Curse

Espadon · Aug 01, 2009, 03:56 PM // 15:56

You'd probably also enjoyed the works of Andreewallin and Leventep as well then. There are a lot of artists following the Mullinsesque look.

Personally I'm a huge fan of Kai http://ukitakumuki.deviantart.com/ as I agree very much with his color blocking method. I've played with the overlay method a LOT but I just don't enjoy the process since I was brought up on traditional.

BlueXIV · Aug 01, 2009, 04:08 PM // 16:08

I almost do overlaying almost exclusively nowadays because it's fast and accurate (usually). I kind of like being able to put down a color wash in 5-8 minutes and get a feel of the piece. Also, this way, I don't have to worry about color when I am doing light/dark composition (I should do thumbnails... but I don't. D

.

There are a lot of pitfalls with overlaying though, a lot of the time, there are too many blooms, and too much black. After overlaying something, you gotta go back and pretty much paint over it.

Anyways, if you can paint something well with color off the bat, more power to you. I'll still practicing my color theory :P

Verene · Aug 01, 2009, 04:22 PM // 16:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Espadon

Artgerm is more masterful with Painter than Anry for sure. Michael Kutsche is probably the most impressive of all; there's a reason why he's behind familiar artwork such as this PC Gamer cover [PS & Painter only].

Artgerm is awesome. I love looking at the complete variety of styles he does.

If there is one thing that never fails to make me jealous and want to get better at drawing and painting, it's the beginning of this video. And I see that video, on average, ten times a day (it's on the loop on our demo PS3 at work...which I have no problem with, I love that game and the music is beautiful).

Espadon · Aug 01, 2009, 06:07 PM // 18:07

Yeah, I do color block almost exclusively since as you said with overlaying you end up having to paint over anyways. Invariably I fall back into the habit of washing because it requires a lot less thinking and so I have to remind myself to not be lazy and mix new colors from the wheel instead of constantly sampling pre-existing colors haha.

It's definitely harder to mix color and value at the same time compared to doing a gradient value and then applying color map over it.

BlueXIV · Aug 01, 2009, 08:17 PM // 20:17

Do you hotkey the color picker? It helps me be a lot less lazy because then I don't have to move your mouse allll the way down there :P

Espadon · Aug 01, 2009, 08:26 PM // 20:26

Yes, I have Alt mapped to my bottom left button on my tablet since I paint now with the tablet in my lap. I don't ever select the picker tool itself unless I'm sampling from a jpeg and need it to sample the average of an area for a color.

EDIT: You meant the color mixer -- no I don't have that hotkeyed and it doesn't annoy me much since when painting with real paints I have that repetitive reach-over-and-poke motion as well.

BlueXIV · Aug 01, 2009, 09:29 PM // 21:29

I love having it mapped, it lets me change colors really really fast, so I can introduce new colors into the painting on the fly. Photoshop doesn't let you tho, so I just wrote an autohotkey script that makes it double click the pallette location lol

Edit: tzu I know you are looking at this thread, say something dammit.

Tzu · Aug 01, 2009, 10:13 PM // 22:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueXIV

Edit: tzu I know you are looking at this thread, say something dammit.

rofl XD you noticed my name on the bottom of the page, or were you just guessing?

I haven't looked at this thread before, so I had to read through it all to get myself updated! ^^
I wish I could contribute with something, but as it were I'm not hugely into the proffessional art community, so I don't know the names of any funky artists, and I am still stirchtly amateur at what I do so I don't have any useful tips to give ^^'''

gah, makes me feel kinda useless >.<'

Morag D · Aug 02, 2009, 08:36 AM // 08:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tzu

gah, makes me feel kinda useless >.<'

haha, I know the feeling - just like 85% of all the people who've ever drawn anything in their lives. [plus, if this was about cosplay, who'd be the authority then, eh??]

for me, the elusive concept that is art is enjoyable, and that's what we're here for after all. I mean, this is a game fansite and not a professional art forum. Professionalism is a treat here, not a requirement. So we all do what we can in order to enjoy ourselves being creative, and some people produce better results than others. Will always stay that way. I'm personally no fan of looking down on others just because they don't have as much talent - (hate me if I'm saying that here, but it has happened) - what we need here is encouragement and serious, useful tips. We (that is, the majority of amateur artists - and yes, I call us artists because who can really define the extents of what is art, and what not [nonregarding quality fluctuations]) should not be measured against professionals, because it's a totally different league. We should be measured against our individual progress, and having taken into account that for the large majority of people posting here, art is (just) a hobby.

/rant over

had to be said, imo

ZenRgy · Aug 02, 2009, 09:40 AM // 09:40

I never got the feel for a tablet. I prefer the fumes of paint, and the mess. Something about it makes it feel more "fun" than digital drawing.

That being said, I may get a tablet for being bored. Any suggestions as to a decent yet affordable solution?

