Tablet Troubleshooting

Tablet not working? Don't worry I have the same problem too. Sometimes my tablet just completely stops working in Paint Tool Sai, but it works on my computer and chrome and stuff. So when that happens I uninstall my tablet, re install it, then plug it in. This is USUALLY a 15-20 minute process, good thing it happens about every other 3 weeks(:

I realize not everyone has the same problem I do. Tablet problems can vary from the pen not working to the plug in not working to really anything! So found some good links for people who are having issues. If your problem is not listed below, comment and I will try and get back to you as soon as I can!

• Pen not working: Click Here
• Windows cannot recognize the USB device:Click Here
• Pen pressure not like it used to be: Click here
• Squiggly lines when you draw instead of smooth clean ones: Click Here
• Odd blinking lights: Click Here

These are forums for bamboo tablets, but generally the same rules and answers apply to ALL tablets, if it doesn't work for you, please leave a comment(:

Digital Realism

There are many different styles you can do in drawing. From cartoon to anime to realism to anything in between

But for now I am going to talk about how to do the realism.

Okay so USUALLY people have Photoshop to do realism with, but I'm more familiar with Sai. So there are a couple ways to approach this.

1. Doing the line art first, coloring it in, then erasing it

2. Doing the line art, then blending it into the drawing

3. Simply starting from the ground up. Meaning a blotch of color, then using the brush and marker tools to blend it out and make a face or an object out of it.

In Sai, i suggest using the brush tool and the marker tool. Preferably (for me) the brush tool. So just keep adding shadows, highlights, and depth to it to make it look realistic(:

And since I don't really like to do realism, here is a piece by piece picture of someone digitally painting.
Click here c:

Picking and Choosing Products

If you want to buy bamboo or digital art tablets, I suggest buying them from a retail store. Usually Best Buy, Staples, and Micro sells them, and I suggest buying them at a store because it almost GUARANTEES no cracks or bumps or scratches. 

But if you looking for the cheaper route, I suggest Craigslist or E bay. When your on E bay or Craigslist, I usually look for things that say NEW and NEVER OPENED. Also look for GOOD QUALITY pictures. Usually these pictures can indicate that a person knows how to use a computer/camera, thus making them more prone to keeping better care of the tablet.

As for art programs, they can vary in prices. Adobe Photoshop is usually around 20-40 dollars (this is the cost for an online purchase that licenses you to ONE YEAR of the program). Paint Tool Sai on the other hand is around 50 USD, but you get a FREE one month trial before you buy it. GIMP is free c:

Speed paints

Speed paints are a video of you painting/drawing, just sped up.

They are really easy to make, all you need is a camera (for digital speed paints, i use Hypercam 2 to record mine.) and movie maker (to speed it up).

Here are the steps to making one (for digital art, on the computer):

1. Press start recording on your camera (here is the download link for Hypercam: HYPERCAM DOWNLOAD)

2. Start drawing!

3. Once your done, press stop recording.

4. Open up windows movie maker, or whatever movie maker program you have.

5. Open your recorded video into movie maker.

6. Insert your video into the timeline

7. Right click and select "effects"

8. Scroll down and you should find "Double Speed"

9. Add that and speed it up to your liking.

10. save it! Then PUBLISH it. It wont be accessible as a movie file if you don't.

Then your done!(:

If you want to SEE some speed paints, go on you tube and simply search "speed paint."

Lineart

There are SO many ways you could do line art.

The first way is just black lines! Regular, plain black lines.

The second way is blending them in. This is usually used for realism.

The third way it coloring the lines to mach the color inside. For example, if you drew a blue shirt, you would color those lines blue.

The fourth way is just simply doing the lines, coloring the picture, then erasing them.

The fifth way is using different tools. For example the crayon tool, the airbrush tool, or the brush tool.

These are ways I personally do my line art. I haven't really seen or heard of any other ways, but i bet there is a lot!

Tablets

When it comes to tablets, there are A LOT of questions. Hopefully in this post I can answer them for you!

So the tablet I have is a Bamboo Pen and Touch. A lot of digital artists that I talk to have a Wacom Intuos.

The only REAL difference in tables is usually either how long it lasts, the size, the features (for example in the pen and touch you can press a button so you can use your finger as a mouse), and the pen. Tablets are PEN SENSITIVE. Meaning the pen it comes with is the only thing you can use on that specific tablet.

Some tablets come with a free software bundle (on a CD). The programs usually include Adobe Photoshop Elements (this is NOT a drawing program, its an image editing program), Corel Painter Essentials, Bamboo Dock and Apps (apps for the tablet made by the company).

Here are some pictures of tablets:

Bamboo Pen and Touch:



Wacom Intuos 5:



A Tablet Pen (Wacom):




Hopefully this answered all your questions!

How To Become A Better Artist

I know this is going to sound REALLY REALLY cliche, but draw everyday. Its the best thing you can do to improve your drawing ability. Ask ANY OTHER artist and they will tell you the same thing. I have only been drawing for a year now, and since then I have been drawing everyday. 

Last year, this is what I used to draw like

:  

And since then I drew every day and now...

See what I mean? c: