http://gx67.artician.com/ http://gx67.artician.com/ http://s.artician.com/images/default/default_photo_m.gif en-us Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:01:09 -0500 http://gx67.artician.com/blog/2009/01/10-comments-and-tips-from-nickmockoviak/ http://gx67.artician.com/blog/2009/01/10-comments-and-tips-from-nickmockoviak/ here. He is an epic artist. :]
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I hope that your New Year's was good and satisfying for yourself. With the holiday season over and done with, let us move back into our familiar routines (or new ones) and resolve to have a great year.

A while go, I had posted a journal about 100 questions for the artist that was more laborious and involved more questions about lifestyle and what-not. Well, I would like to revisit/revamp that idea into a more streamlined 10 questions that deal directly with the creative process. So, here are 10 Questions for the Artist....

1. What are your "tools of the trade"?
I use a wide variety of tools and materials in my works, as it all depends on what I'm making. I'm going to get very specific and name damn-near everything that I have, as I feel some people would have a keen interest in what I have. (Right Jackie?) Here goes the list:
-Prismacolor set of 48 markers plus assorted gray tones
-Prismacolor set of 48 color pencils plus colorless blender
-Prismacolor set of 12 watercolor pencils
-Prismacolor set of fine line markers (005-08)
-Prismacolor non-photo blue pencil
-Derwent set of 24 studio color pencils
-Staedtler Mars Lumograph set of 12 Sketching/Drawing pencils (8B-2H)
-Staedtler Triplus Fineliner 0.3 mm pens
-Staedtler Mars techinco graphite holder with HB leads
-Staedtler Mars plastic eraser
-Staedtler Plot Ink 748 plf
-Staedtler M2 Profilm drawing ink
-Sakura Pigma Micron pens (005-3)
-Sakura Pigma Sensei pens (03-10)
-Faber-Castell PITT brush pens (black and grey)
-Speedball India Ink
-Speedball HUNT 102 and 107 crow quill nibs
-Prang watercolor set
-Dr. Martin Watercolor dyes set A
-Winsor & Newton set of 8 inks
-Winsor & Newton Cotman brush #1 and #8
-Winsor & Newton Cirrus Round brush #0 and #2
-Winsor & Newton Series 7 brush #000, #00, and #1
-Winsor & Newton Sceptre Gold II flat brush #12
-Loew-Cornell Stippler brush #1/4
-Liquid frisket
-Acetate
-Masking tape
-16" x 18" light box
-French curves
-Templates (circle, squares, and misc. shapes)
-18" x 24" cutting mat
-X-Acto knifes
-Golden Acrylic paints
-Iwata Smart-Jet airbrush compressor and Eclipse HB-CS airbrush
-T-Squares and straight-edges
-Ott-Lite TrueColor drawing lamp
-Design Kneaded Eraser
-24" x 36" drawing table
I think I'll stop with that. Now, these are items that I've accumulated over the years and have other crap that didn't make the list like manikins and solvents. Will having all these things make you a better artist? No, these are the materials that I like to use. I would love to have Copics or Photoshop but they're expensive and for the time I'm getting by pretty good with what I own. Another question is does it matter what brand/company you use? Yes and no. If all you can muster is Crayolas, then by golly that's all you can do and they work just as well. I have found that the higher quality material is more expensive but has a longer duration then the cheap stuff. Boil it all down, so long as you get the job done, that's what matters.

2. Do you have a favorite technique or method that you like to use?
I'm pretty fond of crosshatching and layering markers with other media like color pencils and grease crayons. I also like to use cell-shading with markers. When I can, I like to employ some drybrushing or splattering in my work.

3. What area(s) of art do you feel most comfortable or strongest in?
Content-wise, I feel most comfortable drawing anything "ugly" and full of textures- monsters, creatures, zombies, skulls- you name it. In addition, I feel pretty relaxed drawing cartoons or anything with curvilinear movement. Technique/method wise, I feel I'm strongest in crosshatching, graphite rendering, and inking.

4. What area(s) of art do you feel least comfortable or weakest at?
Three things come to mind: anatomy, backgrounds, and mechanical/man-made objects. Also, perspective can get quite tricky for me as well. Reasons being that I don't practice enough, have little interest in, or generally don't plan enough of my work out and I'm stuck with various issues that I should of worked out before but didn't.

