Not sure where to start with my first attempt....

[Retrovertigo]

Hi there, first of all I'm new here so hello everyone

I haven't ever used a tablet before and so didn't want to start spending money and find it wasn't for me, so initially went for the small Bamboo Fun, just to let you know what I'm using.

I wanted to practice by drawing something simple like a Pokemon for example. Nice clean lines and simple use of colours to create shading. But I'm not sure how to go about it. Do I start with the darker colours on the bottom layers maybe using one layer for each area of colour?

I also want to get really neat black outlines just as the original pictures have. But I seem to get slightly rough edges and also can't find a technique for keeping my hand steady. I can usually draw freehand just fine but am struggling with this tablet.

I'm aware the limitations and small size of the tablet may be part of the problem though.

It's nice clean lines I need to work toward and no doubt putting them down last will hide any imperfections on the areas I have coloured.

Am I maybe being too ambitious even with what is seemingly a simple idea for a first picture?

Any tips as to what might be a good starting point, especially with smooth, clean lines would be fantastic.

Thank you for any replies.

[RobertSWade]

Sounds like maybe you're using the pencil? If so, try using the felt pen for stronger lines. As for how you approach your image creation ... that's really a matter of choice that may involve some trial and error. But stick with it. I sense a desire in you. Play with the tools, have fun, it'll happen in time. You may well amaze yourself at how fast you progress.
Welcome to here Retrovertigo.

[ScottF]

Welcome to the ArtRage forums!

As Robert said, the use of layers is a matter of choice. Many probably approach them very differently. Do play around with them so you get a feel of how to move their positioning, that is, so you get used to which one sits in front of the rest, etc., so you can draw freely without painting over something else.

With regard to inking: I copied this down from another thread some time ago. I never used it, so I can´t vouch for how well it works, but I dug it out to share with you.

Using the felt pen, use the following settings:

--art pen ON
--pressure 45%
--softness 100%
--wetness 100%
--select color black

At any rate, have fun here and with the program!

[Retrovertigo]

Thank you both

It's a harder learning curve than I imagined. But computers have made me lazy. I don't use handwriting much anymore, and I certainly don't sit and draw like I used to. This is my chance to start doing something creative again.

When I am happy with my first picture I'll be sure to post it!

[Orangeish]

Slightly rough edges are my big problem; my line art looks like it was done by an epileptic monkey on speed.

One approach you might want to try is experimenting with the pencil tool.. my favorite settings lately are 5% pressure, 25% softness, tilt angle 0, precise ON. I have the thumbswitch on my Wacom stylus set to swap between the pencil and eraser; a light pass just over the pencil lines with the eraser (low pressure, high softness) can make them a bit smoother.

Hope this helps a bit!

[ScottF]

Hey retrovertigo,

The learning curve isn´t so hard--learning all that is available is another story. The suggestion I posted is just a suggestion. Try the felt pen without changing any of the defaults. See what happens and then play around until you find the setting that you like. I´ve worked with pencil, oils, chalk, and crayon quite a lot. I´ve never changed any of the default settings--other than brush size--and I´ve had fairly good results! I had to fiddle around a bit with the palete knife settings for blending.

Keep at it!