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If you read my post “A Start to Digital Painting and Eliminating the Fear Factor,” you’ll have known where I’ve been and what I’m working on. My goal is to write my own trilogy. I’ve loved reading and experiencing adventures through the imagination, and one thing I’ve always had since I was little was an imagination. The question is, how much do I use it? Not enough. But there’s a hitch to my goal, which I hear might make it easier or harder to get my book published (we’ll see): I want to illustrate the trilogy. Yet, I don’t want to just illustrate my own things, but hopefully transfer over to the illustration industry completely.

What I’ll talk about in this post is how I’m starting digital painting without taking classes or workshops. Now I must admit, my husband, John Robert, has experience with Adobe Photoshop, and in turn he has been able to show me a lot of pointers, key shortcuts, and basically got me going with the program. And I also have a lot of experience drawing with traditional materials. Both of these factors have brought me to combine Photoshop with my past experience, and lead me toward the illustrations I want to create.

But maybe you’re starting to or want to start but don’t know what you need or where to go for information? In this post, and in future posts to come, I’ll walk with you in the direction I’m going and how you can apply it (or disagree) when you make your art. Classes and workshops are great and you can definitely gain a lot of knowledge from them, but perhaps between the equipment costs, you’re running low on funds and want some general guidance. That is what I’m hoping to provide.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

A solid monitor: Dull monitors will distort the brightness/contrast/color and many other aspects of your work. If you can afford a color calibration software or an NEC monitor, that would be best and give you the ultimate truth to what you’re viewing from your computer. I haven’t the funds for those options, so I went to the next best thing: an HP monitor that has bright view technology and sharp image.

A tablet: No questions asked. Hands down. The best tablet to ever exist is Wacom. My only personal opinion of course, but it continues to last and never fail. John has had his tablet for seven years and it still works and performs superbly. Thus, I had to have one as I entered the digital areana, and you’ll need one too. You cannot, I repeat, CANNOT achieve certain brush strokes and brush dynamics with a mouse like you can with the Wacom tablet and pen. The pen is what gives the strokes that look natural and have the gradation of a real pencil/brush stroke. They also come with nibs that will help your Wacom pen feel like a pencil or brush when you use it.

A painter software program: While there’s many programs out there (Corel Painter 11, Corel Painter Sketchpad, Sketchbook Express, Adobe Photoshop, etc.), it’s always good to try some free trials and see what program is right for you. In the end, I’m a Photoshop artist. The program is straightforward, I already know the key shortcuts (which is what you need to memorize to streamline your workflow), and it is what I’m most comfortable with.

Reading Materials: No, not just any reading materials, but digital materials. I enjoy Advanced Photoshop and ImagineFX. They come with instructional dvd’s, brushes, images, and much more. Tons of content and a lot of great learning examples and techniques. This is also what keeps your imagination process from becoming stagnant as you look at what other artists are doing.

A pad and pencil: Just because you go digital means you stop using traditional methods. Traditional methods are often the starting points for some artists, like myself. It’s still great practice to draw from your mind or draw what you see.

YOUR SETUP: This is really about what makes you comfortable while working. Make sure your space, whether you like it large or simply small like mine, gives you the focus and convenience you need to accomplish your art. Don’t have a room for it? If art is important to you, you’ll make room for it…whether it’s in your dining room, living room, or bedroom. John knows how important art is to me, and made sure that I got half of the living room in our 700 sq. ft. apartment.

Now you know. Go do.

Starting to go digital: what made you take the jump?
Already a digital artist: what’s your favorite equipment and setup?

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Several years ago, I would have told you that I’d never do any digital painting. Not in Adobe Photoshop, or Painter, or Sketchbook. That wasn’t even an option. I strongly believed in traditional art and materials. They were what I knew and what was most comfortable. I’d probably even admit that back then.

When I started talking to my friend, who is now my husband, he teased me about doing digital painting. He told me I’d like it and that I’d be surprised. Puh-lease! I told him I was not going to go there. Not a chance. If you were going to be a classical portrait artist, then why would you need to digital paint?

I should have just shoved my foot up my mouth and chewed off my toes, because the other day I started my first digital painting. This was no easy feet to conquer, and pun quite intended (to be so clichéd). A lot of mental preparation took place to even get me going in that direction, as well as figuring out the tools I would need.

That is when I bought the Intuos 4 Wacom tablet since you need digital tools to work on a digital painting. Secondly was the program that I would use to paint. Fortunately with having to use Photoshop for my photos that I used in my other artwork (talk about being traditional…goodness), I already had the program thanks to my husband. Yippee.

Ok, I had the materials, but what then? I looked at other artists work. Read magazines, blogs. (Yes, I’m doing this self-taught.) And I still….waited. Procrastination? Maybe, but I think a lot of it was fear. What if I don’t live up to the realism and high standards I have for my traditional work? What if it stunk? I wouldn’t know until I tried. But I really didn’t know what to start painting on my computer. What would be a good basic idea to get going with digital painting?

Five years ago I developed a fantasy species (drawing on left), and I have been incorporating this species into my book. Last week I revisited drawing this character (drawing on right).

While taking the second drawing (above) as my foundation (something I’ll probably enjoy doing the most when working digital), I started the digital painting. And would you know it? Digital painting is better than I ever imagined.  I could make the canvas bigger, smaller, making bigger ideas, adding backgrounds, foregrounds, details. I feel like I’m at the best roller coaster park ever.

