Helpful Tips/Tricks for Drawing Digitally or on paper.

[SweetShark]

Just a strange Thread I decided to create because I really like to draw:

If someone have a helpful tip or trick for how you can draw more effectively and quicker either digitally or on paper, please post it here so I can create a list with helpful advices:

For example:

- "Ctrl + Alt + Z" is the quick function of History Undo in Photoshop if you want to go back to an early state of your artwork. It is more effectivly if you put this function to your pen you use with your Wacom if you have one.

- By pressing the number to your keyboard while you using the Brush Tool, you set the opacity of your brush you using in Photoshop.

-"B" button is the quick key for using the Brush Tool and the "E" key is the quick key for using the Eraser Tool in Photoshop.


So, what kind of other advice you have to give for the other artist?

Thank you very much for reading this Thread of mine.

 

[Basement Cat]

As someone who is just starting to learn how to draw because I need the skill I think the best piece of advice I've run across was this: If you want to learn to draw then DRAW! Practice-practice-practice! There are plenty of different techniques but it's all about practice!

That's what I've read, anyway. It's a lot like the advice you hear about writing. "You wanna be a writer? Then WRITE!"

Amazing how simple yet profound such bits of advice can be. A Cracked.com writer did an article that touched on the need to actually WRITE if you want to be a writer! [http://www.cracked.com/blog/6-harsh-truths-that-will-make-you-better-person/]

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

If you are one with the pen tool, you are one with the universe.

Just a strange Thread I decided to create because I really like to draw:

- "Ctrl + Z" is the quick function of History Undo in Photoshop if you want to go back to an early state of your artwork. It is more effectivly if you put this function to your pen you use with your Wacom if you have one.

Actually Ctrl + z will only undo once, if you want to undo multiple times, you have to use Ctrl + alt + z. (Strangely enough in Illustrator, you only need to use Ctrl + z to undo as many times as you want. I don't know why Adobe needed to add the extra step in Photoshop. Disappointing lack of consistency Adobe!)


While we're on the Photoshop tips and tricks, the keyboard brackets [ and ] will change the size of your brush. A surprising amount of people don't know this and it's so very useful.

 

[SweetShark]

Just a strange Thread I decided to create because I really like to draw:

- "Ctrl + Z" is the quick function of History Undo in Photoshop if you want to go back to an early state of your artwork. It is more effectivly if you put this function to your pen you use with your Wacom if you have one.

Actually Ctrl + z will only undo once, if you want to undo multiple times, you have to use Ctrl + alt + z. (Strangely enough in Illustrator, you only need to use Ctrl + z to undo as many times as you want. I don't know why Adobe needed to add the extra step in for Photoshop. Disappointing lack of consistency Adobe!)


While we're on the Photoshop tips and tricks, the keyboard brackets [ and ] will change the size of your brush. A surprising amount of people don't know this and it's so very useful.

Ooops! Yes, I forgot about that! Use this function with my Wacom and somehow forgot about the "alt" key ^^
Thank you for the correction.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Check your work in a mirror (if you're working on paper).

Seeing a mirror image of your drawing can reveal inconsistencies that you might not have noticed otherwise, like the symmetry or balance being off. I do this all the time, especially when drawing a face from the front.

I'm still a newbie when it comes to digital art. All I can say is, use those layers. Even if it's just for one strand of hair.

 

[Lilani]

In digital, you want to get used to working with layers and make them your friend. Whenever you approach a drawing, approach it by layer. You can have as many as you like, but you at least want to divide it up by main figures, foreground, and background. It's also usually a good idea to have your coloring and contours on different layers. And if you're having trouble keeping the correct layer selected, then just lock all of the layers you aren't using so you don't accidentally color something in on the wrong layer.

And remember: you can always merge layers, but it's very hard to separate them once they're created. Better to have too many than too few. Having too few layers is an easy way to multiply your efforts and minimize the results.

