firealpaca tutorials and brushes

(Not affiliated with firealpaca, medibangpaint or other existing fansites.) There's so many interesting brushes and tutorials that i just wanted to make a blog to collect them all. Ask questions or submit anything new you find!

[sabertoothwalrus]

You probably get asked this a lot, but how do you draw hands? Even when I'm tracing, they look so weird 🙃

I could probably go on and on and on about hands, but here are some key points I compiled! I LOVE drawing hands, and I never hesitate to use my own as a reference

[rubykgrant]

(very good hand ref! also, the last bit about the shape of the hands being relaxed at the sides; I remember when I was a kid and very specifically seeing the way the DigiMon Tamers kids were drawn in some promotional poster with their hands like that... and suddenly, I realized I didn't need to have characters put hands in their pockets/hold them behind their backs... their hands could just BE THERE. it would still take a few years before I could actually DRAW that and it would LOOK RIGHT, but that is why practice/ref helps~)

[fpacatuto]

hey do you know if there is a smudge tool i can get for fire alpaca?

well, there’s the “finger” tool which essentially works as a smudge tool. Right under “blur” in the brushes window. I hope it’s what you were looking for! It’s kind of strong at it’s default but if you lowe the opacity of the brush and make it a bit bigger…. it should work similarly to the smudge tools in other programs.

[er1der]

this is a stupid question but where is the brush window. I found a brush like tab but none of these options suggest a list where you can see all of them

[fpacatuto]

Hi! To re-open the brush window go to "Window" menu > Brushes:

From this menu, you can see many other "windows" are also active/inactive.

The Brush menu is for editing and exporting/importing brushes - so doing things more specific to brushes than just getting the window back.

Hope this helps!!

Also: I suggest thinking of the programs on your computer more like a collection of metaphors. Menus sort of look like menus and the drop-down lists offer some sort of logic that's linear, but in a top-to-bottom way. Maybe the way these are built is owed more to past programs than just how the current teams see the organizing logic. You can send them feedback about these things on their official site. I personally find Window>"checklist of windows" logical for that though.

I get your comment though, it can be frustrating to use new programs when not used to them.

The app-versions of these programs usually work in slightly more different ways (the app version of medibang for example, does not use menus in this same way and it can be difficult to). There used to be an app for android which did similar things to Firealpaca, but unfortunately I have not found it again.

[fpacatuto]

New larger update since this Tuesday the 9th - this includes the Linux version! From the official update log: https://firealpaca.com/download/ FireAlpaca Ver 2.16.0 ( 2026/06/09 )

We've added a mode to the Move tool's 1px move mode that allows you to specify the amount of movement.

A "Free Transform" option has been added to the selection menu, allowing you to start free transformation directly.

Improved the border when the foreground and background colors of the color window are active.

Fixed an issue where the reference window's documents were not restored after restarting the app.

Fixed a bug where the canvas display would move up and down when confirming or canceling layer transformations.

You can now add a layer below the active layer by holding down Shift (Ctrl) and clicking the Add Layer button.

We have also added “New,” “Add,” and “Select Common Areas” options to the Auto Select tool.

We increased the amount of information displayed in the dialog box at startup.

[bugofmanynames]

DEAR ARTISTS, PLEASE READ THIS POST I STUMBLED ACROSS

IF YOU ARE NOT DOING THIS ALREADY, YOU SHOULD TRY IT

I even tested it out myself, it works great

[thecatchat]

With the different dimensions colors and different lenses, this seems like a very handy trick!

@inky-kaleidascope-dimensions

[ratbuchet]

psa for fellow formal wear enthusiasts

[laboratoryrats]

“small thread on drawing plus sized characters!”

Source: Ullaiin on Twitter

[jesncin]

Catching up on the Shy Girl book news (the AI generated book that got cancelled from trad publication) and having so many mixed feelings about it. That comprehensive Frankie's Shelf video covered most of it (including the addendum pinned in the comments), but it's the very end of the video that I feel strongly for.

This post-AI-takeover notion that "if this art is bad, it must be made by AI!" or saying any kind of mediocre art "feels like AI" is so exhausting. There's this thing that Lauren Faust said that stuck with me for so long, where she said something like "You've got to make 100 crappy drawings before you make an OK drawing". All that means is that it takes a lot of trial and error before a creative gets a solid hold of their craft. Humans improve at their craft if they feel passionately for it. And this binary notion that humans will consistently make high quality art ignores all the creatives who are still making that journey through "100 crappy drawings", or even a creative having an off day. It's deeply human to make bad art.

Writing repetitive prose, nonsense similes, broken continuity, underwritten characterization, bad pacing, etc. are all things any human writer can make. I've seen all of these mistakes in juvenile writers before generative AI took over. But that kind of good faith alone just can't exist anymore, because this author very likely did have generative AI at least assist her in tons of those passages. It's frustrating that now we have to have this extra "but what if AI was involved in this" sense. Because it can, and has happened.

What does an inhuman error look like?

[backfliips]

A lot of people on twitter wanted me to explain how I draw expressions, so here you go

Unless you're drawing explicit realism, in my opinion, expressions should be exaggerated to some degree. If you aren't doing a 1:1 recreation, the point is to get the FEELING across. Try making the expression you want to draw and feeling how your face pinches and stretches.

Skin doesn't just "disappear" when your face moves it around --- that's where wrinkles come from! Pay attention to where your skin creases when you emote, and use it to your benefit. It's a fine line between overdoing it and underdoing it -- find your own balance.

