I know this is a kinda noob question but...

[Kyo-Chan]

=^_^= Ive been looking at some of the -tans in the pictures forum... and I was wondering, how do they get those flat colors and thick lines? All this time ive been doing it in pencil and I have no Idea how to get it as good as those...

Is there a computer program I can use?

[Darknight_88]

in b4 the pig appears with his propaganda...

Indeed, its done with computer programs.

There are several options, like Adobe Photoshop (any version. The most recent it's CS3, but Adobe Photoshop 7 is fine too), Adobe Illustrator, Flash or...meh...Inkscape. . There's also Gimp, which is kinda like Photoshop (but in my experience, not as good).

Both Gimp and Inkscape are free. The others *not*...


I have used Photoshop 7 for a while and I can tell you it's a great program. I'm not experienced in other software, but I'm sure all of them are great (well...except inkscape, which is a RAM hog...).

[Kyo-Chan]

in b4 the pig appears with his propaganda...

Indeed, its done by a computer program.

There are several options, like Adobe Photoshop (any version. The most recent it's CS3, but Adobe Photoshop 7 is fine too), Adobe Illustrator, Flash or...meh...Inkscape. . There's also Gimp, which is kinda like Photoshop (but in my experience, not as good).

Both Gimp and Inkscape are free. The others *not*...


I have used Photoshop 7 for a while and I can tell you it's a great program. I'm not experienced in other software, but I'm sure all of them are great (well...inkscape is a RAM hog...).

O_O I need to get a new scanner...

luckily theres a printer/scanner under the table at the flea market just gathering dust...

[CaptBrenden]

Right, again, in before pig propoganda.

I use adobe photoshop for mine. However, it depends on what exactly you want to do with your artwork and what sort of effects you want to apply.  What the "pig" uses are programs for producing vector art. they store image data mathmaticly and thus resize will with no distortion and are relitivly small size wise.. but what you can do with it lacks.. Flash games and such are made with vector graphics (and concequentualy is a good program for making vector art, along with other adobe/macromedia programs)  Like i said, dont know much about it, since i dont do vector.

Photoshop is an advanced art tool. Thus, its complicated, but when learned it will allow you to produce so much more then vector graphics can.  Here is an example of something drawn nearly compleatly in adobe (exept for the hand drawn sketch that was scanned, but you could draw your sketch digitaly with a tablet)



Ill leave an example of vector art up to the pig, since Im sure he will chime in later.

Ill say this tho, photoshop and similar programs are better for "soft shading" and vector ive noticed tends to be better at the "cell shading" aka cartoon shading (shade blocks rather then smooth transition between colors)

So, to aid you in picking a program we need to know a few things. First, what do you want to do with it, and second, what are your resorces (funds) for it?

What do you want to do?
draw comics?
draw anime style art?

and then, how serious are you about it and and whats your funds look like?  If your serious about doing digital artworks I would saggest getting a good program, scanner, tablet and photo printer.  

However, as you mentioned a flea market, Im guessing you dont have the funds for such -_-

[Kyo-Chan]

Right, again, in before pig propoganda.

I use adobe photoshop for mine. However, it depends on what exactly you want to do with your artwork and what sort of effects you want to apply.  What the "pig" uses are programs for producing vector art. they store image data mathmaticly and thus resize will with no distortion and are relitivly small size wise.. but what you can do with it lacks.. Flash games and such are made with vector graphics (and concequentualy is a good program for making vector art, along with other adobe/macromedia programs)  Like i said, dont know much about it, since i dont do vector.

Photoshop is an advanced art tool. Thus, its complicated, but when learned it will allow you to produce so much more then vector graphics can.  Here is an example of something drawn nearly compleatly in adobe (exept for the hand drawn sketch that was scanned, but you could draw your sketch digitaly with a tablet)



Ill leave an example of vector art up to the pig, since Im sure he will chime in later.

Ill say this tho, photoshop and similar programs are better for "soft shading" and vector ive noticed tends to be better at the "cell shading" aka cartoon shading (shade blocks rather then smooth transition between colors)

So, to aid you in picking a program we need to know a few things. First, what do you want to do with it, and second, what are your resorces (funds) for it?

What do you want to do?
draw comics?
draw anime style art?

and then, how serious are you about it and and whats your funds look like?  If your serious about doing digital artworks I would saggest getting a good program, scanner, tablet and photo printer.  

However, as you mentioned a flea market, Im guessing you dont have the funds for such -_-

Yea, I actually dont really have much money at the moment, I usually draw complex single shots and usually just draw in shading by hand and just increase the contrast of my pictures, It looks pretty close to whats here, but its kinda hard to fill it in with gimp.

