Skills development

Gesture drawing! 

It took me a bit when I was introduced to gesture drawing to see the point of it because I’d been self taught for so long and my process was very different. 

Now I see the benefit of the exercise as well as its many applications. I’m primarily drilling gesture drawing again as a way to step up my speed and confidence in my figure drawing and to build up a more broad mental library of gestures.

They are also great for thumbnail composition sketches! 

It’s a great exercise to draw 1 inch gestures (only from real humans and not other drawings) and fill the page. You can fit around 50 on an 8.5x11 page. I’m going to do a second page to get about 100 in.

There is an added bonus in stretching your perception if you alternate between styles from stick and ball, basic 3D shapes, gestures lines, skeletal figures, and whatever other simplifications of the human figure you like to employ. 

It’s also going to be most helpful if you find a diverse array of poses and body types, combat, reclining,dancing, male, female, tall, short, full-figured, child, infant. 

Okay, I have a question regarding digital art and IOTF contest. I completed 2 pieces of artwork using the program that comes with windows 10: Sketchbook. I started with pad and pencil, took a picture of that, and used the program to color and finish it. Then I created a folder for when I have my 3 entries and looked into the requirements for digital uploads and see the minimum is 300 dpi. PROBLEM, Sketchbook maxes out at 72 dpi. 

What do you use to create digital art suitable for IOTF contest? Back in the day I learned out to use Photoshop, but nowadays you have to rent it (no way to own). I'm looking for a writing program I can load onto my laptop which has touch screen that's a one time purchase (so I want to own it).

Any suggestions or ideas are welcome!

Best, Amy

Posted by: @physa

Okay, I have a question regarding digital art and IOTF contest. I completed 2 pieces of artwork using the program that comes with windows 10: Sketchbook. I started with pad and pencil, took a picture of that, and used the program to color and finish it. Then I created a folder for when I have my 3 entries and looked into the requirements for digital uploads and see the minimum is 300 dpi. PROBLEM, Sketchbook maxes out at 72 dpi. 

What do you use to create digital art suitable for IOTF contest? Back in the day I learned out to use Photoshop, but nowadays you have to rent it (no way to own). I'm looking for a writing program I can load onto my laptop which has touch screen that's a one time purchase (so I want to own it).

Any suggestions or ideas are welcome!

Best, Amy

Clip Studio Paint is a one-time payment, and it goes on sale periodically (current listed USD price on their website is $49.99; I got lucky and caught a Black Friday sale a few years back). It's designed with comics and/or manga creation in mind, but it can give you pretty much anything you'd want from a digital art program. They have a free trial option so you can see if you like it, too. You can check it out here:

https://www.clipstudio.net/

@disgruntledpeony thanks for the info and link. Will check it out,

I am not an expert in digital art options but when I do digital now I use procreate on an iPad. I do also use photoshop because it’s what I learned first. I have a discounted educator subscription. 

@disgruntledpeony thanks for sharing your knowledge!

Posted by: @disgruntledpeony

Posted by: @physa

Okay, I have a question regarding digital art and IOTF contest. I completed 2 pieces of artwork using the program that comes with windows 10: Sketchbook. I started with pad and pencil, took a picture of that, and used the program to color and finish it. Then I created a folder for when I have my 3 entries and looked into the requirements for digital uploads and see the minimum is 300 dpi. PROBLEM, Sketchbook maxes out at 72 dpi. 

What do you use to create digital art suitable for IOTF contest? Back in the day I learned out to use Photoshop, but nowadays you have to rent it (no way to own). I'm looking for a writing program I can load onto my laptop which has touch screen that's a one time purchase (so I want to own it).

Any suggestions or ideas are welcome!

Best, Amy

Clip Studio Paint is a one-time payment, and it goes on sale periodically (current listed USD price on their website is $49.99; I got lucky and caught a Black Friday sale a few years back). It's designed with comics and/or manga creation in mind, but it can give you pretty much anything you'd want from a digital art program. They have a free trial option so you can see if you like it, too. You can check it out here:

https://www.clipstudio.net/

I want to add my voice to this, albeit largely by proxy--when I got a drawing tablet as a gift from my wife this Christmas, my friend (a pro illustrator himself, when he can find the work) recommended exactly this same piece of software with nothing but glowing reviews. Aside from celebrating its features and capabilities, he also pointed out that there are quite frequent tutorials from the community that can teach you how to make great use of the package. It's the software he uses himself, and he is frankly bafflingly good at what he does. I've barely had time to play with it yet very much, but the three-month trial appears to be pretty much unrestricted from what I've tried so far.

