Nowadays, students are striving for some easy ways to improve their interpersonal skills, self-management, and self-expression. In this regard, digital art plays a great role in sharing their imagination technologically. Therefore, it is also important to know how to make digital art simply.
All being well, digital art eases in carrying and can be printed from anywhere. Contrastingly, digital art enhances people’s illustrations and creativity through digital integration. But the fact is, not all of us know about digital art properly and how to work on them. Again, beginner artists face many problems while making their arts digitally.
Not only that, but users also make many mistakes in times of set-up and choosing devices. To meet all your inquiries, take a look at this article. Here, you will get to know every term and aspect that can help you start with your digital art. So, let us not delay and figure out more about this art.
How to Make Digital Art
Digital Art
During previous times, artists used brushes and paints to create different arts. Since the world is advancing more day by day, many artists are using modern means now. As a result, they could explore their creativity in a new way with computers, television, video technology, and so on. This type of process where digital integrations are used is called digital art.
Generally, digital art comprises digital technology used to present overall. However, digital art is mostly done on a computer, sometimes hand-drawn and then scanned into computers. Later on, a software program named Adobe Illustrator used to have a nice finishing of pictures. Moreover, digital art includes 3D virtual sculpture, animation renderings, and several technologies projects. Conversely, some digital arts consist of video images and manipulation.
Firstly, digital art was a trending process in 1980. In the same way, computer painting programs had enough contribution to this digital art process. Undoubtedly, you can view digital art paintings on the internet, TV, computer, and other social media platforms. All in all, digital artworks are like a merger of technology and art. Henceforth, anyone can now create digital arts by themselves without any elements.
Tools for Digital Art
First, let’s start with the tools to create digital art. As digital art is made on a computer, keep your computer ready for it. A computer can be a desktop, a laptop, a mobile device such as a smartphone, or a tablet computer like the iPad or the Surface Pro. However, a desktop or a laptop computer is better for working on larger images. Also, desktops can store a lot of artwork and are far more powerful than a phone or tablet. As a result, there will not be any lag while drawing. The advantage of working with a mobile device is that you will not be tethered to your home or office.
Digital Art On the Computer
Now, for your computer, you will need some art software too. You can call it a program or an app. Usually, there’s free art software and paid art software. Yet, you will need an input device. That could be a mouse, a tablet, or a mobile device with a pen built-in. That could be your finger on your tablet.
If you are working on a desktop, you will be using a drawing tablet, also known as a graphics tablet. A Windows or Mac operating system is required for these kinds of tablets. Nevertheless, Linux is a suitable tool, too, if you’re computer savvy enough to install the special Linux driver.
Digital Art On a Tablet
The advantages of working on a tablet are having way more control over your pen pressure sensitivity and opacity. Moreover, you will own a larger drawing surface and a better quality pen. On the other hand, the tablet is more comfortable and more intuitive to draw with,
Digital Art On Mobile Phone
As mobile painting is becoming more capable, many artists are drawing on a phone or a tablet computer such as the iPad. These devices have their tablets built-in, so you will not need to purchase one separately. Anyways, not all tablets and phones support pen pressure detection. And that is important for getting a natural drawing experience. All in all, I recommend choosing a mobile device that recognizes pen pressure and comes with a pressure-sensitive stylus. Like the iPad (not counting the iPad Pro), some tablets do not support pen pressure by default. But you can purchase a stylus that can sense pen pressure, such as the Wacom Bamboo or the Wacom Fine Line.
If you see, not all styli — yes, “styli,” not styluses, can sense pen pressure. So make sure to read the specs for your stylus and see both your device and your art app are supported.
Drivers
Now let us talk a bit of driver. Drivers are the software that tells your computer how to make the tablet work. If your drivers are missing or incompatible with your computer, your tablet probably isn’t going to work. Thus, it will be best to choose a newer tablet if you use a newer computer. Because older tablets may work on newer computers, and newer tablets may work on older computers.
There are many new and old drivers online, so do your research first before choosing a tablet. If the tablet you’re considering has a description or a specifications area, look for the supported operating systems to make sure that your operating system will work with that tablet or not.
In the past, drivers used to come on a CD, but since many newer computers don’t use CD drives anymore.
Typically, you will have to download those drivers from a website. For making this process, go to the manufacturer’s website for your tablet and look on their Drivers page. Then make certain that the drivers are available for your operating system before purchasing your tablet.
Most commonly, Wacom is good for updating their drivers all the time for new operating systems. And it’s pretty easy to find older versions of their drivers. Having an extra screen will make it easier to work because you can distribute your work across multiple screens.
Essentials for Beginners
Optimizing your computer for digital art isn’t very hard to do if you have a list of your essentials.
The fundamentals things that a beginner should consider are-
- Layers
- How to choose color,
- Image size and resolution,
- Basic sketching with primitive shapes
- Saving, backing up, and file management.
So those are all of the tools you will need to make digital art.
Price
Nevertheless, beginners may have some questions before starting with digital art. For instance, how much does it cost?
Well, prices can vary quite a bit depending on your needs. If you are on a tight budget, there are many free digital art apps.
You might be able to find a used tablet online, or locally at a used computer store, on Craigslist, or at a thrift store for under $50.
I don’t think anything running an operating system older than Windows 7 would be a good choice. Just make sure that the operating system you’re using on that computer is compatible with that particular tablet. You may need to download the tablet drivers online to make the tablet work on your computer.