The scanner is pretty decent actually, it prints photos, so ill pick that up, and go with the gimp, because its free and thats what i usually use.

And since I usually mouse with my right hand and draw with my left, ill get a tablet because its hard to fill in lines backwards.

[Darknight_88]

well, it depends in the style you want to use. If you're going for a "rough", sketchy look, you definitely want to get a tablet. Same goes if you want to airbrush instead of pure cell shade.
If you're going for cellshade, you can actually stay with the mouse.  Also, what kind of tool are you using for drawing? just a brush or the pen tool?

I don't use gimp, but I'm sure it has an equivalent for the Photoshop pen tool.
If you don't even know what the hell it's the pen tool, then you definitely want to google it and learn how to use it. It allows us mouse users to do accurate and sharp lines; though, this works best for cellshade. For the "sketchy" look this is definitely out of question, and it's pointless. Also, tablets can still do the same...

An example of what I can do with the pen tool and a mouse:

[Kami-Tux]

GIMP is not a bad tool. it's just vastly different in usage from programs like Photoshop.

[C-Chan]

Fufufu..... Yes, the "pig" hath just chimed in.  ^___^
And yes, I hath brought with me my P.R.O.P.A.G.A.N.D.A.!!!  ^V^

Promoters of
Respectable
Opinions
Pertaining to the
Amazing
Goodwill and
Altruistically
Noble
Deeds of
A certain pig....  ^__^

[/b]

I started with old image editing programs, then Photoshop.  Fiddled with Flash and Illustrator for a bit, but never quite liked them.  Continued progressing with Photoshop and eventually discovered the Pen Tool -- but because of my unsteady hands, my pictures never managed to achieve that Anime cel art quality that I yearned for.

Then I won't dorment for about 2 years.

Then I reawakened with the discovery of OS-tans, and was lucky to come across Inkscape shortly after.  Then my life has changed for the best since then, as vector graphics were perfect for a pig of my special needs and artistic disinclinations.  ^__^

(I have experimented with GIMP and Krita since then, but for the most part I'm 98% vector-based now.  ^.^)

It would take too long to describe what you can do with Inkscape, especially when I'm already creating a tutorial for it.....

http://ostan-collections.net/post-35902.html#35902

Suffice to say, the program is simple enough so that you needn't spend very much time learning how to use it.  If you're used to using 3D graphics programs like Blender or 3DS Max, you'll also appreciate the ability to edit "nodes", which allow you to manipulate shapes or lines an infinite number of times after you've "drawn" them on the canvas.  It also has blur effects, which for the first time (I believe) allow for photorealistic effects previously unattainable by non-raster programs.

Feel free to visit my gallery to see what you can produce with Inkscape:

http://ostan-collections.net/imeeji/thumbnails.php?album=82

Note, however, that while you can produce photorealistic pictures with enough work, it all boils down to efficiency.  Anime contains many straight lines and flat shading, making it ideal for cost-efficient vector graphic production.  On the other hand, CLAMP manga-style color images and natural landscape scenery would take far too long (and too much RAM) to reproduce using Inkscape -- and especially for such organic shapes, you're better off relying on the natural randomness of hand-drawing.

[Kyo-Chan]

This is a peice of art done in pencils and pens.
I actually like pencil shading because it seems more natural to me, also i used blue pen for some of the outlines/shading, Now that I look at it, its slightly out of proportion, but Im starting to get past that and go more anime'd.
=^_^=

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d146/fedwards/kizuchi.png

[SleepyD]

I like to use Photoshop 7 myself.  I do lack Illustrator, so I'm just playing around with Inkscape.  My brain takes a while to adjust to vectors. XD;

If you have the funds for a graphics tablet (along with appropriate software such as Photoshop), you can achieve a pencil sketch look for whatever you draw on the computer.

There are lots of online tutorials out there for what you need.
For human proportions I recommend this for you and everyone else here: http://cedarseed.deviantart.com/art/Z-Big-Guide-to-Body-Drawing-15014442

just replace the head with an anime-style head, and you're fine. XD;

From my experience, it still won't look right, even if you use that right now.  It's all practice, friend. :3

I think going for an anime style that's out of proportion will be harder.  Personally, I'd try out normal proportions before going into, say, CLAMP proportions with the long limbs. XD

Although, chibis are so out of proportion I consider them wholly different.  You draw chibis with a whole new set of rules.  They're relatively simple, I doodle those whenever.

Well, ultimately it's all up to you, don't mind me. ^^