5. What is your philosophy regarding your sketchbook?
I view my sketchbook as a vehicle for idea generation and as a means of exploring various issues. I don't see it as "I have to have fully-rendered perfect drawings in here". It's mainly for me and to be seen by me, so I don't have to impress myself with perfectly crafted drawings page after page. My sketchbook is chock-full of doodles, improvised sketches, incoherent scribbles, and poorly written notes for myself. The seeds of many works have been planted on a page and started off as a mess of a collection of lines or one drawing that sits and waits to be explored in the future. Sure, there are times where a drawing is more completed then others, but I use my sketchbook to commit ideas to paper and to keep warmed up. In some ways, my sketchbook is like a demo tape- a collection of drawings that will get refined into a finished work.

6. How well do you handle critique?
That all depends on the situation. In general, I'm naturally a slight bit defensive but open to suggestions. I'll listen to what's being said and will mull it over and access its validity. Most times it's right on the money. But sometimes when someone tears the work apart, offers little or no suggestions for improvement, and is not on the same level of ability- it burns my ass. A critique is NOT a means of accessing skill. A true critique is examining the work on what it is, what it's attempting to convey, and how successful it is on conveying that message. Yes skill is important, but sometimes that's a secondary concern over what the message is. Critique is a very tricky area to handle, and you need to know what you're addressing and why.

7. How is your studio atmosphere when you work?
I usually work in my "studio" (backroom) and work with music playing. I generally like to work alone and with little distractions, but I can adjust. If I'm working at school, I like to work with my iPod playing and walk around and see what my fellow classmates are doing.

8. Is there any particular method or process you use when you create a work?
There's a general process that I use. The majority of work start off as sketches and evolve as the time suits it. That time period can be as little as a few minutes or as much as a month. The problem is with sorting out ideas. I can get so caught up with trying different ideas that the process drags on and on with no end in sight. I usually reach and exhaustion level and see what works best with what I'm trying to do or what I feel most comfortable with. In this phase, I usually do a bit of research to acquire a better sense of what I'm doing and may do a study or two. Once I'm happy with my composition, I get to work on the final work. I start by laying out the bigger shapes and gradually focus on smaller details. After that is finished, I render it and voila- you guys see the final product. There are some variations, like if I use a light box or acetate- but it's a general process.

9. How do you feel about the evolution of your work?
On the whole, I like where my ideas and work are going. I like the fact that I can work in a variety of media and explore a host of ideas while maintaining an identity. There are times where I feel my skills have atrophied and I feel that I should be performing at a higher level. I looked at my gallery and sketchbooks not so long ago and saw this range of work and subject matter and impressed myself. And I appreciate all of you for accepting my work and not pinning down as a particular type of artist.

10. Where do you find inspiration?
All over, but to be succinct- in music, poems, other artwork, personal observations and feelings, society, and movies.

Damn, that's a long read. If you've managed to finish this, pat yourself on the back. Feel free to answer and spread this around. I'm gunna nap now.


~Nick~

]]> Sat, 03 Jan 2009 18:08:00 -0500 http://gx67.artician.com/blog/2008/11/interview-hidden-talent-rahll-and-sangiev/ http://gx67.artician.com/blog/2008/11/interview-hidden-talent-rahll-and-sangiev/ Below is a copy of an interview between Sangiev and Rahll. This is reproduced with both their permissions.

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Today we are interviewing a great mind in the industry of digital Art at the age of 20, this guy has made a great progression in Digital Art, he is the one and the only :

Enjoy the interview !

What is your name ?
Reid Southen.

What is your alias and why you choose it?
The alias I use across the net is Rahll. It’s actually based on a character from Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series. I started reading it something like 10 years ago, used the name for various things and it just kind of stuck.

Tell us a bit about yourself Reid?
Interestingly enough, my passion before art was actually writing. For the longest time I wanted to be a writer (still do), but throughout high school I became more and more interested in art. I was always drawing or doodling anyway, and one day I discovered DeviantART and was blown away by all the digital work. I finally realized I could actually make a career out of it, and I haven’t looked back since.
Currently, I’m an art student at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. There, I study illustration for the entertainment industry and I’m going into my third year.

Do you get loads of support from family/friends ?
Definitely, my family has been supportive since day one. My father used to study art at the same school many years ago, and my brother is a photographer, so it kind of runs in the family. My friends have also always been very supportive, especially my good artist friends such as Danny LuVisi (Adonihs) and Marissa Rivera (PearlPhoenix).
( - Adonihs, -PearlPhoenix)

We all known that you are pretty well known on the net, is it the same in real life ? Are you known for your art in your living area or Uni ?
To be honest, outside of DeviantART, I’m not much of a big shot. I’ve had people recognize me from the site before, but as far as being a name in my school or anything like that, I’m relatively unknown. I’m not the type to flaunt or inflate my own ego, so I don’t go around showing everyone what I do.

