develop a sense of form so you can draw the major masses of the head in any position, then map on the features. You shouldn't really worry about features until you can draw in several positions a featureless mask with the cranium, jaw, brow ridge, and mouth muzzle. Features are subordinate forms that you set into the basic masses. They won't work unless they're matched to the perspective of the basic forms and carefully related to each other. Rad's lesson on rhythms in that head tutorial is a really big help here. That aspect of feature placement is sadly overlooked in many other books and tutorials.

Perspective

As you gain more experience, you'll realize why beginning art classes put so much emphasis on perspective. It's because perspective is the main factor in creating line drawings that look convincing and correct. Perspective helps you figure out how things should look—how much of the top or bottom or side of a given object you'd see from a particular view. Everything we see in a scene, every individual object, has to make sense from the single viewpoint we have at the moment. There is no end to the drawing errors that are caused when you forget your eyeline and vanishing points, and just place forms and subforms however you want.

Loomis somewhat covers this in Successful Drawing, but his presentation can be overwhelming. Scott Robertson's How to Draw is better at easing you into it, and contains loads of essential information (though most of the info is presented through vehicle drawing). It's basically a complete course in form building in perspective. Perspective Drawing Handbook by Joseph D'Amelio and Creative Perspective for Artists and Illustrators by Ernest Watson are definitely worth picking up at some point. Your best bet is probably Marshall Vandruff's $12 perspective course. You can read this thread for additional resources.

Tablet & Photoshop

For the Wacom, and also Photoshop, you need to learn your basic functions first. Brushes have a range of variables like size, hardness, and opacity that can be adjusted manually or tied to your tablet's pressure sensitivity. What you could really use is a basic Photoshop brush tutorial. There are many on Youtube. Kalen Chock has a great free one on Gumroad, and Foundation Patreon's got you covered too. You can also try the first video in Shaddy's tutorial series, which is a pretty good primer on setting up Photoshop and your tablet for efficient use.

 

[Fall Into The GAF]

What are you using them for?

For painting, I find the hard circle brushes do the job well enough, but PS doesn't have great linework options. I usually paint with a combination of the circles and some custom brushes.

Go into brush settings and check off smoothing, brush size: pen pressure, and transfer>flow: pen pressure. Possibly also transfer>opacity: pen pressure, but I usually only have flow checked.

Does your tablet have programmable buttons?

Originally, I wanted to practice on some vector art. As I trained (unintentionally) myself to draw with a mouse, I came accustomed to the pen tool and how the line work was smooth and consistent.

My Intuos has programmable buttons. It's been awhile since I used it but I remember I was still finding my way around what to program on it. (Sidenote: Windows 8 would have this nasty habit of resetting my preferences after the Wacom driver would stop working. Annoying as hell.)

 

[Inquisitive_Ghost]

Originally, I wanted to practice on some vector art. As I trained (unintentionally) myself to draw with a mouse, I came accustomed to the pen tool and how the line work was smooth and consistent.

My Intuos has programmable buttons. It's been awhile since I used it but I remember I was still finding my way around what to program on it. (Sidenote: Windows 8 would have this nasty habit of resetting my preferences after the Wacom driver would stop working. Annoying as hell.)

Ah, I don't use the pen tool much, as I'd rather just do linework in Manga Studio. The circle brushes in PS are indeed too soft for very crisp lines. I feel like it takes forever to make nice lines with the Pen Tool, but they will be crisper than the brushes if you fill the path rather than stroke it.

This is what I have programmed into my buttons, just to give you some ideas of what you might find useful:

The pen has:
Pan (spacebar)
Colour picker (alt)

The tablet has:
Brush size up/down ([,])
Undo/redo (CtrlAltZ, CtrlAltY)*Alt might be shift, don't remember
Zoom in/out (Ctrl+,Ctrl-)
Deselect (CtrlD)
Shift (for 90/45 degree angles)

And volume control.

 

[Xun]

Any decent alternatives to the Cintiq 22HD? I really want one, but the price is a little off-putting.

I wish Wacom weren't so expensive.

 

[Brokun]

Any decent alternatives to the Cintiq 22HD? I really want one, but the price is a little off-putting.

I wish Wacom weren't so expensive.

I'll sell you my Wacom Cintiq 21ux so that I can help fund my own Cintiq 22HD. LOL

 

[DrBo42]

Started a full body Doctor Strange/Benedict Cumberbatch likeness. Still super rough. Really need to up my game and learn marvelous designer for the clothing.

 

[RuinerPrime]

I feel like I'm not making any progress. Still have my old bad habits. This is depressing me.

 

[Monocle]

I feel like I'm not making any progress. Still have my old bad habits. This is depressing me.

Congrats, you're an artist! This is basically my life.

One approach I use when I'm stuck is to work on one specific thing. Just pick an exercise out of a book or Youtube video, or a technique you want to learn, or a specific subject like drawing hands, and stick to that one thing for a while. You might not feel like you're moving closer to your artistic goals, but in the end all progress helps. It's better than nothing.

I'm working on this exercise at the moment. Seems like a really good approach to learning. Something to counteract the obsessive perfectionism that drives me to spend way too long on a fundamentally broken drawing or painting.