✍️ Something Fishy! (Part 1)
While I still enjoy traditional painting the most, I see it as a (pleasant and fun) challenge to hone my skills with the digital tools I have available. After using Photoshop for some 25 years, one that I find increasingly interesting is Illustrator.
Been using Freehand (does anyone remember?) for a long time and was reluctant to switching and learning a new application. In the end, our genetically encoded curiosity won and as I am discovering and learning new features, I like Illustrator more and more.
Today I took a drawing from my sketch book and used Illustrator to create a digital version:
To do this, first I made a scan of my original drawing:
I imported the picture into Illustrator and put it on its own "background" layer. The line drawing was going to be on a new layer on top of this first one. I chose a simple calligraphy brush, which can be customized by double clicking on it in the brush window.
With these brushes, one can also adjust angle, roundness and size.
Then I locked the layer with the drawing, so I wouldn't accidentally move it. After that I started with the lines on the "drawing layer".
Although I tried to follow my original as closely as possible, its not important the be 100% precise at this point, as everything can be adjusted later.
One thing I find really cool is the connect tool, where you can easily close a gap between two lines.
To check my drawing against the original, I set the color of my contour to red and chose a low opacity, so I could clearly see the pencil drawing below.
All the lines can be fine tuned, as they are bezier curves which can be edited by their anchor points.
What comes in really handy is, that you can easily change the appearance of a line, by either adjusting the width or by assigning a different brush to it. I found the lines of the ear too bold and after selecting the elements I could make the lines a touch thinner through adjusting the contour setting.
At this point, I was also not entirely happy with the outline. To adjust it, I opened the brush options of the brush I used for that and with preview on, I fine tuned angle, roundness and size until it all looked good to me.
After a bit more fine tuning and adjustments, I had my final line drawing.
Next, a simple fill, to see it as a shape...
... a background and a first few details to determine the direction of where it might go.
In the next step, I will add some light and dimension as well as more of the details of my "fish", so please stay tuned for part 2 following shortly... for whatever that means in the realms of "slow art" ;-)
I enjoy reading your comments!
❤
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All pictures by me of my own artwork.
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Die Zeichnung ist wunderschön!!!!!
Danke sehr, freut mich, dass sie Dir gefällt :-)
:-D
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Enjoy your day and stay creative!
Botty loves you. <3
Thank you botty :-)
Dear Artzonian, thanks for using the #ArtzOne hashtag. Your work is valuable to the @ArtzOne community. Quote of the week: Art, freedom and creativity will change society faster than politics. -Victor Pinchuk
Thanks a lot!
I don't know how relevant this is to you. But have you thought about joining whaleshares? I joined recently and my start there seems to be smoother than here in steemit. One major difference is that "upvoting
edit: posts" in whaleshares is also sharing.Just tried to sign up, but don't even get the confirmation mail. Was it hard to get in for you? Heard some complaints about that...
From what I remember I got confirmation mail after a hour or two. But I also heard that some people had to wait a longer than that.
I actually had this on my todo list for some 3 weeks already, just didn't get around to it yet. Maybe I'll find time next weekend. Thank you for the recommendation!
I am also greatly curious about Illustrator since Photoshop is my main art program so your post is very interesting to me :D.
Looking forward to the next step ^_^.
Photoshop is simply awesome. I remember how I was longing to own my own version for ever and how I got a simple version, that came with a scanner back in the 90s... gosh, so long ago. Still my most favorite graphics application!
With Illustrator, I'm still learning and discovering myself, as I'm still so used to the good old freehand. Never could get into corel draw, although it has such a load of features. But to me many of the keyboard shortcuts and other things are so odd, that I don't really like it. Until recently it was my only choice to design my frames, as it is still easier to use than to learn yet another application like some cad thingy and one can easily add dimensions. Now that I finally discovered a working and affordable add on for that for illustrator, it is really my vector application of choice :-)
Hope to be able to add part 2 early next week!
I can't get over that issue with Illustrator, drawing with vector feels so restrictive and slow. So I'm really happy that you're going to write another article about Illustrator, maybe I can learn a thing or two from it :).
I used to love Illustrator for the nice smooth lines it gave when I was actually doing lineart. Then I would colour in Photoshop because the amount of time it took to do lineart in Illustrator was about as much as I could tolerate of Illustrator XD
It's given a very different look to the fish compared to your drawing.
The coloring and even more so, adding dimension and depth is a challenge and definitely easier for me too in Photoshop.
Of course my vector art has a completely different look... but I intend to work on it a lot more. It will still look very different of course ;-)
You know, I've always wanted to try illustrator but should be ashamed that I have not. However, in Painter, which I do like very much, I do rather similar in that I often scan or photo a sketch I've done in pencil or pen as a scribble or study and then use it to build upon. It's fun, isn't it!
I am happy to report that today I bought an antique desk , so now I have a place to work in my room here in England. I still need so much more, but from a tiny acorn the mighty oak grows, or however the saying is meant to go.
I am so excited about your digital work!
I had bought Painter version 1-12 and by the time I had 10% of the tools figured out, a new version was here. Awesome piece of software, but although it had a few unique few things like "image hose" I eventually went for Photoshop.
To me, Illustrator still isn't very intuitive and I constantly have to look up things. But I like designing my machine parts with a vector program and since my beloved freehand hasn't been supported for many years, I thought its time to move on.
Congratulations for finding a nice desk for yourself... and, Rome wasn't built in one day either ;-)
I like the digital version but your shading, your soft, soft and delicate shading is lost through the colours....
I really, really like how you do your shading... hahahaha
Still, the idea is gorgeously unique and very you
❤❤❤
Of course a pencil drawing and a digital vector drawing can't really be compared. But keep in mind please, that my digital isn't completed yet. I want to shape and shade it in the next steps and play with textures and patterns...
Haha.. the shading.. well, actually not that special I think. Much more refined in your drawings!
I certainly would look forward to you exploring the digital space with your unique art style, Reinhard <3 <3 <3
How are you @reinhard-schmid? I see you are now working vector! lovely result!
Once i got into working on illustrator, i've transitioned to using it more and more often..
Same for me, I like it more and more. Plus there are some really cool toys out there you can add on 😎
for sure! I'm looking forward to seeing you explore it :)
Why not use a Wacom tablet?
The old one I used to have was good enough, but I gave it to my son when I left Canada. In Austria, I bought a cheap model that didn't really do it for me (it is gathering dust) but the more expensive models look promising, I just didn't buy one yet (waiting for Santa).
The one I had was excellent (not available anymore), the one I replaced it with wasn't even half as good (for about the same price). @anibas has the big one, maybe she has answers as to how good it is. Myself, I don't have the funds for the top of the line.
Not sure what you are trying to tell me. I havve used a wacom tablet for many years... ?