You don't have to have layers if you don't want to of course, but in order to achieve that amazing quality you see in good digital drawings you're either going to have to work with layers or become very good at not working with layers (which is more often than not a lot harder than just figuring out how to use layers).

 

[Legion]

I am just starting to draw (as I have always wanted to be good at it, and decided to do something about it.) I have gone straight into digital drawing as that's the kind of area I'd want to be good at (I am not looking to be able to draw real life things as much as things from my imagination.

I am struggling to find decent tutorials though. Most seem to either assume you are a pro drawer, while being new to digital drawing. Or a new drawer who is proficient with the drawing program/tablet.

My biggest struggle is getting a decent brush set up. With pencil/paint drawing, naturally it's already decided for you, you just buy the size you want. Whereas with digital it seems to need to all be done manually, and again, tutorials are not particularly helpful with this.

I shall be watching this space.

 

[SweetShark]

I am just starting to draw (as I have always wanted to be good at it, and decided to do something about it.) I have gone straight into digital drawing as that's the kind of area I'd want to be good at (I am not looking to be able to draw real life things as much as things from my imagination.

I am struggling to find decent tutorials though. Most seem to either assume you are a pro drawer, while being new to digital drawing. Or a new drawer who is proficient with the drawing program/tablet.

My biggest struggle is getting a decent brush set up. With pencil/paint drawing, naturally it's already decided for you, you just buy the size you want. Whereas with digital it seems to need to all be done manually, and again, tutorials are not particularly helpful with this.

I shall be watching this space.

Well, to be fair, one of the advices I heared about the brush set from professionals is "you must create your own personal brush set up".
Of course, I didn't do this either, because it is strange for me. However one of the Digital Tutorials books I have have some details how to create your brushes:

Beginner's Guide to Digital Painting in Photoshop

Great book in my opinion.

 

[aba1]

If you are one with the pen tool, you are one with the universe.

Just a strange Thread I decided to create because I really like to draw:

- "Ctrl + Z" is the quick function of History Undo in Photoshop if you want to go back to an early state of your artwork. It is more effectivly if you put this function to your pen you use with your Wacom if you have one.

Actually Ctrl + z will only undo once, if you want to undo multiple times, you have to use Ctrl + alt + z. (Strangely enough in Illustrator, you only need to use Ctrl + z to undo as many times as you want. I don't know why Adobe needed to add the extra step in for Photoshop. Disappointing lack of consistency Adobe!)


While we're on the Photoshop tips and tricks, the keyboard brackets [ and ] will change the size of your brush. A surprising amount of people don't know this and it's so very useful.

It is the same way with Flash though Flash used to be Macromedia so it was set up differently before Adobe even owned the program. Also you can add more steps in your preferences incase you need to undo more than it is set at as default.

OT: I have used different techniques over the years for my digital paintings. I started by dodging and burning to get highlights and shadows then I would smudge to get blurs. Then later I started choosing my own highlights and shadows manually and I would draw overlaying sets of colours giving a transition then smudge them together. Today I will draw will a low opacity and keep going over and over till I get the blend I want.

When drawing by hand I find you get better results when you draw a bunch of short lines all connected rather than one long on going line since you can adjust after every stroke.

My biggest advice it always observe how things look and think about why they look they way they do.

 

[aba1]

I am just starting to draw (as I have always wanted to be good at it, and decided to do something about it.) I have gone straight into digital drawing as that's the kind of area I'd want to be good at (I am not looking to be able to draw real life things as much as things from my imagination.

I am struggling to find decent tutorials though. Most seem to either assume you are a pro drawer, while being new to digital drawing. Or a new drawer who is proficient with the drawing program/tablet.

My biggest struggle is getting a decent brush set up. With pencil/paint drawing, naturally it's already decided for you, you just buy the size you want. Whereas with digital it seems to need to all be done manually, and again, tutorials are not particularly helpful with this.

I shall be watching this space.

