[Svanur]

Well for starters, I am pretty new at this, so I want to ask if anyone has any pointers for beginners here. What I should have (what kind of tablet or scanner or something like that) and what I should do first if I am going to make any cool picture like many of you are doing right now. I have decent conventional drawing skills but I am most excited over by getting it digital.

Another thing, has anyone tried a program called painter, if you have, how does it work and how does it cost.

I'll appreciate any help you can give me.

Svanur Bjornsson (Swan the son of a Bear(a very rough translation))

[Rinaldo]

The best tip I can give you is to put your cursor over the search button at the top right hand of the screen and click There should be all you need to know in past threads. It is a let down not to have someone majicaly tell you everything you want to know. but it would take forever. when you have a general understanding of the issues involved you can ask more specific questions.
There are so many threads on tablets techniques etc. that I could not even begin to list them. but if you read what people like Fred Flick Stone and Spooge Demon have said in the past you will know as much as everyone else.
I might find some good threads and post them. but you'll have to wait a sec.

Show some of your art. thats what it's all about

[Tinusch]

Adobe Photoshop is the most commonly used program. Metcreations' Painter is another program, and it simulates real paints. I think PS is the best bet, though. Just my opinion.

Tablets are useful, though not necessary. They can speed up the work a bit and give you a little more control. You can get them from Wacom, Buy.com, or buy them used fromeBay. Wacom is the best kind of tablet you can get. If you're going to put the money into a tablet, get a Wacom.

[Kenzo Tanaka]

If you can't afford Photoshop, check out http://www.satoripaint.com/BannerOffers.htm and download the free copy of SatoriPaint 2.29. It has a lot of Photoshop like features, a semi funky interface and a few things Photoshop does not have like it works in 64-bit color space, resolution independent, and you can easily work in a 6000 pixel sized image in real time.

It can be quirky, but for free it is a heck of a deal.

[Rinaldo]

Okay a few links to threads that might help.
some of these are for general drawing but all will help a great deal.
The programs, hardware issues are a matter of taste more than anything. nobody here is really a wizard at that sort of thing. do your resarch on scanners and printers etc. I use and like Photoshop but other people may think otherwise.

Here's the links


Basics

Cubes and head drawing
http://www.sijun.com/dhabih/ubb/Forum2/HTML/002577.html
http://www.sijun.com/dhabih/ubb/Forum2/HTML/002368.html
http://www.sijun.com/dhabih/ubb/Forum2/HTML/002578.html

General drawing

hands http://www.sijun.com/dhabih/ubb/Forum2/HTML/003122.html

eyes http://www.sijun.com/dhabih/ubb/Forum2/HTML/003157.html


Interesting stuff
http://www.sijun.com/dhabih/ubb/Forum2/HTML/003691.html

on going from traditional to digital http://www.sijun.com/dhabih/ubb/Forum2/HTML/003091.html

hope they get you started

[Svanur]

There are only two drawings that I have actually been able to scan and they are far from perfect. Here they are if you want to comment on them.
<img src="http://www.simnet.is/hangar/gif/angel.jpg>A very old picture I made back in school, even used it on the front of my school essay.
width="550" height="600" border="0" alt="">
<img src="http://www.simnet.is/hangar/gif/smokingirl.jpg" width="600" height="835" border="0" alt="">Another sketch I made when I roleplayed (a rpg called In Nomine) She was a Lilim(Temtress, a demon)

Those pic ain't much, but the only ones I have been able to scan.

[Rinaldo]

http://www.sijun.com/dhabih/ubb/ubbcode.html
will take you UBB code intructions. to help with posting images.

Your pics look promising but you need to work on anatomy. (as does just about everone )

Some of those links are realy helpful in this reguard.

[Svanur]

I actually have bought two books concerning anatomy recently,
Dynamic Anatomy
and
Anatomy for the Artist
and both books look promising.