Yo I've recently gotten a tablet after being a traditional artist for my entire life. Do you have any tips on first time digital art stuff?
yeah man! just like with traditional mediums, it’s best to try lots of different things to see what you like and what you’re comfortable with. so don’t be afraid to play with the tablet settings and the pen settings. try lots of different brushes, and not just the default ones. there’s plenty of free brushes you can find online for your chosen art program, or if you’re feeling brave you can make your own (that’s what i did). also, don’t limit yourself to one art program. try a few (if you can, i know that shit can get expensive).
learn your hot keys. if your tablet has quick select keys or a selection wheel built into it, try and find a comfortable arrangement of functions for you to use. using hot keys and quick selection functions are a great way to not break your flow while drawing digitally. it gets annoying having to return to the tool box over and over.
lastly, there is going to be a period of weird disconnect between what you’re drawing on the tablet and what you’re seeing on the screen. after doing the traditional thing (aka- looking directly at your hand and what your drawing) and then jumping into digital drawing (looking away from your hand while drawing), you’re gonna make weird mistakes you’d never have done traditionally. it’s ok. you’ll get over it eventually. if you want to speed up the process, try drawing while next to a mirror and only looking at the mirror drawing. it helps train your eyes and your hand to work independently of one another.
sorry for the long rambly answer, i hope it helps!
edit- bickpen says: I’d like to tag on to this - check out the website ctrlpaint.com! It’s full of awesome, useful tutorials geared toward drawing with a tablet specifically. Was super helpful to me when I made the switch!