Personally I don't usually like to rely on brushes to do the work for me but that is more of a preference call. There are places online that offer brushes to download though I know lots of people who use them. I would recommend making your own though for better control. As far as tutorials telling you how to draw goes you will never find anything all that great because those just tell you what to draw and sure you might have a good looking image at the end but you won't have actually learned anything. The best way to learn is to just choose something interesting and go at it. You will mess up a lot but you will learn from every mistake.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

snip

My biggest advice it always observe how things look and think about why they look they way they do.

This is an important thing to understand. If I say "draw a cat", people automatically have an image in their head of what a cat looks like, however the image we have in our heads might actually not be the way a real cat looks at all.
(Ex: drawing the whiskers black, when they're actually white). The shape of the nose and mouth will also get simplified.

This is also a mistake that happens a lot while drawing people, because people are actually very complicated, particularly in the face.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

I am not looking to be able to draw real life things as much as things from my imagination.

Unfortunately the two go hand in hand, you must be able to draw real things in order to realistically draw the things you have in your imagination. If you imagine a character, who is a human, you must be able to draw a human in order to draw your character. If you imagine a character who is an anthropomorphic cat, you must be able to draw both a human and a cat.

Well, to be fair, one of the advices I heared about the brush set from professionals is "you must create your own personal brush set up".O

Personally I only use one or two different brushes, and they're usually default. The true beauty is in the details you make yourself, not those that brushes provide for you.

However, if I needed to get something done so it looks good quickly, but not necessarily the best it could possibly be, I could see where having several different personal brushes could come in handy.

 

[Amaria]

Alright, first bit of advice - get a sketchbook. Even if you're working digitally normally, get a sketchbook. Get MULTIPLE sketchbooks. Keep one on your bed table, one in your bag, one in your car, one at your desk - so on, so forth. Get them, keep them, use them. Looks at things from life and draw them as you see them, not just how you think they'll look. That includes getting it WRONG. It's a sketchbook, you're allowed to be wrong, things can be wonky and distorted. In fact, it's better to try and fail, here, because you learn from the failure, and that's what you're going for.

Take every chance you can to draw. I'm serious. That's the point of carrying a bunch of sketchbooks; so you can always, always draw. Waiting at the bus stop? Draw. Draw anything, draw EVERYTHING you see. It's easy to go with what's in your head, it's much more difficult to draw things as they actually are. If you want to improve as an artist, even if you stylize, you want to know how things actually are - with all of their flaws and colors that don't match the usual ones and the weird shadows that don't make any sense but are what's actually there - in order to properly stylize. You have to know the medium properly before you subvert it. You have to know how the human body is proportioned before you start tweaking those proportions for certain effects.

Not doing so, and going off of what you can draw because it's the only thing you know won't help you improve. You'll just draw what you've always drawn, and where's the fun in drawing there?

 

[SweetShark]

Alright, first bit of advice - get a sketchbook. Even if you're working digitally normally, get a sketchbook. Get MULTIPLE sketchbooks. Keep one on your bed table, one in your bag, one in your car, one at your desk - so on, so forth. Get them, keep them, use them. Looks at things from life and draw them as you see them, not just how you think they'll look. That includes getting it WRONG. It's a sketchbook, you're allowed to be wrong, things can be wonky and distorted. In fact, it's better to try and fail, here, because you learn from the failure, and that's what you're going for.

Take every chance you can to draw. I'm serious. That's the point of carrying a bunch of sketchbooks; so you can always, always draw. Waiting at the bus stop? Draw. Draw anything, draw EVERYTHING you see. It's easy to go with what's in your head, it's much more difficult to draw things as they actually are. If you want to improve as an artist, even if you stylize, you want to know how things actually are - with all of their flaws and colors that don't match the usual ones and the weird shadows that don't make any sense but are what's actually there - in order to properly stylize. You have to know the medium properly before you subvert it. You have to know how the human body is proportioned before you start tweaking those proportions for certain effects.

