Art Tricks

[uktopdog22]

Hi i found the adventure game studio a while a ago and ive been trying very hard to learn as much as possible. The problem is i can draw on paper but iam pritty damn rubbish at drawing on the computer any tips or tricks would be helpfull............. Heres my first back ground its pritty much a w.i.p



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[ThreeOhFour]

First of all, put a little / in front of the img so it looks like [/img] to display the picture correctly.

Secondly, try a simpler style and move from there. Oh, and lensflare/sunray thingies are generally discouraged.

[uktopdog22]

Sorry iam still new. And i agree with what you say about the lens it was a mistake



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[ThreeOhFour]

Erm, what I meant was [ img width=604 height=453] *your image* [/img ]

Sorry if that was unclear.

[space boy]

The problem is i can draw on paper but iam pritty damn rubbish at drawing on the computer any tips or tricks would be helpfull

Why don't you show us some handdrawn stuff.

[Stupot]

what a lot of people do is draw onto paper, then scan their images into the computer and tweak it about from there.  Why don't you try that?  Scanners can be pretty cheap these days.

For example: This is the cheapest one on Amazon.co.uk

[Layabout]

You'd probably want to invest in a wacom as well. You can pick up the bottom of the line for about £40.

I'd say also, don't use photoshop filters unless you know how to use them. Don't use lens flaer!!!!11!

And i'd start at 320x20 resolution if I were you. Draw with lines. (click a point in photoshop, then press shift click on the next point with the pencil tool.)

[InCreator]

* Use line tool. It helps to avoid double pixels and ugly shapes.
* Avoid freehand pencil unless there's absolutely no way to do without it. (infact, there isn't)
* Since your computer-drawing-style is in vee-ery early phase yet, avoid PhotoShop aswell. Or any other "so-called high-class" program. This particular picture would have turned out much better in MSPaint.
* Avoid anti-aliasing until you're good enough to use it properly. Using MsPaint would have done this for you.
* Avoid filters... same text as previous.
* Try to sketch *whole* screen before starting to fill/paint it. It's much easier than making changes later.
* Keep on practising!

I won't second wacom idea. While it's superb thing to do something nice, I suggest you to master mouse first.

[loominous]

I'd second the wacom idea, if you have enough interest and money.

I see no reason what so ever to master the mouse as a drawing tool, unless you're forced to use it. It wasn't designed as a drawing tool and it sucks in comparison as a drawing tool. (yes, you can pixel with it)

[Ryan Timothy B]

Depends on the art you're doing.
I have a 6x11 wacom (the wide ratio goes well with my wide screen lcd tv as my monitor) and the wacom is Freakin amazing for higher resolution images--640x480 minimum, and definitely better with a higher color count--16/32 bit.
BUT when it comes to 300x200 resolution OR any kind of small pixeling jobs, I prefer the mouse hands down.  It's more accurate at quickly dropping pixels around, the wacom can be sloppy with the pen.  But that's just me maybe.

[MashPotato]

If you're just starting out and want to try a Wacom, I suggest getting a smallish one .  Not only is it cheaper so you can find out if you like it without spending too much money, but it's also easier to work with in lower resolutions.  I have a 3.5"x5" Wacom, and it serves me pretty well for both pixelling and painting. 
It may be because I had a Wacom far longer than I've been pixelling, but I find pixelling with a tablet much, much quicker than using a mouse

As for general tips, just try things and find what works for you .  For example, I don't think there's anything wrong with doing everything freehand (I personally rarely use the linetool except for guides), and Photoshop is a fine program to pixel in (just remember to turn the auto aa off first ).  Everyone has their personal preferences.  Keep it simple, keep practicing, and good luck!

[ildu]

I see no reason what so ever to master the mouse as a drawing tool, unless you're forced to use it. It wasn't designed as a drawing tool and it sucks in comparison as a drawing tool.

Exactly. Pixelling may be different, but in freehand drawing and painting, the mouse really doesn't have any positives. It's also a completely different mechanism to drawing. If you become really good with a mouse, apart from getting multiple carpal tunnel syndrome , I'm sure it would only hinder you when you start learning tablets.

