Digital Painting Advice ~Tools ~ Apps ~ Career advice¸.·´¯) *

[Ghostmonkey]

I have edited this as to Agon’s reply ~ I am in college and I have completed my traditional art skills in drawing, painting, and sculpting long ago. I also do freelance work in traditional media. I have been making the transition of traditional media into digital. So what I am asking is on the digital side of things. A discussion pertaining to my questions.

I have found and read that many colleges are very weak in 2d and 3d instruction. It seems that is why so many dvd’s are sought after, dvd's done by companies like digital tutors,gnomon, and so forth.

So to make my questions more precise ;

What do you think are the best applications, and tools, for digital painting and sketching (pros and cons)?

What are the best resources both in DVD’s and books for digital painting and sketching?

What are the hot spots you see for 2d digital artists (current trends)? Which jobs do you think pay the best? An do you think it is better to be freelance over working with a studio?

I would really like to here from you guys as to these questions. I Thank you for taking the time to reads this, and for your reply’s^^

[Agon]

What you ask is very difficult to answer because there is no real answer to this.
It is ambiguous also, you ask about going pro, someone in a position to ask this quesiton should already be in possession of fairly advanced skills.
I would first learn and then see if going pro was an option, since you ask about learning my guess is you are still gathering skills, and in the end, you might not like it enough to go pro or, honestly, not have the talent.
About the learning part, you can do some research online but the best thing would be to look for your local community coledge and see what courses/classes you could take there, that would allow you to "use" years of other people's knowledge to your advantage.
The main thing to make money, no matter what digital art you are into, is TALENT if you do not have it, forget about serious money, and talent you do not learn, you have it, or you don't.

[Pictus]

-PhotoShop
-Pixara twisted brush
-Corel Painter
-Zbrush
-Cinema 4D

[OpieBird]

I am not a pro but have been taking a lot of classes at the local junior college in this field and come from a traditional painter background. As a beginner to the digital world of art coming from the traditional arts I would learn to use the "common programs" that will jump you to most other programs that use these technologies. Start with PhotoShop and Illustrator. This will teach you both bitmap and vector skills. With this you can move to almost any other graphic programs. I have found that the Total Training lessons are very good and cover much more than some of the other lessons. It is a great place to start. Learning the two programs suggested and using Total Training will put you way above the entry digital art classes at the local Junior College. I agree that taking classes from experienced teachers is well worth the effort even if you do know the basics. Inspiration and short cut are invaluable. Another thing. Learn to use the keyboard shortcuts. That is a must for productivity and professional output. A little time spent learning these tools by keystroke will save you a lifetime of hunting for menus and not finding what you are looking for.

[Ghostmonkey]

That was a great reply OpieBird. Though I have found what most people overlook early on is the need for learning and becoming quite proficient with a tablet. Which to digital artists that use zbrush, photoshop, painter, and some of the more exotic progs is absolutely essential. Anyone who uses these programs knows why (smiles).

Though being in college, I actually find that some of the dvd training resources are actually better then most of the teachers that I have had. How about you guys???

[OpieBird]

Yes, I agree that the tablet is a wonderful addition to any artists bag of art supplies but might be a little out of the cost range of the beginning digital art student. I know my Intuos3 A4 cost a lot even with a student discount. And you still need to know the keyboard shortcuts when drawing with a tablet. I have not seen very many tablets at the local Junior College that are of any use. The one or two they do have are small and usually put away someplace that it takes an act of congress to get. But once you get used to it you will never do without it. They do rock. The difference between the blunt lines you get without the tablet and the painterly strokes with is amazing. If you do have any artistic talent it really is a must.

Yes, most teachers in Junior College digital art classes know just enough to get through the beginning classes. I ran into this problem with DreamWeaver also. That is why I suggested the Total Training videos. They are really good in my opinion.