Have you done any previous studies before getting yourself into Digital Art ?
I got into digital art early 2006. I got my first tablet, thought it was awesome, and then soon gave up because it was frustratingly difficult. Later that year in the summer, I picked it back up again and busted my ass, and promised myself I’d get good at it. I’m completely self-taught digitally. School has taught me quite a bit so far, but nothing substantial with digital that I didn’t already discover myself.

How long does it take you to get into the feel of creating something new and stunning ?
As many artists know, working a painting doesn’t always go as planned. It usually takes until about the midpoint of piece before I’m happy with where it’s going and I get a good feel for it. The drawing is usually solid, but once I start throwing colors down, things don’t always look so hot. The first half is always the struggle, simply because nothing looks good until later.

Do you plan your images before doing them, or make them up on the spot ?
I tend to plan my images out pretty well before I jump in. I do thumbnail sketches and roughs to tweak the idea and composition, and I often do a rough color study. I’ve realized that a good painting takes careful planning. It’s better to figure out the problems early on, so you don’t suddenly realize how terrible your composition is after you’ve rendered it and can’t change it.

Who will be your favourite artist at this moment ?
If I had to choose just one person, I’d say Danny LuVisi `adonihs.

Are you friends with Adonihs or enemy?! You always seem to be dissing each other, is this in a jokey manner ?
We’re really good friends actually, any insults are of a loving nature. (Ain’t that right sweety? Tehe) We’re always helping each other out with our work, bouncing ideas and critiques off each other, and generally just being idiots together.

How do you respond to change in trends in this "digital" world ?
Honestly, I tend to ignore them, or steer clear if I can. I’m not going to lie, I’ve definitely jumped the bandwagon a number of times, but I’m trying to move away from that and do more original work. You won’t get noticed if you follow the trends and do similar things to everyone else. Marketing yourself is all about standing out from the crowd, not conforming to it.

So where is your working place, in an office at home ? Once you're finished with your pieces where would you post them ?
I essentially work at home out of my bedroom. Occasionally I’ll do work at my school, but I don’t have access to a Cintiq there, so it makes working a little slower than I’m used to. As for posting, I generally post do dA when I’m done, as well as my portfolio site at Carbonmade [link]

What software do you use and what is your favourite tool ?
Photoshop, all the way. As for favorite tool, it’d have to be the most used, the paintbrush.

Is there any tips for other Digital Painter or Illustrator you would like to share ?
This might seem strange to some people, but to be a successful digital painter, you should have a strong foundation with traditional media. Both the techniques and concepts you learn are vital to successful image making in general. And to be honest, I didn’t paint traditionally up until recently. I realize now that if I had learned earlier, digital would’ve come much easier to me. There are always exceptions to the rule, but not everyone can be that exception.
Another thing is to never give up, you’ve got to believe in yourself and what you do. Even now, every time I do a painting there are 2 or 3 times during it where I feel like it’s utter crap and don’t want to continue. The trick is to quiet those voices in your head and keep pushing yourself until it’s done. I guarantee you’ll surprise yourself if you just give it everything you’ve got time and time again.
Also to visit this : [link]

Do you work on commission or are you thinking of ever doing this ?
I’ve done a number of commissioned works, and I definitely hope to do more in the future, whether they be personal or commercial. School keeps my free time to a minimum, though, so it’s sometimes difficult to take on additional projects.

Do you usually have a message to send through your painting ?
It depends. Sometimes I do things just because I think it’ll be cool. Other times, I combine that with something I’m trying to say, but it’s not always obvious. Recent pieces I’ve done reflect certain aspects of this in the artist description. Embedded messages depend heavily on how I’m feeling at the time.

What would be your casual routine like ?
Hard to find a ‘casual’ routine when school keeps me busy, but if I had to break it down in terms of my time off of school, I’d say I usually wake up around 9 or 10, check my messages, browse the net a bit, eat something, and then I’d probably find myself painting or sketching for a good part of the afternoon and evening, while occasionally taking breaks to watch movies, play games, or talk to friends. Interesting, I know.

We also see that you draw, and amazingly as well. Ever thinking of making one of your primary ? Along with your painting ?
Digital painting is really my passion, but drawing is a big part of it. You won’t meet an artist that can paint amazing works that can’t also draw well. A good painting generally starts with a good drawing, so although I can draw well traditionally, I focus on using that in conjunction with my digital works.

