Start the courses with drawing tablet

[Nyrryl Cadiz]

@Jean-Luc maybe you can find some in grocery stores. You can start with very basic stuff like printer paper and the common pencil

[deborah Haagenson]

@Jean-Luc Can you guys order online right now?

[TessaW]

From what I remember of the course, while he lists several different materials, you could probably do the whole course with just paper, a regular pencil, and an eraser (and a way for you to sharpen your pencil, if it's not mechanical) He does spend a bit of time talking about technique and materials, but the core importance of the course is about drawing concepts.

If you don't know anything about digital drawing, you will probably need to take a separate class or tutorial that is specifically for how digital tools work.

[Jean-Luc]

@deborah-Haagenson : yes we can order online but the shops warn that delivery time is much longer than in normal time, so I could wait a while

@TessaW : if I can do with a pencil, that's probably ok then. Anyway, I have some notions of how to use a drawing tablet but I'm not very experienced. The way to hold a stylus seems to be exactly the same as with a pen or pencil.

[Eli]

@Jean-Luc I made the mistake of trying to learn tech while I was taking one of the courses. I think it hindered rather than helped. There is definitely a bit of a learning curve with the digital stuff (I am still very novice at it and mostly prefer to work traditionally at the moment, but am learning digital at my own pace). Either way, good luck and have fun with the class!

[TessaW]

@Jean-Luc For this course, yes, I think the way he holds the pen/pencil is the same as your typical stylus. There's another way to hold pencils for drawing, but it's probably not applicable for this course.

If you do decide to go for it digitally, I'd recommend these guidelines for simplicity's sake so you don't get bogged down with the complexity of the program:

1. Use pixel persona work-space in affinity designer.

2. Only use two layers for drawings that utilize under-sketching. For the exercises in Part III, you probably just need one layer.

3. Make sure you know how to adjust the opacity of your sketch layer- the bottom layer. You may need to lessen the opacity on it as you work on the final line-work. Top layer will be your final line-work layer.

4. Use one brush at a time. No more than two. Hard round, with forced pressure to control the size will work well, especially for the finishing layer. A soft round can work well for the sketching layer, but just using the hard round can work for the sketching layer too. Maybe you can choose one pencil brush to work with and one pen brush. Playing around with a multitude of brushes can really bog you down, or it can be fun to experiment. Only you can decide if it's distracting you from your classwork. I recommend just one or two brushes to keep you focused.

[Jean-Luc]

Thanks a lot, I have now the ideas quite clear about what is good to do

[barbara gr]

Hello, thank you for this thread - I'm having the same dilemma!

As a kid, I started typing before handwriting and now I kinda started drawing in Procreate before pencil. So I use this course as a good excuse to try drawing on paper.

My ways to bridge the tablet experience and traditional tools:

• hopefully your tablet supports pencil pressure, it makes world of a difference
• use it flat on the table as you would use paper, get enough space for your arm
• PaperLike is really as great as they say ️

Other than that I plan to do majority of the classes and challenges on the tablet - I see it as my main work equipment in the future so it makes sense to learn directly there. And most of the knowledge seems to be transferrable - I am already applying the class about wrist and shoulder movement and it made a huge difference to my work!

Good luck

[Jean-Luc]

@Nyrryl-Cadiz, @Jeremy-Ross, @NessIllustration, @Eli, @TessaW and @barbara-gr,

Your advices and testimonies deserve to be put in a FAQ somewhere for those thinking to start with a tablet

[NessIllustration]

@Jean-Luc When I first started drawing as a teen, I was from a poor family and had very limited materials. For years I drew only with pencils, and when years later I finally got a computer, I didn't have enough for a tablet so I learned to draw in Photoshop Essentials with a mouse. I was really roughing it hahaha... But now with hindsight, I think this all helped me. I mastered the basics with no temptations to go straight to digital, and even using the mouse made for a smooth transition to a tablet after a few years. Similarly, I learned all the basics of watercoloring with a $5 set and paper from Walmart, so later when I graduated to better supplies, it felt incredibly easy. I wouldn't necessarily suggest not learning digital for years, but do think basic supplies can uniquely teach someone about tips and strategies they couldn't come up with if they had all the options and solutions in front of them.