Tips on New Art Program?

Valkyrk · Post by **Valkyrk** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 6:58 am

Due to favorable circumstances, I now have the chance to get a real art program. That means photoshop, or paint shop pro, or whatever, instead of MSPaint for making my comic. However, I have absolutely no clue how these programs work (I did do a trial, but I wasn't able to get much of an understanding of them because I didn't have enough time to work with it.) Essentially, what I'm getting at is,

Does anyone have any advice on what's the pros and cons on different art programs available?

If you have any other personal opinions to share, I'd be happy to listen as well.

Post by **Mercury Hat** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 7:08 am

I used Paintshop Pro for a couple years and found it was good for my needs. Compared to Photoshop, it doesn't have as many presets, filters, brushes, layer options, that kind of thing. Any decent art/graphics program is going to have the basics in common like level adjustments, channel separation, and so on; it's the add-ons that separate them.

Photoshop is much more expensive than Paintshop Pro, but--due to the nature of the internet--is used much more. As a result, there are a lot more tutorials, downloadable brushes, support, and other goodies for Photoshop online. If you ever have a problem or need to do something specific with the program, you'll get a lot more answers for Photoshop than Paintshop Pro.

Plothole · Post by **Plothole** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 7:56 am

Another program you could look at is GIMP. It has fewer features than either of those programs, and also less "web support", but it does have one major advantage: GIMP is free.

Wyldcherry · Post by **Wyldcherry** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 7:59 pm

Photoshop (the full version) is helluva expensive (~$600 regular price or $200-300 with a student discount). PS is mainly used by graphics designers/photographers. So, unless you are going into (or already in) the field, it's not worth the extra $$$. Not bashing the program, it's pretty much the best out there. There is a watered down version of Photoshop called Elements. It doesn't have all the advanced tools as the full version, but it best for the hobbyist/home user. Here's a link for comparison:

http://graphicssoft.about.com/cs/photos ... ompare.htm

You can also get an older version of photoshop elements bundled with most wacom tablets (graphier and intos). It also includes a version of Painter as well, which makes it a nice deal.

Other art progs that you might be interested in:

Open Canvas is pretty easy to use, but it's mainly aimed for tablet users. Plus it's cheaper other paint programs. You can try out the newest version at the portalgraphics website. There is also an old free ware version available as well.

Artrage is another easy to use program. The major feature with this program is that it mimics real art media (similar to what Painter does, but different easier to use layout). There is a trial and free version available.

Also a good free program is Deep Paint. Again, similar to Painter in many ways. It has many different brushes to select from.

Joel Fagin · Post by **Joel Fagin** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 8:37 pm

It looks an awful lot like it'll be Mac only but if not, Pixelmator should be worth checking out when it's released.

- Joel Fagin

NakedElf · Post by **NakedElf** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 8:43 pm

It honestly depends on what you want to do with the program.

I spent the first 2 years of my comic doing all of the computer coloring work with Graphic Converter (about 30$, I think.) It's a simple, easy to use and understand program which let me do everything I wanted to do such as crop, fill colors, adjust levels, etc. The only thing it really failed at was adding text. (I had to do that by hand or use screenshots of text.)

I got photoshop elements bundled in with my Wacom tablet--I haven't figured out the tablet yet, but I've been enjoying PE. I definitely do not think a 'full' version of photoshop is necessary unless you're doing serious professional work (and even then probably not.)

Photoshop is definitely more difficult to use than GC was--it's a complex program, and a lot of it isn't very intuitive. I spent a long time figuring out things like 'where the hell is my pencil'? And "What are these layer things"? Once I figured out where stuff was and how to do the basic things I wanted, it got much easier. (And I can do my text directly! Hooray!)

Geekblather · Post by **Geekblather** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 1:52 pm

Aww, I'll step up and defend photoshop. Yes yes, I understand it isn't a magically intuitive as some other programs. If you find you're have difficulty with photoshop, download a trial of Flash, and try programming with that. And then go back to Photoshop and revel in its intuitiveness and simplicity!

(I would love to learn Flash, but I'm not a patient person.)

However, once you learn some of the basics (deviantArt is an excellent source of tutorials for photoshop and art effects, tutorials made by artists, for artists.) Photoshop is- like having a Lotus with GPS. Yeah, you can get there in a jalopy, or a more basic form of transportation, but if you want to get there faster, and with more style and fluidity, and with more help on the way there- photoshop is the way to go.

