What's the best art program for a beginner?

[Vugmer]

Hello.  What is the best program for a beginner for creating backgrounds, sprites, etc.?  Is it MSPaint, Adobe Photoshop, or something else?  Are there any recommended beginner courses for using the program?

[Khris]

Welcome

You might want to read the sticky called
<<(([[|| * READ FIRST *BEFORE* POSTING!!! (updated 14 August 2012) * ||]]))>>

4. But...I need some good paint programs!

If you ever ask this here, we will not lock your thread...we will delete it. Because below is a link to a post in the C&C Forum that has a big list of paint programs that are decent:

And let me just add that there's neither a best program out there, nor one that will let you create great graphics if you can't draw.
It should support layers though, so MSPaint is a no-go.

[Vugmer]

Thanks for the reply.  When creating a new sprite, do people usually draw a sprite on paper and then scan it?  Or create the sprite in a paint program from scratch?  Or use existing sprites and modify them?

[Armageddon]

However you want to do it. There's no wrong way to make art. Or a right way.

[Khris]

Just browse the Critics Lounge, most threads in there are about art, and it also has a couple of sticky threads with tutorials, links to paint programs and resources.

I myself prefer pixeling sprites from scratch, the other thing most people do I guess is draw them with a tablet.

[Blaze]

I started right away with Photoshop, just because I knew people with it etc, but there's Photoshop, GIMP, Aviary... all support layers and zooming which is useful for sprites.

[Vugmer]

Would Visionaire Studio be better for someone who knows very little about programming?  The Visionaire website says, "The main purpose of Visionaire is to empower fans of adventure games to create their own games, without requiring extensive programming skills."  Does anyone know if the "without requiring extensive programming skills" bit is accurate?  Or could "without requiring extensive programming skills" also be said of AGS?

[Fred7162]

Would Visionaire Studio be better for someone who knows very little about programming?  The Visionaire website says, "The main purpose of Visionaire is to empower fans of adventure games to create their own games, without requiring extensive programming skills."  Does anyone know if the "without requiring extensive programming skills" bit is accurate?  Or could "without requiring extensive programming skills" also be said of AGS?

AGS is more than good enough for a begginner. Also it's free and that is also a huge advantage in my opinion(Even though I haven't used Visionaire Studio I don't think it could be that much simpler than AGS)

[Khris]

The thing is, if you want to do even semi-complex stuff, you might as well learn how to program. It's not like Visionaire is somehow magical and lets you do stuff without coding that you'd have to code in AGS.
They want to sell Visionaire (because the free version doesn't allow compiling your stuff, you can publish a game but only as source files), thus they're going to market it with phrases like that. To which degree that reflects reality is thus questionable.

It's true that Visionaire allows you to create the game's basic logic without having to type all the letters yourself; but I'm way past the point where I thought this was an advantage for beginners. AGS used to have a similar thing, and I'm really glad it's gone.
It's like being allowed to drive a really slow car without a license; pretty soon you'll want to drive faster, and at that point you're going to need actual driving lessons anyway.

In case you're curious, here's what a typical piece of AGS code looks like:

Code: ags

function oChest_Interact() {
  player.Walk(150, 123, eBlock);
  player.FaceLocation(150, 122);
  player.Say("Unfortunately, the chest is locked.");
}

[Vugmer]

Thanks, Khris.  I'll stick with AGS.

[johnno56]

I am a Linux user and have been using GIMP for years. Once I became familiar with the navigation, the program is quite easy to use. For a beginner, you might find it has too many "bells and whistles". I agree that MSPaint may not be suitable, due to the lack of layering, but I think you should try Paint.net. It appears to have a simple layout and will handle layers and just about anything else you may want to throw at it.

Of course, this is only my opinion. Paint.net is free. Give it a try. What can you lose?

J

ps: Regardless of which art program you use, there will be a "learning curve". Do not expect to produce masterpieces over night.

[TheBitPriest]

Hello Vugmer!

Hello.  What is the best program for a beginner for creating backgrounds, sprites, etc.?  Is it MSPaint, Adobe Photoshop, or something else?

If you're serious, I would recommend buying a Wacom tablet.  You can find one online anywhere from 50 to 1,000 USD, but you should get one that comes with Photoshop Elements. 

[Monsieur OUXX]

The MAOI link is interesting, I had never spotted that program before. I don't think it's in the sticky post either.