What are your other hobbies, when you're not drawing or sketching ?
Just by looking at my art, you can probably tell I’m a big fan of games and movies. They’re a big inspiration and motivator for me. I’m also a fan of the sciences, things like physics and astronomy are something I’ve always been interested in. Unfortunately I don’t have a ton of time to keep brushed up on them anymore.

What is your ultimate goal in Digital Art ?
To never stop getting better and to one day work on some kickass movies and games for the rest of the world to experience.

Do you use references for your paintings or come up with the total concept?
A good artist always uses references, but they also have to know to what extent. The idea is to conceptualize something first, and then collect or take the reference to support that concept.

Where does your Inspiration source come from ?
Games, movies, books, friends… It really comes from everywhere. Any and everything can be inspiration if you’re looking at it the right way.

What would your top 5 tips be for anyone that is starting to Paint or Illustrate ?
1. Learn to draw well, and start with a pencil and paper like everyone else. Never underestimate the value of a good drawing, because it’s going to be the foundation for your paintings. Drawing might one day be the thing that pays your bills, so master it the best you can.
2. Find ways of challenging yourself. Don’t always do paintings or projects that fit inside your comfort zone, because you’re never going to force yourself to learn that way. And don’t always expect someone else to challenge you either, take initiative, be self motivated.
3. Learn the tools. When it comes to digital painting, learn the tools of Photoshop as well as you can. Knowing the paint brush and the dodge and burn tools isn’t going to be enough. In fact, stay away from dodge and burn aside from minor tweaks, a good artist can call it out a mile away.
4. Plan well and use a consistent process. Don’t just start drawing and hope it turns out well. Do sketches, plan your design and composition, don’t just assume you’ll fix it later, because 9 times out of 10 you won’t or can’t.
5. This might seem obvious, but work hard. I’ve always told people that if an artist does his job right, he makes the work seem effortless, but don’t let this fool you. Even the best artists have to work their asses off to make what you see. Just because they’re professional doesn’t mean it’s easy for them.

What do you think of today's Digital Arts levels and amount of work ?
I’m not entirely sure what you mean by the question. If you’re referring to the amount of work available to digital artists, I’d say it’s nearly limitless, which is an exciting prospect. We can do anything from books and book covers, to games, movies, CD covers, advertising, you name it.
And to anyone thinking about breaking into the field, have you ever seen some digital work in print, or done professionally that you thought, “Jeese, that’s the crappiest thing I’ve ever seen, I could do better than that.” Well, go for it then. If it’s in circulation, and you can do better, then there’s a job for you.

You have achieved an amazing number of 4 Daily Deviation over DA, how do you feel ?
There was once a day when I had only a couple thousand page views and I thought I’d never get one. Then suddenly I turn around, and I get hit with them almost rapid fire. What makes me happy is that they’re all in different categories, even a traditional one. It’s quite an honor, but hell, give someone else a chance!

What type of music do you listen to ?
I listen to a lot of stuff actually, but I get stuck into certain things for extended periods of time. Lately it’s been a lot of soundtrack and ambient type stuff, as well as some techno and trance. I also like a lot of classic rock, and a handful of newer bands. Times have been rough lately, so I’ve been sticking to things that can keep me relaxed.

What is your gear like ?
Currently I have my 20.1” ViewSonic LCD and my Wacom Cintiq 12wx as dual displays. I also have a Wacom Intuos3 6x8 that I use when I go to school, and a Logitech G15 keyboard with macro keys that I set to different functions in Photoshop instead of using the normal key commands.

Do you think your painting have gone better with the Cintiq, or did you start to paint with the Cintiq ?
I get tons of messages and emails every week through dA and YouTube about the Cintiq, people telling me they’ve bought it because of what I’ve said or what I do, or just asking questions.
My advice to those thinking about doing digital is usually as follows: Start with a regular tablet, instead of a Cintiq with the screen. The reason is that it’s more difficult, and in being more difficult, it forces you to really learn the tools Photoshop has to offer. It also forces you to come up with tricks and workarounds because of the limitations.
Then, when you decide to move onto the Cintiq later, you’ll have a better overall digital understanding. If you jump right to the Cintiq because you already can draw traditionally and you think it’ll make the transition easier, you’ll be stuck in a traditional way of thinking and never really learn to utilize all the wonderful things digital has to offer.

