Digital art emerged with the introduction of personal computers in the 1980s — now it’s a revolution that is growing bigger by the day.
If you’re an aspiring artist that wants to move digital, or you’re looking to experiment with different mediums, digital art is a whole lot of fun.
Check out these digital drawing tips to get you started on this new path.
1. Get Comfortable With the Basic Drawing Tools
Whichever program you’re using, there are plenty of tools available for you to use. Of course, you’ll know where the pencil and eraser are. However, it’s a good idea to spend some time on your digital art program exploring the tools, getting a feel for them, and what they can do.
Prioritize learning the basics, such as the move/transform tool and selection tool. But also learn the less obvious ones so that you can think about expanding your art skills ad work.
Try out some different art programs, too, such as a comic maker, so you can find the tools and program that works best for you.
2. Leverage Layers
Using and taking advantage of layers is one of the biggest advantages of being a digital artist. Layers make it easier for you to sketch, refine, and test your art.
Spend some time learning the layer menu and how they work in whatever program you’re using. Get comfortable dragging, moving, merging, and rearranging layers.
3. Sketch Regularly
As with any aspiring artist, practice and consistency is everything. You want to hone your skills, and for this, you need to sketch a lot. This can be using pencil and paper or your tablet and stylus.
This is important for nurturing your skills but also for allowing your creativity to flow and to come up with new ideas and concepts.
Spending a lot of time sketching on the program you work with will help you to get comfortable. Tools will become second nature, and the process will become smoother. You want the tablet and art program to feel like home.
4. Learn the Shortcuts
Think about how much you use computer shortcuts on a daily basis and how helpful they are. The same goes for using these shortcuts on your art program.
You should be able to determine the shortcut by hovering over the tool. If you use the tool a lot, make an effort to remember and practice the shortcut. This will streamline the process and save you precious sketch time as you won’t have to search the menus.
5. Speaking About Shortcuts…
A fantastic part about digital art is Ctr + z (or Cmd + z for Mac), AKA ‘undo’. While this can be very helpful when you’ve made a massive blunder, don’t become too dependent on it.
Part of being an excellent artist is learning how to fix mistakes and being careful not to make them in the first place. If you rely on the ‘undo’ function, you’ll never learn, and you may become so obsessed with it that you can never actually finish your work.
Digital Drawing Tips for Success
Which of these digital drawing tips are you most excited to incorporate into your next art session? Remember, just like with any art medium; it takes practice, dedication, and consistency.
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