Not doing so, and going off of what you can draw because it's the only thing you know won't help you improve. You'll just draw what you've always drawn, and where's the fun in drawing there?

Sadly for me, because most of the time I am at work when I am out, I don't have time to sketch even if I wanted -_-...
At least I can use my computer, like just now

 

[Cpu46]

As someone who is slowly getting better and better at hand drawing my pointers are as follows.

When sketching using pencil and paper draw lightly and leave all of your marks there until you are nearly finished. Periodically lightly go back over the lines you want keep, it makes those lines darker each time you do it without ingraining them into the paper and the slight inconsistencies makes curved lines seem a lot smoother. When you are finally done don't go overboard with the eraser. Get rid of lines that should not be there but don't go overboard and accidentally erase a line you want.

Look at any and every tutorial you see. I developed a lot of great pencil and paper drawing techniques through watching digital art tutorials. If you try hard enough you can apply pretty much any kind of art tutorial to drawing.

Find a picture you like with features you are trying to learn and copy it. However don't just blindly copy it, try and figure out how to do it so that you remember it. After you do this then get rid of the original and your copy and try to replicate the features you wanted. Rinse and repeat until you can do it.

 

[Flutterknight]

Ctrl+Paint [http://ctrlpaint.com/] is an excellent resource for learning about getting into digital art. It's primarily focused on digital painting, but there's plenty of sketch based stuff in there too.

Also, it's worth noting that plenty of digital artists (myself included) use Paint Tool SAI, which is much (MUCH) cheaper than Photoshop (approx. $66 US vs approx. $99 US for the *weakest* version of Photoshop, which only really has the Photoshop brush system as an improvement over SAI, or upwards of $700 US for a *good* version of Photoshop), and has nearly all of the same functions, usually with the same default keybinds, which means even if you find a tutorial for one or the other on something, there's a very high probability you can do it equally well in the other program.

For general advice I'd just give the usual "practice, practice, practice" and such.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

snip

Have you ever tried drawing with pen?
Nothing like not being able to erase to force you to get it right the first time.

 

[saluraropicrusa]

Also, it's worth noting that plenty of digital artists (myself included) use Paint Tool SAI, which is much (MUCH) cheaper than Photoshop

It's also worth noting that SAI is excellent because it's purely an art program. It has basically no photo manipulation functions the way Photoshop does. It runs fast (for me, at least), starts up almost instantly, and it's very easy to learn. The brushes are also very organic, the lines are incredibly smooth, and you can still create your own brushes/tweak the default brushes to your liking.

 

[Proverbial Jon]

- "Ctrl + Z" is the quick function of History Undo in Photoshop if you want to go back to an early state of your artwork. It is more effectivly if you put this function to your pen you use with your Wacom if you have one.

I support this tip! It was hands-down the best thing I ever did to my tablet pen!

As someone who is slowly getting better and better at hand drawing my pointers are as follows.

When sketching using pencil and paper draw lightly and leave all of your marks there until you are nearly finished. Periodically lightly go back over the lines you want keep, it makes those lines darker each time you do it without ingraining them into the paper and the slight inconsistencies makes curved lines seem a lot smoother. When you are finally done don't go overboard with the eraser. Get rid of lines that should not be there but don't go overboard and accidentally erase a line you want.

Oh man, I seriously need to discipline myself to work this way; I have some terrible habits when using a pencil.

OT: Never underestimate the benefit of real-world references. If you want to draw something based on real life, even if you intend to stylise it, just keep drawing various examples from references. It's the only way to understand how certain things are put together. I'm still learning.

I draw a lot of anthros and things like muzzles and ears are a real ***** when you don't have a conceptual understanding of how they attach to the rest of the head. Similarly, you need at least a basic understanding of human anatomy before you can construct even a cartoonish character. I try to break everything down into shapes or frames, it looks boring and long-winded but it helps in the long run.