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sartorias January 28 2015, 17:46:47 UTC
That is terrific! I wish I could take a class in brush work from you.

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shweta_narayan January 28 2015, 18:06:38 UTC
Thankyouu :) but... you know I don't actually know what I'm doing when I do it, right? beyond "high opacity small brush = sharp lines, low opacity big brush = fuzz". I just... sort of scribble till it looks right, and have intuitions on it based on years of doing this.

My approach to art is to look at everything as an effect, rather than a correct/wrong thing. if it's not the effect I wanted, I draw over it, but try to remember somewhat because it may be the effect I want some other time :)

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sartorias January 28 2015, 18:08:20 UTC
I understand that approach . . . which gives me muddy watercolors, alas.

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shweta_narayan January 28 2015, 18:10:29 UTC
oh yeah this approach only wrks with opaque media. Oils/acrylics or computerdrawing. Watercolors really need better planning, and mine turn to mud as often as not too.

This drawing was closest to soft pastel work, except that with soft pastels if you attempt too many layers it flakes or tears the paper.

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shweta_narayan January 28 2015, 18:11:08 UTC
also with soft pastels I end up sneezywheezy, sadly, though I love 'em

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sartorias January 28 2015, 18:26:33 UTC
Bingo! That's me. I wonder if there's a drawing program for mac that doesn't cost a fortune.

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shweta_narayan January 28 2015, 18:27:35 UTC
GIMP is free & open source & there are Mac versions! It's like a photoshop clone but without some of the very fancy stuff. I like it.

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sartorias January 28 2015, 18:30:24 UTC
Ooh! Thanks! I'll give that a try.

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shweta_narayan January 28 2015, 18:31:56 UTC
not promising I'll have answers, but do feel free to ping me if you have questions! I've been using this to draw for a while now (and did the Jahanara pic in it too)

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sartorias January 28 2015, 18:34:14 UTC
I just looked but as soon as it said I have to build source code, I resigned in defeat. I have no idea what that even means. Poo!

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elsmi January 28 2015, 18:49:46 UTC
You do not need to build source code! Here's the latest version for os x: http://download.gimp.org/pub/gimp/v2.8/osx/gimp-2.8.14.dmg

(Found by going to http://www.gimp.org/downloads/)

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sartorias January 28 2015, 19:56:08 UTC
That's where I went, but the language was so unclear!

Is there some kind of stylus one has to get? Or some kind of flat board? Fumbling around with my wireless mouse while watching the terminal display is like drawing drunk.

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shweta_narayan January 28 2015, 20:49:15 UTC
people *do* draw with the mouse, or with trackpads. I don't know how they manage it.

I use a wacom intuos 3 tablet & pen - I actually have a spare tablet I could send you. (I'm afraid even just the pen is expensive, but pretty sure it's less than half the total price).

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sartorias January 28 2015, 20:57:57 UTC
I'm going to see if the spouse can find them cheap over at his university store, as they have art and graphics design departments. I don't want to create one more hassle for you, when you have to be already maxed out with a continental shift imminent!

But thanks!

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shweta_narayan January 29 2015, 13:33:01 UTC
okie! Let me know if that doesn't work out? Apparently we do have a spare pen also, though we won't have access to either for a few months because shipping.

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sartorias January 29 2015, 13:38:04 UTC
Thanks!

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