Digital art is so simple once you know what to do [still takes an artists eye ;) ]. Heres a simple guide to all you should need to start off.

First there are raster programs. Raster images use bitmaps, and when you zoom all the way in you can see that each square help blends colors together like on a pointilistic painting. Raster programs are great for photo manips, animation, web design and digital painting. Rastering is the best way to start with digital art because its less fustrating when you mess up. But to get into advance techniques takes a long time of study, so its an over all good thing to have.

Gimp (http://www.gimp.org/) free
Gimpshop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIMPshop) free
Adobe Photoshop (www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/)

-

Now theres vector programs. Vectors are more commonly used for designing things for t-shirts or logo's. Many people believe that vectoring is harder because the images do not bled with a bitmap; that may be a con but theres a major pro: you can scale without distortion to any level. Vectors cant give the same realistic details rasters give but can make simple to complex 3D looking objects with the use of simple shapes and scaled colors.

Inkscape (http://www.inkscape.org/) free
Adobe Imageready (www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/)

If anyone else has any vector or raster programs they would like to share [that are good of course], please do share and I'll add it in.

Not really an addition, but a different view on GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP). Everyone that has used Photoshop and then moved over to GIMP knowns that it is not a very happy path. It seems as though GIMP lacks much of Photoshop's greatness.

That's not true. GIMP is just /different/ from Photoshop. There now exists a program that aids in switching over to the Open Source solution: Gimpshop.

Basically, Gimpshop is photoshop built off of GIMP. They look very similar, and several other aspects are brought forward in the program to make it feel like Photoshop. Availible for all OSs, and is 100% free.

GIMPshop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIMPshop)

hmmm....:\ can u make anime ppl on it? i mean inkscape/photoshop/gimpshop:poke:

it VERY hard to be limited by Gimp/photoshop...you can do anything on them, if you have the time/skill/effort.

o.thx.

You forgot Painter, Open Canvas, and Flash, RD.

:P


Digital art is so simple once you know what to do.
Also, I'd love to see some of your digital stuffs. ;)

ok...

Cloud, who are you talking to? You might want to post something more meaningful than an ambiguous one-word answer.

Yar, also, links:

Open Canvas:
www.portalgraphics.net/en

Adobe Flash:
http://www.adobe.com/products/flash/flashpro/

Painter:
http://apps.corel.com/painterix/home/index.html

Open Canvas is probably my favorite of the three. You can also use it to view "event files," basically videos of other artists painting. It's very good for learning; I'd check that one out first. Also, vector programs are great for web design...you know, like flash...that new vector program people have been talking about. :rolleyes:

o cool. i just checked out opencanvis but do u have to buy the software or can u download for free too? and another question... which is better opencanvas4 or opencanvas4 plus?

Learn to google my friend....

http://www.portalgraphics.net/en/products/oc4/compare/

...for the lazy.

lol, thanks Siul. "how i browse product site?!?!?! :( "

Anyway, all joking aside, Cloud, Plus is better, as the name suggests. (lol.)
You can download the program for free for 30 days, after which, the program no longer saves. Also, cracks for the program don't really work too well; half the features get disabled anyway. (Or so I've read. Pirating is bad.) It's a cheap program though, only around $70 compared to photoshop, which weighs in at a hefty $600. (Don't quote me, that's just a guess.) It's worth buying, I'd recommend picking it up. I did, and I couldn't be happier about it. ^_^

Also, it saves in PSD format, so you can use it in conjunction with the mighty photoshop. Quite handy; Photoshop is better at things requiring more precision, and OC is much better than photoshop at painting, and general illustrating. (In my humble opinion.) Together, the two make the mightiest supah-art-team-ever-forever. XD

o. ok then...ill think about it...:\ thx.

Basically, GIMP is just a more manual version of Photoshop, Photoshop is for those people who just click away and their graphics art is done in a split second. And yes, GIMP can be used for anime, you'd have to do cell-shading, which in this program, surpisingly, is very similar to any other art product out there. With the layers and over-layering and everything.

Go to http://deviantart.com/ and in the search bar, type in, GIMP cell shading. After done so, you will come up with a variety of different tutorials of how to draw, color, and even ANIMATE! Your anime/manga art on GIMP.

Happy Drawing! :)

Basically, GIMP is just a more manual version of Photoshop, Photoshop is for those people who just click away and their graphics art is done in a split second.
Why would you ever want to waste your time manually doing *graphics art?* :heh:

Digital art is so simple once you know what to do [still takes an artists eye ;) ]. Heres a simple guide to all you should need to start off.

First there are raster programs. Raster images use bitmaps, and when you zoom all the way in you can see that each square help blends colors together like on a pointilistic painting. Raster programs are great for photo manips, animation, web design and digital painting. Rastering is the best way to start with digital art because its less fustrating when you mess up. But to get into advance techniques takes a long time of study, so its an over all good thing to have.

