Questions Thread - Technical Help for Art & Music

[Marelo]

I'm not seeing it in any of the preferences, so I'm pretty sure it's some kind of add-on.

[UltimaMango]

I'm awesome at MSPaint (read: not awesome) and I need much, much, help. If I'm ever going to improve. Anyone can provide?

[Pereza0]

Stop using MSpaint, go get another freeware, but decent program

[Shadow of the Lotus]

I personally enjoy using paint.net. It's free, and reasonably similar to mspaint that you won't feel too lost while having nifty tools still (layers are always nice).

[Lady Drakonis]

I think there is a common misconception that program quality = skill improvement. I mean hell, I could run out and blow all kinds of cash on Corel Painter 11, but I'd still be operating right where I had been with Corel Painter Essentials 3. Practice really is the name of the game, I've seen some great things made with MS Paint, though the patience required to tolerate MS Paint's bullshit is rather... significant.

Grabbing Paint.NET would be a reasonable place to start, but as for improving based on skill: practice, art classes (if feasible), references and tutorials. Even asking for some critique on your art is helpful. Hell, ask for an invite to one of MSPA's iScribble boards! You can watch what other artists do, and try to incorporate their techniques into what you do. It's already helped me watching some of the really good fanartists do their thing in iScribble. Plus, iScribble is a vast improvement over Paint, you can play with layers and have a less retarded method of colour selection.

Just a few suggestions!

[Epamynondas]

If you're going to draw in your computer a bit, just use something with layers. Seriously they're like the most important thing ever.

[Pereza0]

I think there is a common misconception that program quality = skill improvement. I mean hell, I could run out and blow all kinds of cash on Corel Painter 11, but I'd still be operating right where I had been with Corel Painter Essentials 3. Practice really is the name of the game, I've seen some great things made with MS Paint, though the patience required to tolerate MS Paint's bullshit is rather... significant.

Grabbing Paint.NET would be a reasonable place to start, but as for improving based on skill: practice, art classes (if feasible), references and tutorials. Even asking for some critique on your art is helpful. Hell, ask for an invite to one of MSPA's iScribble boards! You can watch what other artists do, and try to incorporate their techniques into what you do. It's already helped me watching some of the really good fanartists do their thing in iScribble. Plus, iScribble is a vast improvement over Paint, you can play with layers and have a less retarded method of colour selection.

Just a few suggestions!

Yes, iscribble is a great place to start

The thing MSpaint is missing is the ability to use layers (important) and to some people the fact you cant use anything that isnt completely opaque. Or colour selection or pressure sensitivity, the list goes on

Its not a matter of skill improvement, its a having a program that isnt a torture to use.

[Wesley Foxx]

I shall continue to sing the praises of Open Canvas. It is simple and functional and free. :V

[Norivia]

So hey, another tablet problem. This one, it seems, is a bit more sticky than usual. I've had tablet problems in the past yes, but this one seems... Rather more annoying than usual.

OK! So. I wake up this morning to find my tablet pen (and mouse) unable to move the cursor. The tablet (Wacom Graphire 3) recognizes that the pen is touching it-- the little light on top turns green, as always, but nothing happens. So, I uninstall all my drivers, reinstall the latest ones from the site, reboot... and no dice. I try again, this time with the CD. Doesn't work. In fact, under hardware and settings, the only drivers that appear are the "Wacom Mouse" and "Wacom Mouse Monitor" drivers. I tried again, uninstalling them from the device settings page, reinstalling, got nothing. I'm using Vista, but so far as I know that isn't the problem here. So yeah, anybody know what's going down? Or do I have to buy a new tablet?

[Pereza0]

If you couldnt move your cursor with the mouse, and your tablet still recognizes the pen, its definitely a software problem. Your tablet should be fine.

Cant say much about how to actually fix it though

(also, did you leave the pen on the tablet during the night or sth like that?)

[Lady Drakonis]

Yeah. Layers are pretty much essential when working digitally. Really, just start out with anything that isn't MSPaint.

Or, you know, pencil and paper. My personal favourite, and the medium I am best at. Haha.

To clarify: I interpreted his question as how to improve his art based on anatomy, poses, detail, shading and colour knowledge; those kinds of skills. So I gave my answer based on that. Working digitally compared to with a physical medium, or with MSPaint compared to Photoshop CS4 doesn't teach you that, but you do need to work in a way that doesn't hinder improving upon these skills.

EDIT: As for the question that ninja'd me... that has happened to me before. I'm pegging what happened to me as a pen problem because, without reinstalling drivers or rebooting or anything, my tablet magically started working after I dropped my pen. Been fine since.

[Pereza0]

Take into account that even with paper and pencil you are working with some sort of "opacity" setting determined by the pressure you make.

And that actual inking for example uses layers too, you lay out the pencil sketch, do the inking on it, and then erase.

So yes, a program that can offer an alternative to that will indeed make it easier to improve. Also, digital art makes areas like colour, for example, a lot more accesible to amateurish people like me

[Norivia]

If you couldnt move your cursor with the mouse, and your tablet still recognizes the pen, its definitely a software problem. Your tablet should be fine. (also, did you leave the pen on the tablet during the night or sth like that?)