If there was another software you would like to master, which one would it be ?
I’d love to be good at a 3D program like 3ds Max or Maya. It would definitely help my endeavors as an illustrator. Google Sketchup is a good start, though, so I’m going to be pursuing that more when I have time.

Your popularity over DA has increased, were you expecting that ?
Honestly, it’s been a little daunting. It’s like one morning you wake up and suddenly you realize you’re "popular." It’s nice to have so many fans and recognition, but it also comes with a lot of baggage. Adonihs can attest to that. Still, though, I’m extremely grateful, and it’s opened up a lot of doors for me.

Did you had to go through some very challenging task in your Digital career ?
So far, most of the challenges I’ve faced have been brought on by my own will and drive to get better. I’m no professional yet, so I have to keep finding ways of challenging myself with each piece I do.

What are your future plans ?
I plan to finish up school and probably make my way out to California where all the entertainment jobs are.

If you could, you would ...
If I could somehow arrange a meeting to get together all the amazing friends I’ve made through dA over the past couple years, I think that would be just about the coolest thing ever.

What is your favourite piece, that you ever created ?
It would have to be Voyage of the Stardust. It might not be my best work, but it holds a lot of deep personal meaning for me.

What are your favourite pieces on DA, could you share them ?
That’s like asking what my favorite movie is, there’s just far too many. I could give you a sample of what I’ve favorited recently, and pieces that really stand out to me.

If you had to sum up all your work into one sentence, what would it be ?
Better than yesterday, but not good enough for tomorrow.

And to finish it off, What would you like to say to your millions of fans out there ?
Millions? That’s news to me! Anyway, I wanted to thank everyone who’s supported me. Whether you’ve just stumbled across me today, or been around since the beginning, without you guys, I’d have no one to entertain and motivation would be a lot harder to come by. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
I also wanted to thank =Sangiev for the opportunity to do this interview. It’s quite an honor my friend.

And that is it for tonight !
Hope you enjoyed reading this Interview of the magnificient :


And that you all had a nice day
Live your Life !

=Sangiev
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Do Rahll the courtesy of visiting, and tell him XxsoulhunterxX sent ya!

Cheers,
-Wesley J.

]]> Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:58:00 -0500 http://gx67.artician.com/blog/2008/11/sketching/ http://gx67.artician.com/blog/2008/11/sketching/
Sometimes, sketching may describe using basic geometric shapes to create a base for your character, but other times it may describe a quick figure or character before it is inked or finalized.

Using Google Images, I have an example of the "shape" sketches.



To the left is a pictures scavenged off the HowStuffWorks site. It shows the artist(s) using basic shapes of circles and curves to start and define a more complex image.


However, there is also another term for sketching which describes a quick drawing of a subject. Here is an example of a sketch drawn by your's truly:









As you can see, it is an extremely rough layout, there are problems with positioning and proportions, but it is still recognizable as a character fighting another.








Using these two examples, it can be seen that sketching can have two different meanings and looks.

Now you are asking, "Why is this important?"

Sketching is crucial to artists, because it gives us a window into the future, a look at what the final product may look like. It also lets us change any nagging details that may become larger once we get underway with the rest of the picture. This powerful ability is what lets you pre-plan and separate a so-so picture to an EPIC picture.

Hopefully this clarified it a tiny bit, and gives you more reason to go forth and sketch...

Cheers,
-Wesley J.

]]> Sun, 23 Nov 2008 15:42:00 -0500 http://gx67.artician.com/blog/2008/09/digital-art-programs/ http://gx67.artician.com/blog/2008/09/digital-art-programs/
Anyway, if you're thinking of going digital, you should think about getting the proper tools. That doesn't just include a pen tablet, or a touch-screen laptop.

What I'm talking about are "Digital Art Programs".

You may have heard of artists using programs like "Adobe Photoshop" and "Corel Painter". I use Photoshop, but that may not be the best way.

Short of using Microsoft Paint, which is best for pixel-artists, you should look into Google Gimp.

Free, easy-to-use, similar to Photoshop, this is the best way to start off with digital painting/drawing.

Now, after getting used to drawing with Gimp, which should tide you over for a while, you have to decide if you want to invest in Photoshop or Corel Painter. Some tablets, like the Wacom Graphire series and the Wacom Intuous series, may include a seperate CD that includes basic versions of Photoshop or Corel Painter. This may be a great way to get a taste of the programs before actually getting the full version.

Hope this helps new artists hoping to enter digital painting/drawing.

