Introduction to Digital Art

There are many different forms of digital art. You may be interested in clip art, paintings, drawings, 3D modeling, simple sketching or other types of design.

My experience is primarily in digital painting, so that will be the main focus of this article, but you'll find helpful resources and product suggestions for whatever it is you're looking to do.

Like anything else, there are some misconceptions about digital artists. Some in the art world are under the mistaken assumption that digital artists are "cheaters" -- that computers offer so much assistance that talent is no longer required. While it is true that there are tools to help you increase productivity and accomplish certain tasks more easily, you must still possess the imagination, skill, patience and experience to produce a truly sound piece of work.

There is a marked difference between someone relying on a lot of filters and special effects to draw attention to a mediocre project, and someone whose work demonstrates the traits mentioned above.

The tools you will need will of course vary depending on the kind of art you intend to create.

A beginner, looking to develop a feel for digital drawing and painting, may want to start with just a mouse and a basic piece of software, like an older version of Photoshop. However, if you're a serious hobbiest or a professional, you'll probably want to start off with a Wacom graphics tablet and a program that will cover all your needs (Photoshop is nice, but as a painter, I prefer Corel's Painter IX. The program is intuitive, user friendly and just plain cool).

Wacom (www.wacom.com) has a tablet for all levels of interest and virtually all levels of income, from the modest 4x6 model to the gargantuan 12x19. Personally, I use a Wacom Intuos 3 9x12.

If that sounds confusing, the website also has some nifty videos to explain exactly what all that means and help you choose a product that's right for you.

NOTE: You will likely be able to find a very good deal on gently used tablets from E-Bay, but buying a tablet from either Amazon.com or directly from Wacom may be the smarter bet. Recently many people were unpleasantly surprised to find that their graphics tablets were shipped with staples through the work surface! (See, I'm looking out for you.)

Basically, a tablet replaces your mouse as an input device, so that when you draw (or paint or model), you're holding a pen instead of a mouse.

Tablets are also pressure sensitive, so, in most graphic art software, the amount of pressure you put on the pen determines the effect of the tool you're using -- a broader brush stroke, bolder, thicker pen or pencil line, or more density with things such as an airbrush.

There are many other facets to graphic art, such as layers, layer blend modes, filters (special effects and post-processing effects) and advanced techniques such as texture mapping, but I'll get into those later on in a tutorial in which I plan to demonstrate one of my processes step-by-step. This was primarily a familiarization course in digital artwork of any kind.

Hopefully you found it useful and informative. If you've got any suggestions, questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you!

Here are some other resources to inspire or inform you, and hopefully get you on your way to creating something of your own: