Digital Art Software Part 3: Drawing & Painting

Posted on September 13, 2011 by admin

Software Specifically for Drawing and Painting with Product Descriptions

Corel Painter 12

Painter’s RealBristle brushes represent a major milestone for digital painting, reproducing the movement and feeling of traditional art on canvas when paired with a graphics tablet.
Exciting new Kaleidoscope and Mirror painting features let you create electrifying patterns and colors on canvas, leveraging the symmetry, speed and precision of mirrored planes. This Kaleidoscope painting capability is exclusive to Painter!
A new interface streamlines your brush selection, libraries, color controls and image set up. High-quality rendering gives you a clear view when zooming into the finer details.

Auto Desk SketchBook Pro

Autodesk SketchBook Pro software offers best-in-class sketching capabilities for professional designers and artists from all industries
Fast and intuitive user interface; designed specifically for use with digitized pen tablets and Tablet PCs
Free up the sketching process with ultra-responsive digital pencils, pens, markers, and airbrushes that look and feel just like the real thing
Communicate more efficiently by emailing sketches and annotations instantly to colleagues and clients
Open and save common file formats, including TIF, BMP, JPG, PNG, and PSD files

Corel Painter Essentials 4

The simple-to-use home art studio that makes it easy for you to draw, paint or turn your photos into paintings
Great way to get started with digital art
Tutorial-based guidebook and accompanying video tutorials/sample files teach you the application while you complete fun, instructional projects

ArtRage Deluxe

All the artists’ tools you need to draw and paint on your computer
Paint with oil brushes, palette knives, airbrushes, paint rollers or paint tubes; Draw with pencils, erasers, chalk, felt pens or crayons
Import and export PSD files with layers and blend modes; crop, scale, move and resize any layer
Tracing paper function gets you drawing immediately with reference images
Supports multi-monitor systems and tablets

Click here to browse all digital art software on Amazon

<<Prev: Advanced Digital Art Software

Digital Art Software Part 2: Advanced Software

Posted on September 12, 2011 by admin

My top picks for advanced photo editing software

Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo

PaintShop Photo Pro X3 lets you manage, adjust, edit and share your digital photos all in one place
Organize, rate, tag and sort with photo management tools
Manually adjust groups of RAW photos with RAW Lab
Quickly fix common photo flaws with Express Lab
Email photos, print online or at home, and send directly to Facebook, YouTube and Flickr

Adobe Photoshop CS5

Breakthrough capabilities for superior image selections, image retouching, and realistic painting; and a wide range of enhancements.
Create and refine images using state-of-the-art photography tools that deliver superior results
New creative possibilities that enable you to select, adjust, paint.
Accelerate work flow with fast performance on 64-bit hardware systems, smoother interactions thanks to GPU acceleration.
Access assets in the context of what you’re working on by using the customizable Adobe Mini Bridge panel in Photoshop.
Easily manage media with flexible batch renaming.

Adobe Illustrator CS5

Used by design professionals worldwide,
Adobe Illustrator CS5 software provides precision and power with sophisticated drawing tools, expressive natural brushes,
A host of time-savers, and integration with Adobe CS Live.
Take advantage of exceptional precision and power to create distinctive vector artwork.
Combine highly controllable drawing tools with expressive natural brushes and dramatic effects to make unique, striking designs.
.. And character styles, paragraph composition, underlining and strikethroughs, transparent effects, and more.
Incorporate vector artwork into essentially any project and deliver resolution-independent graphics across media.

Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo

Lets you manage, adjust, edit and share your digital photos all in one place
Organize, rate, tag and sort with new photo management tools
Manually adjust groups of RAW photos during the loading process with the new RAW Lab
Quickly fix common photo flaws in the Express Lab
Email photos, print online or at home, and send directly to Facebook, YouTube and Flickr

CorelDRAW Graphics Suite

Offers everything you need for professional graphics illustration, layout, tracing, photo editing, Web graphics
Animation in one complete suite of integrated applications that is easy to learn and use.
Built-in learning tools and valuable video tutorials
Design insights from experts and a visually rich guidebook
Over 1,000 professional fonts
Supported file formats, including PDF, JPG, PNG, EPS, AI, TIFF, PSD, DOCX and many more, let you import and export files quickly and easily.

Click here to browse all digital software on Amazon

<<Prev: Digital Software for BeginnersÂ Â Â |Â Â Â Next: Advanced Digital Software>>

Digital Art Software Part 1: Beginner Software

Posted on September 12, 2011 by admin

Recommended software for beginners

Depending on how you plan to use your Wacom tablet, you might not need professional or expensive software. Some of the more basic Wacom models come with some software already, but the Bamboo Touch doesn’t include any software.

Here’s a list of my top design software choices for beginners with product features.

