Art!
HOLY COW. So much has happened in the last few days as far as art goes; it's left me blinking in disbelief.
Over the weekend, I decided to make good on my new year's resolution to be more consistently productive. So instead of playing games all day Saturday, I pulled out my sketch book and pencils, and went at it. After a couple of hours, I had drawn my character Brewster in four different expressions.
I scanned it into Photoshop and began the whole ink-by-mouse process again, only to get frustrated. Once again, I was reminded how difficult it is to hold the mouse steady and re-trace the lines that I had just sketched, and how the inked lines never ended up looking as good as the pencil drawing. I decided to forego the inking process and simply used the straight pencil lines for the picture. Another hour later, I had it all colored, and I was pretty happy with it.
It got me thinking. What if I had a digital pen and tablet (like a WACOM)? Then I could sketch directly into photoshop, and I could ink using the pen instead of the mouse. I had thought about using a WACOM tablet before, but for the first time, I started seriously thinking about it.
I resolved to ask the artists at work if I could borrow one. As luck would have it, there was one lying around at the desk of an artist who had left the company last month. The art lead said I could borrow it as long as none of the other artists needed it. So, I now have a WACOM tablet at my desk (Intuos 3 model, 8" x 6").
I was a bit apprehensive at first--I didn't know how it would feel 'drawing' on a tablet while focusing on the computer screen in front of me. Some folks have told me it's hard to get used to. However, as soon as I started using it, it felt completely natural! I was pleasantly surprised.
As a test, I asked my good friend Leonato if I could use his character as a test subject for my first WACOM project. I happily sketched, inked, colored, and shaded all in Photoshop, and came up with this:
It was just for fun, and to learn how to use the WACOM. But shortly after I posted it, my friend Xaqtly dropped a bomb on me. He asked me to draw a convention badge for him!
For those who may not know, badges at these conventions are often highly elaborate and professionally done by skilled artists. Fans have been known to pay upwards of $30 for a con badge commission. How could anyone consider me to do a con badge? Needless to say, I was flustered, nervous, and excited at the same time.
I agreed to do the badge, and I've been working on it quite a bit today. (We're waiting on a code/asset drop from the developer right now, so work is sort of in a holding pattern at present; I've had some time here at work to draw.) I was amazed at how much of a difference this tablet makes! It is so easy to sketch right into the computer, then ink with a PEN instead of a mouse. It is a simple matter to vary the width/weight of my inking lines, simply by applying/releasing pressure on the digital pen.
So far, I've been able to sketch, ink, and apply flat color to Xaqtly's con badge. Here's the work in progress:
NOW, great big sigh. I don't know if I could ever go back to scanning a sketch into photoshop and then inking with the mouse. I want to get a tablet for myself now... Time to start saving my nickles and dimes, I guess.
Over the weekend, I decided to make good on my new year's resolution to be more consistently productive. So instead of playing games all day Saturday, I pulled out my sketch book and pencils, and went at it. After a couple of hours, I had drawn my character Brewster in four different expressions.
I scanned it into Photoshop and began the whole ink-by-mouse process again, only to get frustrated. Once again, I was reminded how difficult it is to hold the mouse steady and re-trace the lines that I had just sketched, and how the inked lines never ended up looking as good as the pencil drawing. I decided to forego the inking process and simply used the straight pencil lines for the picture. Another hour later, I had it all colored, and I was pretty happy with it.
It got me thinking. What if I had a digital pen and tablet (like a WACOM)? Then I could sketch directly into photoshop, and I could ink using the pen instead of the mouse. I had thought about using a WACOM tablet before, but for the first time, I started seriously thinking about it.
I resolved to ask the artists at work if I could borrow one. As luck would have it, there was one lying around at the desk of an artist who had left the company last month. The art lead said I could borrow it as long as none of the other artists needed it. So, I now have a WACOM tablet at my desk (Intuos 3 model, 8" x 6").
I was a bit apprehensive at first--I didn't know how it would feel 'drawing' on a tablet while focusing on the computer screen in front of me. Some folks have told me it's hard to get used to. However, as soon as I started using it, it felt completely natural! I was pleasantly surprised.
As a test, I asked my good friend Leonato if I could use his character as a test subject for my first WACOM project. I happily sketched, inked, colored, and shaded all in Photoshop, and came up with this:
It was just for fun, and to learn how to use the WACOM. But shortly after I posted it, my friend Xaqtly dropped a bomb on me. He asked me to draw a convention badge for him!
For those who may not know, badges at these conventions are often highly elaborate and professionally done by skilled artists. Fans have been known to pay upwards of $30 for a con badge commission. How could anyone consider me to do a con badge? Needless to say, I was flustered, nervous, and excited at the same time.
I agreed to do the badge, and I've been working on it quite a bit today. (We're waiting on a code/asset drop from the developer right now, so work is sort of in a holding pattern at present; I've had some time here at work to draw.) I was amazed at how much of a difference this tablet makes! It is so easy to sketch right into the computer, then ink with a PEN instead of a mouse. It is a simple matter to vary the width/weight of my inking lines, simply by applying/releasing pressure on the digital pen.
So far, I've been able to sketch, ink, and apply flat color to Xaqtly's con badge. Here's the work in progress:
NOW, great big sigh. I don't know if I could ever go back to scanning a sketch into photoshop and then inking with the mouse. I want to get a tablet for myself now... Time to start saving my nickles and dimes, I guess.