Ultimately, every expression has a little bit of push and pull, unless your face is completely neutral (and even then, there are still some wrinkles...). Learning to think of expressions as actions and reactions is VERY helpful in learning to draw them without needing a reference, and in learning how to stylize and push expressions based on references as well!

I think a lot of people end up with stiff or unexpressive emotions in their art because they're just trying to recreate a picture instead of understanding WHY and HOW the face is moving --- and it's a tough thing that takes a while to really pick up and learn. Hopefully is helpful in showing a way of thinking about it that can influence your process and approach to emotions!!!

Also, bonus: even without the lines, the planes alone still show a LOT of emotion.

[drawingden]

Colour Tips by yuming_art

Support the artist and check out in their painting course!

[mynameismad]

I've been getting back into comics while I wait for more info from my concept job, and I thought I'd make a post about something very important to me, which is COMIC PANEL VARIATION and HOW TO THINK ABOUT IT.

Also, yes, before you ask, these rules can absolutely be broken. I strategically break them to create a noticeable shift or flow in the storytelling, like so:

You can also probably make your own set of 5 IN 5 rules! I like to draw facial expressions and backgrounds and hands (like a masochist), so my 5 in 5 is definitely geared towards that. If you like to make more quiet, introspective comics, you could throw in a panel with NO DIALOGUE every 5 pages, or a mood panel with no characters, for example!

[mme-rorschach]

A real artist doesn't need fancy, expensive fucking art programs. A real artist can make a masterpiece in the notes or sketchbook app. Like yours truly.

[accursedichor]

I've seen people draw the Mona Lisa on MS Paint.

But, if you're (not @ OP, 2nd person) desperate for a decent program that's easy to use and has almost all of the stuff you get with a fancy paid program:

I've been using FireAlpaca for years. Completely free and runs pretty well on even low-end PCs. I've gotten it to run on even the most awful, slow, buggy, old school computers. And it keeps updating with good and useful shit + fixes its bugs pretty dang quickly. You can make your own brushes, customize any brush, and the brush store is free. The thing can handle a billion layers, trust me, I'd know lmfao.

There are better options without having to spend a dime, I promise 🙏

[jesncin]

Don't Call Me Superboy! The mysterious voice on the walkie talkie checks in on Paul Westfield, the runaway lab subject. Turns out the boy's got a bit of an attitude :/ bummer news for guy who seeks to manipulate a child with superpowers.

[polytropic-liar]

Really interesting conversation for two Black characters to be having!! There's the adult who isn't just the voice of caution and experience, but also the voice of respectability politics, of someone who has chosen to affiliate with the structures and systems of white supremacy to build his personal wealth. At this point in the story, we don't know that though: he could be genuinely concerned for Paul, and trying to give him a version of The Talk.

And then we have the teenager who, because of his "amnesia," is completely brand new to being racialized in the US. He gets that it's dangerous, but he wants to do what feels right to him! And he's not going to just accept things that he can change.

One of the things I really appreciate about this story is that it's on Paul's side here. This isn't a story about learning a lesson to be less reckless, to listen to the adults telling him to be less angry, less scary, less oriented to justice, less resistant to the violence and oppression the police represent. This story is saying, hey if a person tells you your feelings about justice and the right thing to do are inappropriate and you need to be quiet, that person might be exploiting you.

[jesncin]

understanding the assignment-core!!

[fpacatuto]

Firealpaca official backup instructions for brushes: https://firealpaca.net/material/easy-backup/ (Surprising recent Firealpaca ad screen link)

From their website:

"Starting from Ver. 2.13.17, backup and data restoration of “Brushes”, “Colors”, ‘Gradients’, and “Shortcut Settings” has become easier!"

Steps to backup and export your personalized Firealpaca data (brushes, colors, gradients and shortcut settings on your disk:

Open Help menu > click "Export Settins"

A new pop-up dialogue window "Do you want to back up your brushes, colors, gradients and shortcut settings?" > OK

Old way to back up all your personalized settings, brushes and materials (also it has been anofficial Firealpaca HUB tutorial for a while now):

How to transfer setting to another computer? https://hub.firealpaca.net/how-to-transfer-setting-to-another-computer/

Open Help Menu > click "Open Confiq Folder"

New window pops up. Copy-Paste everything to another disk, USB drive, zip it, upload it etc to back it up.

[ptt-doodles]

Entrégame tus labios rotos

this is lwk the first time I've drawn a kiss did I get it right *runs away*

[ivy-vinezz]

Digital Art App Stamps #2 // Personal

Free to use, credit not required but appreciated. Reposts/Edits/Recolours/adding to Masterlists or hoards allowed.

People liked the last ones so I decided to make more with everyone’s requests!

Ver 1 | Ver 3

Sorry for tag! I just thought I’d tag anyone who asked for stamps in the comments/Reblogs of the last post.

@openshelly @atlaslovesedm @jo-clovery @boas-old-internet-charms @l4yz-1712 @marshmallow-gem @ch3rry-drywall

@yyunju (you didn’t explicitly ask for a specific stamp but I assumed you use free draw in roblox? Idk lol. Ofc no pressure to use these! /gen)

[palette-of-swatchlings]

i caved... so behold,

Swatch designs based on my previously used drawing programs!!

[fpacatuto]

FireAlpaca Ver 2.15.2 update ( 2026/02/12 )

Fixed an issue where multiple tools in the toolbar could be selected simultaneously.

Improved the tool options display for the Brush Tool and Lasso Fill Tool (unnecessary controls are hidden).

Now supports loading MDZ files (macOS).