Adobe Photoshop Elements

Easy-to-use editing options
Make photo books, cards, calendars, and other creations that look just the way you want
Interactive Online Albums and on mobile devices for sharing
Automatically organize all your photos and video clips from one convenient place
Enjoy automatic online backup with 2GB of free storage; access your photos and videos virtually anywhere

Corel Painter Essentials

Simple-to-use home art studio that makes it easy to draw, paint or turn your photos into paintings
Great way to get started with digital art
Tutorial-based guidebook and accompanying video tutorials/sample files teach you the application

PhotoFinish 4

Image editing
Photo editing
Digital painting

Photo Impact Pro 13

Breeze Through Everyday Photo Tasks
Improved ExpressFix Wizard
Improved High-End Image Editing
Hundreds of Special Effects
Photo Project Wizard

Click here to browse all digital software on Amazon

–>Next Article: Software for Advanced Digital Artists

Wacom Pens / Stylus

Posted on March 5, 2011 by admin

Differences between the different Wacom digitizer stylus/pens

	Wacom Cintiq 6D Art Pen – digitizer pen (ZP-600) Offers 360 degrees of barrel rotation Includes both hard plastic and felt nibs for different “feels”, and 1,024 levels of pressure-sensitivity Patented cordless, battery-free technology for reliable and consistent operation For use on Intuos3, Cintiq 21UX, Cintiq 20WSX & Cintiq 12WX tablets (not compatible with Intuos, Intuos2 or Intuos4 tablets) Includes pen stand Product Dimensions: 10 x 3 x 1.8 inches ; 0.5 ounces
	Wacom Intuos4 / Cintiq21 UX Grip Pen The Cintiq 21UX Grip Pen features a new contoured barrel designed to minimize grip effort, reduce stress to your hand and wrist, and otherwise emulate the feel of your favorite writing instrument. Featuring Wacom’s new tip sensor technology, pressure sensitive response begins at only a single gram of pen pressure. When combined with 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity, the Grip Pen captures even the most subtle nuances of pressure. This cordless, battery-free pen puts two customizable side switches right at your fingertips and features a contoured barrel with a cushioned grip. The Grip Pen ships with the following accessories: 10 replacement nibs, a nib puller, and a weighted pen stand. Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 3.1 x 2 inches ; 4 ounces
	Bamboo Fun Pen Great for digital drawing and painting, touching up photos, or writing in your own personal script 512 levels of pressure sensitivity to more accurately mimic physical drawing Compatible with all major software but This pen will NOT work with Bamboo tablets whose model number starts with CTL or CTH Works with both Windows and Mac operating systems Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.8 x 2 inches ; 0.8 ounces
	Penabled Tablet PC Slim Pen (MP200) Pen will work with any Tablet PC that uses Wacom Penabled technology. Device Type: Notebook stylus (no pressure-sensitivity) With a diameter of only .22, the Penabled Tablet PC Slim Pen has a tip and a single side switch. If this pen is not designated to be an exact replacement for the original pen, please do not attempt to insert it into the pen holder of the Tablet PC.
	Bamboo Stylus for iPad (CS100K) Elegant, high end design Milled brushed aluminum Unique smooth pen to paper feel 25% smaller tip vs. competitor models Ergonomic design with optimal in-hand weight and balance Durable non-scratch rubber tip From the leaders in digital pen technology Replaceable rubber tips Product Dimensions: 4.7 x 0.4 x 0.4 inches ; 0.2 ounces Click here to read more about the Bamboo stylus for iPad.
	Pen for Wacom Bamboo Craft (CTH461) & Bamboo Fun (CTH661) Compatible with CTH461 and CTH661 Rocker-switch Eraser Pressure-sensitive Product Dimensions: 7.9Â xÂ 2.0Â xÂ 0.05
	Intuos4 / Cintiq21UX (DTK2100) Airbrush Pen A true digital airbrush, the pressure-sensitive airbrush incorporates a pressure-sensitive tip and eraser, tilt sensitivity, and a finger wheel to control the application of digital paint. Comes with pen stand and nibs. Product Dimensions: 10 x 3 x 2 inches ; 1 pounds
	Intuos4 only Airbrush Pen A true digital airbrush, the pressure-sensitive Intuos4 Airbrush incorporates a pressure-sensitive tip and eraser, tilt sensitivity, and a finger wheel to control the application of digital paint. Note: The Intuos4 Airbrush works with Intuos4 generation tablets only. Product Dimensions: 0.7 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches ; 0.8 ounce
	Intuos4 / Cintiq21 Classic Pen The Cintiq 21UX Grip Pen features a new contoured barrel designed to minimize grip effort, reduce stress to your hand and wrist, and otherwise emulate the feel of your favorite writing instruments. The Classic Pen has the same feature set as the Grip Pen, but has a slimmer profile that does not include a rubberized grip. Product Dimensions: 10 x 3 x 2 inches ; 4 ounces
	Intuos4 Inking Pen This pressure- and tilt-sensitive drawing pen was created to provide the immediate feedback of actual ink on paper. Simply place a sheet of paper on top of your tablet and your Intuos4 inking pen can both “draw” on the paper and digitally record the drawing on the tablet. The Inking Pen comes with “inking cartridges” and two standard pen nibs for standard pen tablet “inkless” input. The Intuos4 Inking Pen has the same pressure sensitive tip as the Intuos4 Grip Pen, but does not have a digital eraser or the side switches. Note: When you purchase an Inking Pen, it comes with a standard nib in the pen. Use the nib extractor (silver ring) to gently remove the standard nib from the pen. Then insert one of the silver-colored cartridges that come with the Inking Pen. The cartridge tip has a waxy coating that you will need to rub off before you can begin inking. Note: The Intuos4 Inking Pen works with Intuos4 generation tablets only. Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 3 x 2.1 inches ; 1 pounds
	Wacom Intuos4 (KP701E2) Art Pen with Stand In addition to pressure-sensitivity and tilt-sensitivity, the Art Pen is also sensitive to rotation. Rotating the barrel in supporting applications such as CorelÂ® Painter or AdobeÂ® Photoshop creates a unique effect. The Art Pen ships with both standard and chisel nibs. Ships with the following accessories: 10 replacement nibs, a nib puller, and a weighted pen stand. Product Dimensions: 10 x 3 x 2 inches ; 1 pounds
	Intuos4 Pen Pro Accessory Kit The Professional Accessory Kit contains a number of tools that help you customize the feel of your pen. The kit includes: 1 Standard Black Nib 5 Stroke Nibs, 5 Hard Felt Nibs 5 Flex Nibs 1 Wide Body Grip (no hole for the button) 1 Standard Grip (no hole for the button) 1 Side Switch Replacement 1 Nib Removal Tool
	Wacom Bamboo Replacement Nib Set (Pen NOT Included) 5Â Replacement Nibs for your Digital Tablet Includes Extractor Ring to Remove old Nib 5Â Replacement Nibs for your Wacom Tablet