Posted by: @doctorjest

Posted by: @disgruntledpeony

Posted by: @physa

Okay, I have a question regarding digital art and IOTF contest. I completed 2 pieces of artwork using the program that comes with windows 10: Sketchbook. I started with pad and pencil, took a picture of that, and used the program to color and finish it. Then I created a folder for when I have my 3 entries and looked into the requirements for digital uploads and see the minimum is 300 dpi. PROBLEM, Sketchbook maxes out at 72 dpi. 

What do you use to create digital art suitable for IOTF contest? Back in the day I learned out to use Photoshop, but nowadays you have to rent it (no way to own). I'm looking for a writing program I can load onto my laptop which has touch screen that's a one time purchase (so I want to own it).

Any suggestions or ideas are welcome!

Best, Amy

Clip Studio Paint is a one-time payment, and it goes on sale periodically (current listed USD price on their website is $49.99; I got lucky and caught a Black Friday sale a few years back). It's designed with comics and/or manga creation in mind, but it can give you pretty much anything you'd want from a digital art program. They have a free trial option so you can see if you like it, too. You can check it out here:

https://www.clipstudio.net/

I want to add my voice to this, albeit largely by proxy--when I got a drawing tablet as a gift from my wife this Christmas, my friend (a pro illustrator himself, when he can find the work) recommended exactly this same piece of software with nothing but glowing reviews. Aside from celebrating its features and capabilities, he also pointed out that there are quite frequent tutorials from the community that can teach you how to make great use of the package. It's the software he uses himself, and he is frankly bafflingly good at what he does. I've barely had time to play with it yet very much, but the three-month trial appears to be pretty much unrestricted from what I've tried so far.

Thanks @disgruntedpeony and @doctorjest. I got the program and found out I can use it to change resolution to 300 dpi from what I already did. This is great! I'll also learn how to use clipstudio to do artwork directly. Happy dance, Amy

It's great that you are a parent that interacts with your offspring Charles. How are things with your writing?

Useful thread. I will share some useful resources shortly. Eager to see the resources from other members.

Cool tip from my side.
Painting a scene makes it way way easier to describe. 
Learning how to paint now

Skill building, always a good thing to be doing!

I know everyone learns differently, so if book reading isn't your thing, a video tutorial might be.  I've watched some of the instruction videos by the artists on Muddy Colors (if you don't know Muddy Colors, you should check it out!), as well as Aaron Blaise.  (Some videos are free, but some you have to pay for.)

Practice practice practice, of course!  I primarily draw and paint people, and I find that when I am doing regular figure drawing/painting (ie, nude, or clothed models), that all my art in general tends to be better.  Something something about practicing looking at things and representing them.  But if you can't do a live model, there are free resources to practice from as well.  Croquis Cafe for example!  Reference.Pictures, AdorkaStock, Pexels.

@tashari So cool to see you in here. Your art is gorgeous! 

I love that you mentioned YouTube as a good option. I like it for different time slots. Like on a walk I can watch art videos and absorb new techniques. 

All this art talk makes me happy! Historically the Forum is almost entirely writers, with almost no artists. We have tried various ways to get more artists involved, but nothing seems to draw them out. Whatever we did to get a bunch of art talk, let's keep doing it!

Now I’m all excited to talk art!

…I’m curious about other artist’s thoughts on tailoring entries to the contest vs submitting passion pieces.

I’ve historically tried to tailor submissions to the contest but my last piece and probably the next one are passion projects from a themed series. I’m definitely curious to see if that affects my results for quarter 3 and 4…

Such a useful and cool thread

@clfors

I vote for doing personal pieces and not tailoring! 

I've heard so many professional artists tell stories (about themselves or people they were mentoring) who kept trying to do art they thought other people were looking for, but when they finally "gave in" and just made art they wanted to, or whatever "came easiest" to them, their work was stronger.  It may even have filled some niche they didn't realize people wanted.  Basically, play to your strengths.  Make what you enjoy creating.  Sometimes it can help if you stand out from what other people are creating.

It might not hurt to at least make sure what you're creating is the traditional vertical illustration format?  If that's what you want to be doing.  Or you can just crop it appropriately for your submission.  Though I'm pretty sure I also saw horizontal formats in winning submissions.

I'd love to hear how your passion projects do in the next quarters!