hi Andrew,
It was a long process for me to find out how to perfect all these, and there's always much more to learn. But here a few tips that might allow you to start in the right place and not waste time:
- for the brushes, I downloaded a few that artists use and that I found on the net here and there. I never keep track of them so unfortunately, I couldn't give you any link, but maybe someone here will
-personally I rarely draw on the tablet, just doesn't work for me. I draw on paper, then scan, then color digitally
-
in the end, I mainly use my own brushes, which are the basic photoshop ones but adapted to my needs: I play a lot with "shape dynamics" "transfer" and "texture". if you don't want the airbrush look, "texture" is definitely the one to experiment with. you can vary the settings to change the effect dramatically.
I usually stay away from patterns: is that what you used on the 1st illustration for the background? I found them too... predictable, too set.
-
I really advise you to look at Will Terry's painting videos, they're a mine of information. Since I watched them, I also use the multiply layers a lot more, they bring loads of possibilities as well
-
as for the colors, I use the wheel directly and the color tab (HSB sliders). I've tried the swatches a few times, but I'm still not too sure how I could use them. Try everything and see what works best for you
-
These were more photoshop tips actually. As for the tablet itself (mine is an Intuos 4), I have changed a few settings to have some handy keys easy to reach, like space or shift. I use the scroll sheel to zoom in and out all the time. And I keep my keyboard right above my tablet for other handy shortcuts
Experimenting is the key, but you will find a lot of tips on SVS that will help you to find your preferred way to work. Have fun!