And if you are not on a tight budget, but you don’t want to spend a ton of money, at a minimum, you’ll probably need to spend about $80 for a decent entry-level tablet. Anyways, free software is fine to use, and hopefully, you already have a computer.
If you want a more professional setup, be ready to spend about $500 to 4,000 dollars, depending on what you buy. This range includes the price of tablets and software as well.
Tablet
Now the next question that may come to your mind is, “What tablet should I buy?”
In essence, only you can decide what is best for you. So you will need to do some research and decide for yourself which tablet is best, based on your needs.
Remember not to buy the cheapest tablet. Many imitation brands are poor quality, buggy, and frustrating to install. And they may not work with your computer. If you can afford it, buy a Wacom tablet. Wacom makes the best quality tablets and has excellent customer support. And they update their drivers often.
Again, the largest tablet can be a good choice if you have room because a large drawing surface is much easier to draw on.
You’ll see numbers for the tablet resolution, pen pressure levels, the report rate, all of these different things. And these specs are slightly important but not as important as the size or the quality of the tablet.
Larger numbers are better but do not let that be the main reason you choose that particular tablet. Simultaneously, you would have to pay close attention while you’re drawing to notice a difference between a tablet with 1024 levels or 2048 levels of pen pressure.
If you can’t afford the tablet you want, get something similar or less expensive to use until you can afford something better. And if you are a newbie, consider getting a small or less expensive tablet. Later on, upgrade the tablet to continue working digitally.
Ways of Creating Digital Art
No doubt, digital art is becoming popular day by day. The reason is its unique features help to showcase everyone’s talent differently. Since we have already known above what things will come in handy for digital art, let us go through the steps directly.
Step 1: Making an Illustration
First, sketch what you have planned for your digital art. Although the final result will not appear like your sketch, it can still help illustrate your idea. Then scan your drawing by placing it under a scanner and closing it when you are done. Therefore, a file will be created as. JPEG or. PNG, and you are to name it something.
Step 2: File Set-Up
Secondly, go to the program you will be using. For instance, GIMP is a nice choice for beginners as it is a free program, and beginners should go with a free one in their first trial. After choosing your program, sketch your idea directly there. Next, take the cable and plug your tablet into your computer. Consequently, you can draw on your new file easily.
Step 3: File Layer
In the third step, you will have to deal with the only layer of your file, i.e. your sketch. Go with this step to the new layer button and create a background layer. Then fill the transparent layer with white color by selecting the fill-in tool. After you are done, drag that layer downwards. Furthermore, it is important to create new layers on different major parts like- clothes, hair, face, etc.
Step 4: Outline Your Drawing
You will need a brush tool for each layer to outline your drawing. First thing first, set your brush in a size of 2 to 4 pixels. As a result, the outline will make your art a lot easier to color.
When you outline your drawing, hide the sketch layer for coloring the outline. Moreover, you will not be distracted by the sketchy lines and can do your drawing smoothly.
Step 5: Getting Colors
After outlining your drawing, it is time to sketch the colors. For this reason, you will need brushes of different sizes, considering your drawing’s area. As mentioned before, remember to use a single color on each area.
Step 6: Finishing the Art
Generally, drawings get fine details by adding more layers to them. Whenever you would like to get details on pockets, eyes, or creases, adding layers can help with that. Likewise, an eyedropper tool is a great option for giving shades to our drawing. Again, go to the color picker, and you will find darker colors by dragging them to the darker side. Contrasting the option of adding more shading can help you to give a shade to your entire drawing.
Step 7: Merge Layers and Export
When you have finished giving shades to your drawings, merge the layers. For that, save a copy of your drawing’s file. Then go to the File menu, and there you will have an option of export. Click on it and save it. JPEG. PNG.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Do People Like Digital Art?
Digital art is a valid form that conveys a new way of traditional arts. Nonetheless, most beginners are choosing digital art to start with. The software of digital art is way too authentic, which allows us to draw our illustrations virtually. Additionally, you can appeal your illustration digitally and create a new form of art.
Where Can We Use Digital Art?
Although digital art has numerous uses and applications, it is mostly used for commercial purposes. Other than that, people produce visual graphic effects media advertisements with the help of digital art. On the other hand, video games and animations in films prefer digital art more to have a sequential texture.
How to Make Digital Art Better?
Here are some tips for making better digital art.
- First, sketch your idea regularly. Or you can draw your illustration with the help of Christina Mrozik.
- Next, you will have to work on your drawing. Use Steve Huston for your figure drawing as it is comprehensive and accessible.
- Thirdly, you are to improve your portrait skills by practicing them every day.
- Develop your art skills of drawing and character
- Concentrate on your compositions.
Is Digital Art Hard?
No, digital art is easier than any traditional art. Indeed, it gives much ease in shading, coloring, sketching, and others. Most importantly, you will not face any trouble in times of layering. Since there are many editing tools for digital art, you can undo your mistakes. Besides, the settings will help you manage the layers and keep every sequence on track.
Final Words
Digital art leaves no stone unturned to express our ideas and illustrations beautifully. And the best part about it is, you will not have to depend on any high-performance computer, whereas a simple device can be magic for you. Unless you do not know how to make digital art, there is no point in hoping for a nice outcome.
Summing up, nothing can be better than digital art if you don’t want to rely on multiple supplies and equipment. Therefore, your drawings and ideas will be presented digitally without taking time. Once you try this technique, I am damn sure you will like to present all your drawings through it.