Here’s a little preview of the digital artwork below. It’s only a segment of the work. It’s going to take me some getting used to. I feel so bashful, like I did when I first started drawing.

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A Christmas present I received this year from my secret shopper and wonderful brother, Grant, was the Livescribe Echo SmartPen.  I named mine Mr. Nibs. When I’m out and about and feel like writing, Mr. Nibs is a lot more accessible than my laptop, and easier to store in my purse. The SmartPen not only sees what I write, but can record sound. This features comes most in handy when I want to record someone else speak while I take notes. I can also talk and record my thoughts while I’m writing down something for my book.
_____ Most of my writing is accomplished on my laptop. When I connect Mr. Nibs to the laptop, I can see and hear all of my notes right on the screen. It makes the process more convenient and honestly helps my thoughts stay organized. Great ideas happen and I want to always have a way to remember them.
_____ One of the other cool features is the ability to install apps onto the SmartPen. You can visit the Livescribe  website to buy and review their apps, but some apps are also available in stores which sell the SmartPen, such as Best Buy.  There are two apps on my list to purchase. One is the Paper Tablet which will be handy for drawing and being creative on the computer. Really curious to see how it handles. The second one is the MyScript which you can try for free for thirty days. This app takes your writing and converts it to text. The reviews are mixed. Some people say that they spend a lot of time fixing the mistakes, while other people say that they write legibly enough that there are few mistakes to correct. I think it’s something I’m going to have to see for myself.
_____ Do you have a SmartPen? Share your thoughts below!

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The other day I talked a little about pastel pencils.  Now I’m going to take the time and talk a little about the pastel paper that I use.

Wallis Sanded Pastel paper is the first brand that I used professionally for my pastel portraits.  It was great.  I could achieve the smooth quality that I like in the painting.   Of course I reordered it.  After several frustrating pieces it came to my attention that the paper wasn’t responding the same.  It was taking me longer to get the smooth finish that was crucial, and the pastel would not adhere well to the surface.

I was referred to Uart paper by a fellow artist.  The papers have different grain volumes that make a rough or smooth surface. 400, 500, 600, 800 — my favorite being the 600.  It’s easier to blend with a good amount of grip on the pastel particles.

Check them out and give the paper a try.

Let’s here it! What are your favorite papers and why?

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Pastel, painting, progression. Pastel, painting, progression. Try saying that ten times fast! Ha. Alright, moving on.

The pastels I work in are the soft pastel encased in wood, forming the pastel pencil.  Using a variety of brands – Derwent, CarbOthello, Conté, Faber-Castell, and Cretacolor – I have a large variety of different colors, which saves time with less layering when I have to find the right color.  Although, I still have to work with what feels like a gagillion layers to achieve the color match.   So, minus a gagillion layers of just mixing and trying to find the right color and that still equals a gagillion layers left of acquiring the correct perception of depth.  Phew!  Okay, maybe not a “gagillion,” but it is still a lengthy process.  Making the larger pastel paintings takes possibly three weeks to a month to complete.

Because of the messiness that always accompanies pastels, I work from left to right, almost completing the sections as I go.   With all of the colors that I’m constantly pulling up, there are always at least ten  pastel pencils between my left hand fingers as well as a pile of the pastels in a tray connected to the easel for quick access.

To learn about the sanded pastel papers I use, visit this blog post!

Now I’ll be showing you the progression of one of the pastels that exhibits extensive layering.  Again, no stencils, no grids, no projectors. Take note — these are just ten stages. They’re not actually the amount of layers that were applied.

Stage 1:

A light sketch in a similar color that of the helmet. No detail. Just a map to locate and position of the different parts.

Helmet Progress #1

Stage 2:

Applying the general foundation of the color, blocking the shapes in, starting in the upper left corner and working my way down. I chose a blue/black background, just using my artistic license, plus I think it will go very nicely with the red and white. It helps the helmet pop.

Helmet Progress #2

Stage 3:

Working my way over, blocking in more color. I haven’t applied deep detail yet. This whole helmet was a highly reflective object. Those yellow reflectors were really nice to have against all of this gray.

This is a man’s fire helmet and I decided that I was going to keep within shades of gray — no pinks, purples, or blues in the shadows!

Helmet Progress #3

Stage 4:

Aaaaaaaagh!!! The reflective surface of the medal was tough. It’s an eagle. Those tiny little black lines weren’t a piece of cake. Keep your pencils sharpened for tiny detail!! To a point!  Look at those tight little stitches.

Helmet Progress #4

Stage 5:

Now I start really cranking out that detail. Scratches on the medal, more stitches, texture on the reflectors, dents, and scratches.

Helmet Progress #5

Stage 6:

Originally, the photograph didn’t have the yellow neck guard and strap coming down. I had another picture of it and brought the two together in the painting process.

Helmet Progress #6

Stage 7:

The badge’s perspective, stitches, texture, and depth took the longest out of the rest of the helmet. It’s the “centerpiece.”

The helmet is coming to life!

Helmet Progress #7

Stage 8:

More letters. The numbers start feeling like leather. The badge is almost finished.

Helmet Progress #8

Stage 9:

All that’s left is the last portion on the bottom and detail touch ups.

Helmet Progress #9

Stage 10:

Completed! Detailed. Depth. Don’t you want to reach in and touch it?

Helmet Completed