Gimp (http://www.gimp.org/) free
Gimpshop (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIMPshop) free
Adobe Photoshop (http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/)

-

Now theres vector programs. Vectors are more commonly used for designing things for t-shirts or logo's. Many people believe that vectoring is harder because the images do not bled with a bitmap; that may be a con but theres a major pro: you can scale without distortion to any level. Vectors cant give the same realistic details rasters give but can make simple to complex 3D looking objects with the use of simple shapes and scaled colors.

Inkscape (http://www.inkscape.org/) free
Adobe Imageready (http://www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/)

If anyone else has any vector or raster programs they would like to share [that are good of course], please do share and I'll add it in.


you're forgetting the macromedia programs.

Why would you ever want to waste your time manually doing *graphics art?* :heh:

http://www.applegeeks.com/temp/sketches.mov

Applegeek's very own Mohammad F. Haque, dosent get much manual than that.

(thats a cintiq BTW)

Applegeek's very own Mohammad F. Haque, dosent get much manual than that.

(thats a cintiq BTW)

That wasn't graphics art though...it was just sketching. >_>
Graphics art is crap for websites and stuff...you know...."graphic design" and such. Or at least that's how I use the term. X3
Obviously computers can't draw things for you. XD

And to hell with Cintiq's. I'll keep on using my trusty graphire till it dies and I buy another one. I don't know why anyone would ever buy a cintiq; so expensive for no reason. :rolleyes:

^Is that jealousy talking? Do I secretly want one? Nobody will ever know! :heh:

lol.

Basically, GIMP is just a more manual version of Photoshop, Photoshop is for those people who just click away and their graphics art is done in a split second.

That's bullshit. Photoshop is easy for those who are used to Photoshop. Gimp is easy for those who are used to Gimp.

Gimp = Linux
Photoshop = MacOS
Paint = Windows

lol. ya i guess it is...

That's bullshit. Photoshop is easy for those who are used to Photoshop. Gimp is easy for those who are used to Gimp.

Gimp = Linux
Photoshop = MacOS
Paint.net (http://www.getpaint.net/screenshots.html) = Windows

ok...lol. thats a good point...:poke:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Angelic View Post
That's bullshit. Photoshop is easy for those who are used to Photoshop. Gimp is easy for those who are used to Gimp.

Gimp = Linux
Photoshop = MacOS
Paint.net = Windows

lol, owned. Also, I use photoshop on Windows, because you know, things *besides* Photoshop also come out for windows. It's like a convenience thing. XD

lol, owned. Also, I use photoshop on Windows, because you know, things *besides* Photoshop also come out for windows. It's like a convenience thing. XD

I didnt mean to own....just was too lazy to type out a post.

Win: Gimp/PS/paint.net...etc.
*nix: Gimp
OSX: Gimp/PS

AFAIK

Accidental ownage? O:
And that paint.net looks pretty nifty. I'll have to check that out at some point; thanks for pointing it out! ^_^

i checked out paint.net. u have to pay for that too...:torch:

BS, if yer gonna spam...just fsk off.

http://www.getpaint.net/download.html
Link to download page, further evidence here : http://www.google.es/search?q=paint.net&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

See how their google entry says FREE!!..

Learn to read...

I just tried Paint.Net. It's pretty cool, kind of like a watered down version of photoshop. :3
And it's free Cloud. As is Gimp. Stop saying you can't find a free art program, god damnit. XD

I can't use it^. My computer had some problems running it. I might download Adobe(spelling?) photoshop.

oh. srry i thought u had to buy it. i guess ill check it out then.:poke:

It is not free, not free legally anyway.
I know someone with a crack for it.

It is not free, not free legally anyway.
I know someone with a crack for it.

is his name Google?

serial gens and cracks are everywhere nowadays.

PS CS3 got cracked in 2 days, thats just sad...

Yeah, piracy protection is pretty much a joke. I hope they don't spend much money developing the protection; it'd be a waste...
And CS3 is out?! BUT I JUST BOUGHT CS2 LIKE TWO DAYS AGO! Oh well, I guess I'll have to go buy CS3 now too.... XD

actually theres a beta, CS3 is (if im not mistaken) is due for release in 14 months.

o really? hmm...how much do u think its gonna be worth in the stores?:poke:

Probably around 600 USD, same as always...
(That is what Photoshop always costs right? XD )

Yet another reason to go with gimp...

actualy as far as I know, the main complaints on gimp are, lack of CMCKY something (IDK what it is, if those letters are correct, or what its for) that I have never used.

And the fact that the interface is separated into various lil windows (afaik can be configured to be in one very tabbed window)

The first wouldnt affect you unless you worked with that (most of us wont I guess) and the second wont matter if you're getting into "complicated" computer art for the first time.

Everyone, just try the gimp, it wont kill ya. :)

o lol. im using gimpshop right now although i love photoshop. but ur right M, that is a good reason to go with gimp.

Haha, yes, I've heard nothing but good things about GIMP. Actually, I've used it once. It seemed fine to me, though I'm used to Photoshop...

Also, wouldn't you want CYMK if you're printing things out? I think that's when it becomes important...maybe...not sure. XD

ok. ill look into that.^.^ does the CS3 beta have all the features or is it limited?