Morag D · Aug 02, 2009, 10:56 AM // 10:56

I've got a Wacom Graphire4, wasn't too expensive and serves me well. Doesn't have many assignable buttons tho, which is a bit of a shame. However, I'd recommend it for any on-and-off user who likes precision but doesn't need the latest high-end gadgets

Widowmaker · Aug 02, 2009, 12:45 PM // 12:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morag D

I've got a Wacom Graphire4, wasn't too expensive and serves me well. Doesn't have many assignable buttons tho, which is a bit of a shame. However, I'd recommend it for any on-and-off user who likes precision but doesn't need the latest high-end gadgets

I have a Graphire4 as well, I want to move up to an Intuos though.

As far as I know Wacom no longer produce the Graphire range, so you'd probably have to shop around to find one now. Maybe a Wacom Bamboo tablet instead?

Espadon · Aug 02, 2009, 02:34 PM // 14:34

I own an intuos3 but recently I had the chance to take my friend's bamboo for a spin. First thing I noticed is the bamboo pen/surface feels somewhat grippy as opposed to the slick feel of the intuos surface. I'm sure some would prefer the more tactile feel of the bamboo but for me who likes to make big brushmarks it's a drag [ha ha]. Second is the bamboo pen feels like it has an annoyingly low lift-off distance which gets annoying for anyone who doesn't stare at their tablet when paintings [which is like, 90%+?]. Then again I might just be spoiled by my intuos

The intuos4 looks very attractive but I don't see myself upgrading for the frills anytime soon. The turnwheel looks sweet but knowing wacom's touch sensitivity, unless the wheel is a physical one with click increments, it's only going to be a hindrance.

Duranin · Aug 02, 2009, 03:33 PM // 15:33

lol, wow. The conversation has pretty much spiraled completely out of my range.

Aside from not being a painter, I've gotten next to no training in art and I don't understand quack about what was going on for the last page or so P:

I want to paint, but I've met up with no success at all, in either speed painting or more precise painting. I don't know if it's something about the process that doesn't agree with my own personality/art methods or what. Tutorials have been the most unhelpful things I ever spent my time reading/watching/listening to, in this respect.

I can kinda jump in with the tablets, I use a Intuos3 that I've had for ... what, like 4-5 years now. It's very old, the drawing surface is kind of peeling off, and I've never learned how to use the buttons and scrolly bars on either side ... but it works for me, which is good enough.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morag D

for me, the elusive concept that is art is enjoyable, and that's what we're here for after all. I mean, this is a game fansite and not a professional art forum. Professionalism is a treat here, not a requirement. So we all do what we can in order to enjoy ourselves being creative, and some people produce better results than others. Will always stay that way. I'm personally no fan of looking down on others just because they don't have as much talent - (hate me if I'm saying that here, but it has happened) - what we need here is encouragement and serious, useful tips. We (that is, the majority of amateur artists - and yes, I call us artists because who can really define the extents of what is art, and what not [nonregarding quality fluctuations]) should not be measured against professionals, because it's a totally different league. We should be measured against our individual progress, and having taken into account that for the large majority of people posting here, art is (just) a hobby.

QFT

It's a hobby for me -- and I get offended (or in the very least, put off) if someone asks if I plan on majoring in art.

Verene · Aug 02, 2009, 05:15 PM // 17:15

Hey, I actually started out as an art major - I was going to go into graphic design/advertising. I changed my mind, though, now I'm a psychology major XD

And my tablet is ancient. It's a Graphire3. I've had it for...like 7 years now. I'm surprised the thing still works - and sometimes it doesn't. I really should buy a new one, but since I've never really managed to adjust to drawing with a tablet, I'm not sure if I should bother. However, on the other hand, having a surface to draw on that's larger than 3.5"x5" might help a lot

Also, someone mention cosplay

I love cosplay

Nian · Aug 02, 2009, 05:31 PM // 17:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morag D

haha, I know the feeling - just like 85% of all the people who've ever drawn anything in their lives. [plus, if this was about cosplay, who'd be the authority then, eh??]

for me, the elusive concept that is art is enjoyable, and that's what we're here for after all. I mean, this is a game fansite and not a professional art forum. Professionalism is a treat here, not a requirement. So we all do what we can in order to enjoy ourselves being creative, and some people produce better results than others. Will always stay that way. I'm personally no fan of looking down on others just because they don't have as much talent - (hate me if I'm saying that here, but it has happened) - what we need here is encouragement and serious, useful tips. We (that is, the majority of amateur artists - and yes, I call us artists because who can really define the extents of what is art, and what not [nonregarding quality fluctuations]) should not be measured against professionals, because it's a totally different league. We should be measured against our individual progress, and having taken into account that for the large majority of people posting here, art is (just) a hobby.

/rant over

had to be said, imo

It was a nice little rant at that. UCouldn't agree more! I've never been fond of giving critiques when it comes to art and especially not on a hobbyist forum. The most important asset to an artist is to be able to see their own mistakes. I believe there is no need to tell anyone about little errors in their works, they should be able to see it themselves the more they develope. Seriousness is a killjoy when you kinda just wanna have fun and not pay attention to the srs fundamentals of art. Comparing yourself to professionals(super talented) is just dumb. You are you, you draw art for the purpose YOU want to and that's that. Copying anybody else's style or being jealous of others will just drain you rather than develope you imo.