If you're just starting out and want to try a Wacom, I suggest getting a smallish one .  Not only is it cheaper so you can find out if you like it without spending too much money, but it's also easier to work with in lower resolutions.  I have a 3.5"x5" Wacom, and it serves me pretty well for both pixelling and painting.

That kinda depends, though. I mainly use my A5 wacom, which is undeniably the most commonly used size by digital artists. However, I've also used tablets from all kinds of sizes (A6 - A3), and I would say bigger is always better, if you only consider performance and not the price or the bulkiness of it. With a small tablet, it can easily feel restrictive and inaccurate, and with a huge one it can feel very overbearing and tedious, as well as frustrating, because your smallest mistakes become visible in your linework. But the thing with larger tablets is that you can always scale down the working area from the driver settings, so in fact you are able to have all smaller sizes (and aspect ratios) with a large surrounding canvas.

Since larger ones are so much more expensive and bulky in size, it's best to train yourself to the size you will most likely be working in, which for me is A5. Don't get too cozy, though, because soon we're all gonna be rockin' Cintiq-type digital sketchbooks, when the technology cheapens . And don't forget e-paper - soon we're gonna have actual sketchbooks that just happen to be digital .

It may be because I had a Wacom far longer than I've been pixelling, but I find pixelling with a tablet much, much quicker than using a mouse

Exactomundo! Pixelling with tablets is a more painterly approach, in that you tend to sketch and clean up more. Furthermore, the slight inaccuracy won't bother you at all if you're skilled with a tablet to begin with. And above all, it's a much faster approach. Personally I use my tablet for pixelling as well, with a few accurate pixel corrections done with the mouse.

Photoshop is a fine program to pixel in (just remember to turn the auto aa off first ).  Everyone has their personal preferences.

Yeah, I don't know why people dog on PS about pixelling. It has everything that any other program has and more. The only two possible drawbacks I can think of are the lack of a working pencil line tool (it calculates lines in an AA kind of way, so lines become uneven and ugly with AA off) and the seeming lack of a pick-palette (with indexed colors). The pencil line thing is a real issue, but you can remedy that by using SHIFT-clicking (click one spot and click another with SHIFT down, it creates a perfect pixel line). This is also a more intuitive approach once you get the hang of it. As for the indexed palette, it's actually very possible to have and utilize. You just have to pick the color ranges yourself on the palette window. However, if you're not as puritanical and professional, the most common palettes are available for import.

Also, I tend to just use the pencil tool rather than the brush with AA turned off. It's more practical and it doesn't mess up my brush settings for painting .


Yo dudes, let's have more art threads here. I've been pretty lazy with posting on the forums, because I feel there've been dwindling numbers of interesting topics lately. Art threads are different for me, though, and I usually get very motivated and inspired from taking part.

[MashPotato]

But the thing with larger tablets is that you can always scale down the working area from the driver settings, so in fact you are able to have all smaller sizes (and aspect ratios) with a large surrounding canvas.

Ah, I didn't realize this, I haven't really used larger tablets myself, so I was going more from what I've heard about them . 
I guess my point is more that, in general, you don't necessarily need a large tablet to get good results.  I myself wouldn't mind a larger one, but as an amateur who does a little bit of both painting/pixelling, my small-sized one has served me well for about a decade

Don't get too cozy, though, because soon we're all gonna be rockin' Cintiq-type digital sketchbooks, when the technology cheapens .

I'm waiting for this impatiently!

rather than the brush with AA turned off. It's more practical and it doesn't mess up my brush settings for painting .

Oh yes, I use the pencil tool as well--I meant the auto AA for things like the bucket, lasso, etc.  It's something I sometimes forget to do when I switch between painting and pixelling

[Layabout]

You know what, I find this fascinating. I have done some outlines/sketches for sprites with my wacom, but since I had always used mouse to sprite before I got my wacom, I still do. I am so gunna have a go at drawing sprites with my tablet.