Okay. Defense aside. I draw my strip in openCanvas (ha!) because I do draw everything on the tablet. For me, openCanvas doesn't use as much memory, and it doesn't take as long to render. It also supports layers, pdf's, text (although it's not as nice to work with as Photoshop), some brushes, (although not custom sets), gradients (although I can't get my version to save them) etc. If I were less lazy, I would use Photoshop, but I'm not. I do like how openCanvas colors, but that's because I'm a painter before I'm a digital artist.

Levi-chan · Post by **Levi-chan** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 4:25 pm

Duhr-ja-vu?

Here's a few discussions on the topic:

http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06/05/0136220 - Slashdot

http://www.osalt.com/photoshop - OS Alternatives

The main problem with using Photoshop is the different mindset that you have to apply when using it. A lot of people use it after years and years of getting used to Ulead, Irfan, Paint, Word or whatever the hell else that uses that same generic interface guideline. But once you get over the mindset-wall, everything becomes easy.

Photoshop's interface guideline is, for lack of a better metaphor, a toolbox. Different tools are available, with different functionalities, with different tweaking tools. A majority not even visible in the default interface until you specify it to be. Alone, it might not look that special, but used in conjunction with the other tools, you're fucking Superman.

Want to isolate an area for coloring? Create a layer mask, and start blotting it, paint. Or create a new layer, and paint over the area, then do a select on the painted layer. Or use the lasso tool and create your selection.

It's for tweakers. Type-As. Types who want to screw around with every little fidget, every preset, and laugh manically. And the way they built it allows you to swap between tools fluidly.

Geekblather · Post by **Geekblather** » Sun Jul 15, 2007 5:41 pm

AH AHAH AHAhahahaHAHA HAhaha hAHHAHAHA ahahah!!!

Erh... yes. Something like that. I AM SUPERMAN!!!

-jumps off the building in a towel cape-

Phact0rri · Post by **Phact0rri** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:24 am

Plothole wrote:Another program you could look at is GIMP. It has fewer features than either of those programs, and also less "web support", but it does have one major advantage: GIMP is free.

hrrms.. I dunno about this. for doing art the only real thing Gimp lacks is vector brushes, so that larger image sizes, can lag down a system. It has most everything that photoshop has, just in different places. granted I don't use bump graphs, colour mapping, spectrum controls and all that stuff in colouring pictures, but it has most everything I've ever needed in making a picture... granted I use it in a linux environment so it might suck really bad in the windows port.

one of the coolest things I like about gimp is that yo can change the tablet control from pressure controlling the size of the brush to brush controlling the occupancy, which gives me more of a feeling of painting.

NakedElf · Post by **NakedElf** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:06 pm

I definitely vote for anything free (or near free) unless you have tons of cash burning holes in your pockets.

Keep in mind though that if you're a student, you may be able to get discounts on various software...

Plothole · Post by **Plothole** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 2:50 pm

NakedElf wrote:I definitely vote for anything free (or near free) unless you have tons of cash burning holes in your pockets.

Keep in mind though that if you're a student, you may be able to get discounts on various software...

Technically true. Though if you eventually intend on selling your work, be forewarned: student licensees are typically restricted to non-profit use.

NakedElf · Post by **NakedElf** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 4:06 pm

Plothole wrote:
NakedElf wrote:I definitely vote for anything free (or near free) unless you have tons of cash burning holes in your pockets.

Keep in mind though that if you're a student, you may be able to get discounts on various software...
Technically true. Though if you eventually intend on selling your work, be forewarned: student licensees are typically restricted to non-profit use.

Thankfully, licenses aren't legally binding.

Not that I would ever advocate breaking an idiotic contract...

Valkyrk · Post by **Valkyrk** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:26 pm

Thanks for all your help! But reading all of your entries got another question burning in my head.

How many of you would advocate for, or against, using a tablet? I never really heard of it being used to make webcomics until now. Opinions?

Lei · Post by **Lei** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:40 pm

I usually only use my tablet for coloring, and draw my comic by hand, but that's my personal preference. As for programs... Photoshop is amazing if you can afford it, simply because its so versatile.