I sure as hell don't draw like some of the Deviants pasted here, far from it but I don't have to. I'm still a professional at what I do because I get paid to draw for a company. That imo defines 'professional' not talent alone. I'm never going to draw like those great realistic painters out there nor do I want to. My passion is comics and that's the only style for me.

(Oh btw I never studied 'art' much either. I'm an animator and 3D modeller major >.>)

I'm still a big fan of Intuos 3. I notice it is the standard equipment used in companies around here. It's affordable and accurate. Ohgod I hate mapping the buttons. I always brush them by accident... I paint with right&left click on the pen for quick brush changing in PS + left hand on CTRL and constantly pressing ALT to pick colors as I paint. Shame it doesn't work so easy in Flash.

Edit123: Anybody gotten to try those Cintiqs? I would kill to try. 8D *drool*

Espadon · Aug 02, 2009, 07:33 PM // 19:33

I'm surprisingly one NOT to want to paint on a Cintiq. I've played around with one of those and it's...meh. Maybe I wasn't used to it. You do need to get one of those plastic covers on since it's such a fingerprint magnet but then the thing doesn't look quite as pretty afterwards...

BlueXIV · Aug 02, 2009, 11:16 PM // 23:16

I think some CnC is always good, but that's just my opinion. I usually only CnC when I think people care, but I think being told when something looks off is much easier than struggling to find what's wrong. There's nothing bad about getting better. Anyways, it's pretty easy to tell when someone would like CnC and when someone would rather not hear it. As long as you are nice about it, I don't think it's a bad thing.

Of course, it's great to enjoy art. Many many many many many people keep it as a hobby. I know I do, I'm no professional, and I'm not aspiring to become one. However, I'd like to be as good as possible at drawing, so I do compare myself to professionals. Even if it makes me feel like crap, I think it gives me a lot more motivation to study and get better than if I just told myself I can't compare myself to them and just did whatever I feel comfortable in (which was a decision for me in starting a commission thread, since I don't feel comfortable drawing people). Even on a guild wars fansite, there is no reason you shouldn't do the best you can do. It's just a hobby for me as well, but I know I would rather be a better artist.

Maybe I'm being mean or something, but I think putting "professionals" out of your league is possibly the worst thing you can do if you actually want to do art. And I don't mean people who want to do this for a living. It's fine if you just want to draw and feel good about it, but I think the real "fun" in art is improving.

And don't say you don't have talent or "they are just naturally gifted." I know _plenty_ of people who I can actually see improve on a weekly basis. I know I definitely have gotten better over just the span of like one year or so because I had artists I liked and I wanted to be better (keep in mind I was taking 4 technical classes at UC Berkeley last year, so I had pretty much no time either).

If you need visual proof of much someone could get better,
...dang I can't find the one I was looking for...
This one works I guess...
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=870
Take a look at his first few pages and his last few pages :\ It's really amazing how much better he got.

I was actually trying to find Jason Chan's early stuff. He used to draw a bunch of anime FF7 fanart, and they were kinda like araiia's current style, except SO MUCH WORSE. Like... really bad. Now... D:
http://www.jasonchanart.com/gallery.htm
It was like only over the span of like... 2-3 years too, if remember right.

I'm not saying everyone should be so serious about it, but don't limit yourself by placing other people ahead of you. You can improve while having fun as well. Don't get in the habit of doing everything the same way, get out of that comfort zone.

...Yeah rant over. TL; DR, don't give up, don't make excuses, I'm an ass, get over it :P

And about tablets,
I haven'y used a bamboo, but I can say the major problems about graphires is that they just kinda... feel cheap. I dunno how to really describe it, but if you do have the money, I think an intuous is a good investment. Just get a 8x6 instead 12x9 like I did (waaay too big D: Can't draw long lines.)

Cintiqs are pretty nice, but normal tablets are fine. My friend has one, and the best thing about it is just making long smooth lines. I have a intuous 3, and I almost never use the side keys, since I like mapping everything out on keyboard anyways.

Tzu · Aug 02, 2009, 11:41 PM // 23:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueXIV

If you need visual proof of much someone could get better,
...dang I can't find the one I was looking for...
This one works I guess...
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=870
Take a look at his first few pages and his last few pages :\ It's really amazing how much better he got.

RAPTORJESUS, that's INCREDIBLE! O.O

Keeps me motivated to continue msn-poking you at random intervals for CC, even if I occassionally get my ego slightly crushed. But that's always a good thing, in the end. ^^

Espadon · Aug 02, 2009, 11:45 PM // 23:45

Size is more based on if you're a wrist person or an arm person. There seems to be a misconception that a bigger tablet is better but it's not really true. Resolution ratio isn't even going to come into play because of Photoshop brush spacing.

Age is also plays a factor when it comes to art skill. Even if you don't actively practice, as you get older it'll improve. However only think of it as similar bank interest -- you can't depend on it.