I'm pegging what happened to me as a pen problem because, without reinstalling drivers or rebooting or anything, my tablet magically started working after I dropped my pen. Been fine since.

Naw, I left the pen in its holder. I don't know if it's a pen problem... Well, I went to check the drivers when it started happening, and it said DRIVERS NOT FOUND. So yeah. Great. And anyway, even if it was-- the drivers that should be there are just gone. No matter how many times I reinstall, they just don't show up. That part could be because the pen doesn't work I guess? But... eugh. Anyway, uninstalling also got rid of the tablet properties program. I don't know why. It didn't reappear when I reinstalled, I know that much.

[elrunethe2nd]

If you couldnt move your cursor with the mouse, and your tablet still recognizes the pen, its definitely a software problem. Your tablet should be fine. (also, did you leave the pen on the tablet during the night or sth like that?)

I'm pegging what happened to me as a pen problem because, without reinstalling drivers or rebooting or anything, my tablet magically started working after I dropped my pen. Been fine since.

Naw, I left the pen in its holder. I don't know if it's a pen problem... Well, I went to check the drivers when it started happening, and it said DRIVERS NOT FOUND. So yeah. Great. And anyway, even if it was-- the drivers that should be there are just gone. No matter how many times I reinstall, they just don't show up. That part could be because the pen doesn't work I guess? But... eugh. Anyway, uninstalling also got rid of the tablet properties program. I don't know why. It didn't reappear when I reinstalled, I know that much.

Contact the manufacturer.

[Superfrequency]

I used my google wizardy and fixed it for him. He just had to clear the preferences.

Y'know, for anyone else with a Graphire 3 if this happens to you.

[Stij]

This is more of a technique question then an equipment question, but what's a good way to draw things in a outline-less style (a la Samurai Jack, Dexter's Lab, etc)?

Simply changing the color of your outline to the color of the area inside is kind of tedious, since you have to switch colors every time you start drawing a new area. There's got to be a better way.

[Lady Drakonis]

Haha, that is what I do. Matter of preference. Anyways.

Open up two layers. On the top layer, do a quick, light sketch on low opacity of what you want to draw. Once that's done, use your flat colours on the layer underneath. No need to make an outline, but you'll still be able to see where you're drawing. If you want to add more layers on top of the flat colours, make sure they are all underneath your sketch.

Once you're done, erase the top layer sketch and you're good to go.

EDIT: It also helps if you turn the sketch layer on an off every now and then, so you have an idea of what your drawing looks like without the guidelines around it. Helps you find rough edges and smooth them out before it gets too hard to fix that kind of thing.

[Stij]

Haha, that is what I do. Matter of preference. Anyways.

Open up two layers. On the top layer, do a quick, light sketch on low opacity of what you want to draw. Once that's done, use your flat colours on the layer underneath. No need to make an outline, but you'll still be able to see where you're drawing. If you want to add more layers on top of the flat colours, make sure they are all underneath your sketch.

Once you're done, erase the top layer sketch and you're good to go.

EDIT: It also helps if you turn the sketch layer on an off every now and then, so you have an idea of what your drawing looks like without the guidelines around it. Helps you find rough edges and smooth them out before it gets too hard to fix that kind of thing.

That's a good idea! I'll have to try that sometime. Thanks.

[Lady Drakonis]

No problem. :3

[SleepingOrange]

A note: I find that if you draw your sketch on the layer above where your color will go, your finished piece will tend to be slightly smaller than the sketch was. If you draw on the layer above the sketch, it will tend towards being slightly larger. I personally prefer to work above the sketch, especially since it lets me see what I'm working on better, but it's not a huge difference either way. Might be worth experimenting with if you like working without outlines.

[Pereza0]

I normally place the sketch above with opacity at 20% as maximum and delete it when I stop needing it

[GreyMario]

When I do sketch, it's below what I draw and my sketches are nowhere near the "finished product".


God I wish I were good at art.

[Pereza0]

Being good at art is basically about dedication and being willing to do other stuff apart from just practising to be good at it (like reading theory)

I once found one of this amazing speed painting videos on youtube, made by a guy who was [sub:j6kl34t3]colourblind[/sub:j6kl34t3]

EDIT

your post count is 1515

mine is 1551

HE HE HE

[ink.]

I only use one layer these days. HxC

More accurately, I only use one layer per large element, or if I think I'll need to move things around later, like in an animation. Otherwise, I tend to throw everything (sketch, colors and all) on one layer and duplicate it for a backup (which is pretty much never used and just takes up space). After years of using a shit ton of layers to do things, I just decided they got in the way and slowed me down. I often find it much faster to just completely erase something and draw it again, or use some other sort of computer magic with the wand or marquee tools.

[Shaon]

I'm not a big fan of messing with opacities - most often, I just simply have my sketch layer set to multiply and draw underneath it.

I also use a completely ridiculous amount of layers like an idiot. I should probably cut down on that. :I