NakedElf · Post by **NakedElf** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:45 pm

Ooo ooo oo pick me pick me!

Heh, sorry. So here is the story of my sweet lil' tablet:

Last fall I got a new computer and at the same time decided to get a little Wacom tablet. I got one of the slightly cheaper ones because it didn't seem like the quality difference was really worth the cost difference. It came with several new and exciting photo-editing softwares such as photoshop.

I excitedly pranced home with my new computer and software and tablet (and printer/scanner, too), plugged in and set everything up, and then completely *bombed* at drawing anything on the computer.

The problem, basically, was that I was trying to learn two new things at once (my new computer thankfully worked just like my old computer, so I wasn't learning that, too.) I didn't know *anything* about Photoshop. I couldn't figure out how to make the goddamn pencil tool draw goddamn lines, much less work with levels and gradients and all that other stuff.

At the same time as I was sitting there going 'where is the pencil?', I was also dealing with trying to learn the tablet--which isn't just pressure sensitive, but also responds if the stylus is merely *hovering* over it at a certain distance.

As a result, my tablet ended up being a fancy paperweight for many months while I stepped back and learned Photoshop. Once I got the basics down, I started reading various tutorials on advanced photoshop coloring techniques and trying them out, but that was seriously killing my wrists because I was simply using a track-pad for drawing. Which was, as I saw it, a sign: I needed to be using a pen (stylus) for drawing.

So today I dusted off my tablet and actually used it again for the first time in months. I am... extremely happy with the results. Very happy. I'm not exactly skilled with the device (hell no), but I basically have a feel for the direction I should be going, and the results are pleasant to look at.

That said, the tablet is *not* where I'm going to be doing my normal comic-work. My comic just doesn't require anything that fancy, and the tablet is ill-suited to the way I color it. I certainly hope to produce some nice art for the comic and become a better artist overall with the tablet, but for the real meat of my comic, it's the software that came with the tablet which really matters. ^_^

Plothole · Post by **Plothole** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:49 pm

Valkyrk wrote:Thanks for all your help! But reading all of your entries got another question burning in my head.

How many of you would advocate for, or against, using a tablet? I never really heard of it being used to make webcomics until now. Opinions?

For, no question. Pressure sensitivity means you can dynamically control a certain aspect of the brush (such as size or pressure), and because you're using a pen rather than a bar of soap (I mean mouse), you get a much higher level of precision control.

Really, I would not be able to touch up, digi-ink, or colour as quick or effectively without my tablet.

JTorch · Post by **JTorch** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:23 pm

I pencil my comics, then scan and ink digitally with my tablet. I inked by hand earlier in my archive, and I think the difference in quality really shows. So I'm pro tablet as well.

This is the tablet I use, but I don't think you need anything that fancy. Depends on your preferences though.

Geekblather · Post by **Geekblather** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 10:36 pm

Intuos FTW.

So today I dusted off my tablet and actually used it again for the first time in months. I am... extremely happy with the results. Very happy. I'm not exactly skilled with the device (hell no), but I basically have a feel for the direction I should be going, and the results are pleasant to look at.

That said, the tablet is *not* where I'm going to be doing my normal comic-work. My comic just doesn't require anything that fancy, and the tablet is ill-suited to the way I color it. I certainly hope to produce some nice art for the comic and become a better artist overall with the tablet, but for the real meat of my comic, it's the software that came with the tablet which really matters. ^_^

I think for most people it's key to remember that drawing with a tablet is much more like painting, or inking with a brush that it is like using a nib or a regular pen. I used to do all my inking with a brush, so there wasn't a whole lot of adjustment.

Wp · Post by Wp » Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:33 pm

I still prefer doing fine line work with traditional media because I can't really get used to drawing on something and have the image appear elsewhere. For practice, though, I do all my fanart on the tablet, sketch, inking, and all.

I've used openCanvas, Painter, and Photoshop, but I still like the way Photoshop colors the best. For me, I can't get the nice saturated colors I like with the other two programs. The brush settings are also the most intuitive to me. OpenCanvas, though, has a much better feel for penciling and inking. I've tried to modify Photoshop to get the same effect, but I don't know enough.

I haven't tried GIMP yet, but I should. I've been thinking about setting up my tablet on a linux machine, and it seems GIMP has the most support for it.