-Wesley J.

]]> Wed, 24 Sep 2008 15:33:00 -0400 http://gx67.artician.com/blog/2008/03/simple-tricks-for-inking/ http://gx67.artician.com/blog/2008/03/simple-tricks-for-inking/
But then, through the power of inking, you could save it.

Inking is a fairly simple process. It involves take a pen, and tracing it over whatever you have just drawn.

But there are mistakes artists can make when inking. For example, sometimes, in their rush to get a picture inked, artists may grab whatever ballpoint pen they find, and ink half the picture...only to find out that they used a blue pen.

I have nothing against blue pens, but sometimes, this can make more problems than they solve. Sometimes, scanners will not be able to detect the ink, and make the picture look strange. Sometimes this may be rectified through photoshop and re-inking in digital, but it just results in more work if it's a large image, or has many small details.

This can, and will, be avoided by checking any pen you use on a piece of scrap paper. This, however, has another use, as well. If the pen's point leaks ink, you can have time to stop and look for another pen that doesn't leak. This can prove disastrous when you're inking a picture.

Also, try to avoid going over areas you inked unless you have allowed the ink to dry. If you don't do that, it will smudge, and ruin your picture.

It may be difficult visualizing this problem, but it is one that can prove disastrous.

Hope everything turns out for the best!

-Wesley. J.
(XxsoulhunterxX; GundamX67)
http://xxsoulhunterxx.deviantart.com

]]> Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:15:00 -0500 http://gx67.artician.com/blog/2008/03/its-been-a-while/ http://gx67.artician.com/blog/2008/03/its-been-a-while/
It's time to actually live up to my blog title.

Art. Or more importantly, the subtle techniques of art.

A few of my friends asked about my art, and wanted to know how I draw them.
I have no clue.
I never have a single style...but I do have some tips for any other artists out there.

TIPS:

1) SKETCH SKETCH SKETCH!
Whenever you want to draw, be it a traditional paper-and-pencil art or a digital painting, it's always nice to draw some sketches! Make designs, make concepts for the background, subject, or other objects. Unless you already know what it is you want to draw and already have references, this is always a nice idea to have some concepts for reference.

2) ABSOLUTELY NO TRACING OTHER'S WORKS!
I cannot emphasize this enough. Many times newbies fall victim to the temptation to trace. I, myself, have done this sin once in my very youth, but luckily, it wasn't major. However, you can get in serious legal trouble, not to mention the disdain of the art community, if you're using a site like DeviantArt or SheezyArt. (Both are EXCELLENT sites for artists wanting to "strut their stuff".) Numerous times the offending artists are spammed by artists out for blood, because no one likes to have their art stolen or copied.

3) Art Equipment:
Though this has many different items depending on art-preference, the following are the most preferred in the art community:
-Pencils: Can be mechanical or ones you have to sharpen, whichever you prefer. I recommend using the mechanical pencils to sketch the figure or object, and use a normal #2 pencil to shade or darken lines.
-Sketchbook: Can range from the cheap, lined notebooks to the heavy duty drawing pads specifically designed for sketching and/or drawing. I personally use up these sketchbooks quickly, so you might want to stock up if you tend to draw alot or throw out alot of messed-up sketches.
-Tablets: No, I'm not talking about those medicine tablets you take for vitamins. I'm talking about the ones with a stylus and lets you draw on the computer like a pencil. These great pieces of technology allow for accurate drawings on the computer, and sensitive enough for a small detail in a piece of art. Though most are compatible with all operating systems, I recommend checking it out for your personal OS (operating system) if the tablets are compatible with yours.
[Some good starter tablets: the Wacom Graphire 8x6, a relatively inexpensive tablet that works extremely well for it's price range; if you have a little more money to spend and will use the computer for many digital drawings, inkings, or paintings, I'd recommend the Wacom Introus. It's a trusty little thing one of my friends draw amazing pictures with.

4) Inking:
This is extremely important if you tend not to outline your works on the computer or with markers. Inking allows for the image to remain, even if the pencil smudges. This may sound like a no-brainer, but you must be careful with what pens you use. If possible, avoid odd-color pens unless you plan to color your picture. Certain scanners may not detect it the first time around. In another post, I will describe this in further detail.

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Well, that's all for now. It's late here on the East Coast, and I have school tomorrow. If you have any questions, please email me at wesleyjen@gmail.com or send me a note in my DeviantArt account.

Good night and see you later!

]]> Wed, 05 Mar 2008 21:57:00 -0500