Hey guys, I reached 200 followers! It's honestly crazy to me how I got here...I want to thank each and everyone of you guys for being so supportive, kind and friendly to me <3 you guys are amazing!
So a few days ago I asked you guys to send in questions for a Q and A, so here they are! If you missed it, you can ask me stuff in the comments (personal or art-related) and I will answer them.
Q: What do you use for digital drawing?
A: For hardware, I draw on a MacBook Pro computer, and use a Wacom Intuos Art tablet I got it in 2018, but they don't actually sell that version anymore from what I can understand. Software wise, I use Medibang Paint Pro for drawing, and Firealpaca for the 1 time a year I animate. Both programs are completely free, and easy to use.
Q: What's your favourite tribe?
A: My favourite tribe in the books are Sandwings, but my favourite tribe to draw is Seawings. Sandwings are hard to draw lol.
Q: Favourite animal?
A: Deer, because they can be very majestic but also very dumb. Crows are a close second.
Q: What is your least favourite thing to draw?
A: Humans bc I suck at them lol. I would like to learn how to draw them someday, but for now I will stick to animals.
Q: Any tips for digital artists like yourself?
A: Yes, I have plenty!
1. Remember to zoom out frequently! Try to avoiding painstakingly putting detail into every little pixel, because most people are going to be looking at your drawing in full view, and won't zoom in. Ex. Don't draw every single hair or piece of fur, draw it in clumps as to not overwhelm the viewer.
2. Use pressure sensitivity! It will make your lines look more crisp and neat.
2.5. You can also use a stablizer if you want. I don't use stablizers for sketching, but I use it on low settings for lining and sometimes colouring.
3. Know your keyboard shortcuts! Ctrl+z is my saviour lol
4. Check your colour values and contrast! Do this by putting a colour layer over the drawing and painting it black, it will turn the drawing greyscale. If you are finding it hard to distinguish all the greys from each other, make the dark colours darker and the light colours lighter.
5. Use hard and soft brushes and consider the distances between objects and the "camera." Generally, things closer to the viewer will be more detailed and be more saturated. As you move away, things start blending into the atmosphere and turning into that colour, gradually losing their detail. Don't draw every single leaf is you have a tree in the very back. So, you can use hard brushes for things closer to you and use soft brushes for things that are farther to you.
6. Use a good canvas size! For detailed and rendered drawings, I use a 2000x2000 to 3500x3500 size canvas so that I have more space to draw. For more cartoony/less detailed pieces, I only use 500x500 to 1500x1500 size canvases. If one were to draw a simple unshaded cartoon character on a 4000x4000 canvas, it would take up way too much space on your computer in exchange for a simple drawing. Consequently, if you were to draw a fully rendered realism piece on a 500x500 canvas, the canvas would be too small to render properly
7. Practice sketching and fundamentals! This technically applies to traditional art too. Not everything you draw has to be a masterpiece, so try sketching often! I personally have a sketch book dedicated to practicing fundamentals such as anatomy, values, perspective etc. It can be boring at times, but also really rewarding once you apply these skills to a real piece.
8. This one is perhaps the most important of all, but make sure to stay healthy and take frequent breaks! Once every hourish, I just walk around my house a bit and stretch. When sitting, sit with an upright posture-don't slouch or you will have eternal back problems. (Speaking from experience) Also don't draw while eating, because you don't want to spill mustard on your tablet and have it smell for the rest of eternity. Lastly, if you are going to draw at night, make sure the brightness is down, and use the night mode filter if you are drawing on an apple product. Staring at a bright screen for hours can mess up your circadian rhythm and trick your body into thinking its day time, and it will be harder to fall asleep. Trust me, I learned that the hard way ;-;
Q: How long have you been drawing?
A: Since grade 1! I mostly drew characters from Disney movies like The Lion King, and they were pretty terrible lol. I started drawing digitally in March 2018 though.
Q: Favourite thing to do/place to go in BOTW?
A: One of my favourite things to do is riding my horse from one corner of the map to another, and seeing how fast I can go. My favourite regions are probably Faron and Akkala. The Sheikah tower for the Akkala region was so hard tho lol
Q: Is there anything you are struggling to draw?
A: Humans ;-; I'm also bad at drawing machines like cars and complex robots...Although it's been years since of drawn one of those, so maybe I've gotten better since then, idk.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: I don't know the exact job I want, but I want it to be in the field of biology and/or chemistry since those are basically the only subjects I'm good at, that I like, and also have a good job market. I also want to do commissions as a side hustle in the future, if I can find the time to set them up.
Q: Can I steal your intestines so I can make clam chowder?
A: Yeah bro, go for it!
Q: How did you develop your style?
A: In elementary school when I was just beginning to draw, I mostly just copied stuff I found on google images. Copying is a great way to learn, as long as you credit the original artist. In 2018 I started doing digital art, and this time I just tried to transfer whatever skills I already had onto the tablet. My digital style is actually pretty different than my traditional style, imo. I try to go for stylistic realism, so I will use reference images of real animals and give them my own twist by exaggerating certain features, adding cool lighting, and using my own way of shading. My style is always evolving though! Also, to anyone who is trying to figure out their style: Don't be afraid to include certain aspects of other artist's styles! Don't flat out copy, but if you like how someone draws their eyes, you can incorporate it into your own drawing somehow.
Anyways thats it! Feel free to ask me questions below. I hope you all have a good day/night!
Me @ y'all:
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