Another reason I did suggest using a tablet, is due to his statement he is good at drawing on paper, and generally that translates well into pen tablet use.

There are so many fields of thought as to how you should really go about doing backgrounds. The traditionalists, purist backwards folk insist on pixel by pixel, which to be perfectly honest, is rather inefficient. You can draw in double size, which if you use the pencil/line tool, when you scale it back you get decent anti-alias.

And don't forget Layers. They are your best friend in photoshop for doing backgrounds.

And (even more!!) you need to decide what graphics style you want to go for. For simple backgrounds, I make a rough thumbnail sketch, scan it in, then create a new layer, do line work (black, 1px, pencil tool) over all the edges. You can even make curved edges with the line if you are clever like me. Then create your colour layer and block out all the colours you want. Move the linework to the top of the layer stack, reduce the opacity to about 30-40%. Then I'd probably make a shadow layer using 3 shades of grey, and maybe a lighten layer with one shade of white. Reduce the opacity of these layers to about say 20% or so. This is a technique you can use to make really simple, nice backgrounds. If you are stuck on anything, look up layers in the help. They are there for your benefit.

I wouldn't really recommend trying anything more than that without a pen tablet or some decent experience in photoshop.

Another thing I would recommend is to use more interesting perspective and scene setup. It's a rather boring composition to be honest.

And another thing, sorry, my post is getting a bit erratic now. Use a proper screen resolution. For backgrounds, 320x200, 320x240, 640x400, 640x480 or 800x600. And post in png or gif. Jpg images produce artifacts which f**k up your pixels. Most of us post in png, because its a rather efficient format and doesnt lose any detail.

There, done...

Feel free to ask any questions or to clarify anthing I said.

[TheJBurger]

If you become really good with a mouse, apart from getting multiple carpal tunnel syndrome , I'm sure it would only hinder you when you start learning tablets.

Uhoh. I still use a mouse for all my drawings. As an amateur, do you think I should invest in a tablet?

@Increator
I seen no reason to go back to MS Paint at an early stage when you have a more powerful and friendly program like Photoshop that can speed up the process 10x. I would just suggest avoid all filters and effects, and use simple tools like the brush.

[ildu]

If you become really good with a mouse, apart from getting multiple carpal tunnel syndrome , I'm sure it would only hinder you when you start learning tablets.

Uhoh. I still use a mouse for all my drawings. As an amateur, do you think I should invest in a tablet?

Yes, definately!

[markbilly]

I like the idea of a tablet, as I can draw really quite well with a pen on paper.

I have learned the hard way however that this does not mean I can use a graphics tablet... I just can't get the damned thing to draw what I want it to!

I think it may be the fact that I am drawing on to the tablet, and the result is appearing above me on the screen - which is really odd. Also, for 'painting' I can't find the right settings on Paintshop that produce a result similar to if I was drawing on paper...

I thought I would add my thoughts to the discussion, just because I have had a bad experience with a tablet, as opposed to a positive one. Also, any advice would help both uktopdog22 and myself.

[radiowaves]

I always work from big to little. First, I compose big shapes, only using black line tool at this point. Then I set values, I use black again, this time for filling shadows. Then I use fill tool for general areas with needed colours. After that, its mostly just cleaning up the lines and detailing pixel by pixel. All in MS Paint.

In fact, there are lots of pixel art tutorials out there. And I also doubt that your interpretation of 'good' is a bit mistaken. I suggest you to take a look at some perspective tutorials and colour values of traditional paintings as well. just look at other masterpieces and watch carefully what colour where is placed, take your attention to the stroke level.

[MashPotato]

I think it may be the fact that I am drawing on to the tablet, and the result is appearing above me on the screen - which is really odd. Also, for 'painting' I can't find the right settings on Paintshop that produce a result similar to if I was drawing on paper...

Using a tablet takes some getting used to--what might be a good exercise is to use your tablet for everything, so you get accustomed to it as a pen-shaped mouse .  I usually set the Wacom settings for opacity when painting, but for sketching I set it to size instead.  Maybe that would help?