How to draw digitally with a Mouse: Part 1
I thought that I should create a guide for people who don't have access to digital tablets, but still want to draw on their computer. I'll try to make this guide similar to something that would have helped me when I first started to draw digitally. If this guide helps just one person get started, then I've done my job.
First, Let's compare the pros and cons of Tablets and Mice.
So, why get a tablet?
Basically, a drawing tablet handles much like a pencil on paper. The tablet can connect to your computer and essentially act like a digital piece of paper, allowing for much faster and easier drawings to be done directly on the computer. They are very useful if you've already got experience with traditional drawing, as the muscle memory can transfer right over!
Digital tablets also have a nifty feature called 'pressure sensitivity', which allows them to determine how hard you are pressing down the stylus. When used in conjunction with programs such as Photoshop, this can give your linework a much more professional look.
A tablet also allows you to draw much faster a more accurately than a Mouse ever will, so if you're doing this professionally, then I cannot recommend a mouse.
Tablets such as the Wacom Cintiq are very powerful, but can cost over $2000, depending on the model. This is due to the giant inbuilt screen, which essentially acts as a computer monitor. You can essentially draw right onto the screen with these.
There are also cheaper models out there such as the Wacom Intuos, however they are still pretty pricey. These smaller tablets do not have a screen on them so you'll have to draw while looking at your computer screen, which can take some getting used to.
So, why use a Mouse?
Well you are probably using one right now if you are on a desktop computer, which means you can start right away!
In my experience at least, the only downsides of using a mouse are as follows:
-Takes longer to draw
-Steep learning curve
-limited pressure sensitivity
Remember: You don't need a tablet to draw well! A tablet only speeds up the process!
Okay, let's get started: Here are some programs, and my experiences with Mouse drawing in each.
-GIMP 2.8: Very natural, my preferred program for linework.
-Krita: Not bad, but I prefer GIMP's system.
-Paint tool SAI: Limited Mouse support. (Has stabilizer for tablets)
-MS Paint: No Mouse support. Avoid. (No stabilizer)
-Photoshop: Unfortunately, I have limited experience with Photoshop. (Perhaps it should be a New Year's Resolution for me to learn it?)
To effectively draw using a mouse, you need to take advantage of something called a Stabilizer. The name varies by program, but they all do the same thing. They take the raw input (usually from tablets) and essentially smooth out the imperfections. Here's an example from GIMP:
See how much nicer it looks? This is the secret to drawing with a mouse. I'll show you how I like to set it up:
First, I select the paintbrush tool, then I check the 'Smooth Stroke' box down here. This is GIMP's Stabilizer. (Note that I have a custom Skin installed on GIMP)
Now, I just move the 'quality' and 'weight' sliders to the middle. I feel that this allows me to accurately control the line. I'm not 100% sure what the quality slider changes, but I think that it affects the stabilization strength. The weight slider controls how quickly the line follows the mouse cursor. You can reduce the weight slider if you want a more responsive line.
You can always experiment some more if you want to find your preferred responsiveness. Note that GIMP is infamous for its user-unfriendliness, so don't worry if it is difficult to get started at first. Once you get used to it, GIMP is a very powerful program that allows for a lot of creativity. Of course, it is no match for Photoshop-- but GIMP is Free! If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to ask.
In part 2, I'll give a step-by-step guide on how to install GIMP, how to get started with your first Drawing, and some good habits to start with. I'll see you then!