Great Books for Learning Digital Painting

Posted on March 4, 2011 by admin

Teach yourself how to draw and paint with a graphics tablet

This list is based on my personal favorites and the favorites of other graphic designers from newbs to professionals.

Digital Painting Techniques: Practical Techniques of Digital Art Masters

Includes tips and techniques that are practical for painters and animators from professional digital artists.
If you aren’t sure if this is a good book for you, 3dTotal will you a sample chapter of the book on their own site so you can see what you’re buying.

The DC Comics Guide to Digitally Drawing Comics

This is NOT a “How to draw” book! It is better described as a “How to draw using your computer” book. This is a great book for shifting into digital drawing and comic book illustration. The author/designer does a great job of explaining the process.

Digital Painting Fundamentals with Corel Painter 12

Unlock your digital artistic talent with Corel Painter 12, the industry standard for pixel-based drawing and painting. Digital Painting Fundamentals with Corel Painter 12 provides step-by-step instructions for using the basic features of Painter X along with a Wacom graphics tablet.

Force: Dynamic Life Drawing for Animators

Capturing the dynamic motion of a pose that is the prime factor in an appealing drawing.
This isn’t an animation book per se, but no one interested in animation or any other form of figure drawing should pass up the lessons Mattesi teaches.

The Photoshop and Painter Artist Tablet Book

Traditional drawing and painting theory exercises, coupled with real-life projects, to show readers how they can use Painter and Photoshop with pressure-sensitive tablets to draw and paint with a computer.

Adobe Photoshop CS5 Classroom in a Book

Creative professionals seeking the fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Photoshop CS5 choose Adobe Photoshop CS5 Classroom in a Book from the Adobe Creative Team at Adobe Press. The 14 project-based lessons in this book show readers step-by-step the key techniques for working in Photoshop CS5.

Why Buy Wacom Intuos4?

Posted on March 3, 2011 by admin

Reasons for buying a Wacom Intuos4 tablet over other brands.

There are some less expensive options when buying a drawing tablet and I researched them before deciding to purchase the Wacom Intuos4. My #1 reason for buying Wacom is quality. Wacom is a trustworthy company and known for their high quality products. The second reason is their great customer service. I called them before ordering my tablet from Amazon to see how they respond and they were excellent. They answered all of my questions without any negativity and helped me decide which tablet to buy.

Another reason to strongly consider a Wacom Intuos4 are the multiple sizes available. This is important because you are able to get the size you need to fit your work space without losing any power and usability. Each Intuos4 comes with the same software, pens and design. Sizes include extra large, large, medium, small or wireless. I know wireless isn’t a size, but I include it because it is a different size than the other tablets.

The software that is included with each Intuos4 is what I consider to be really good software. You will get NikÂ® Color Efex Proâ„¢ WE6, Wacom Brushes 3.0 and you can pick two out of the following: Adobe PhotoshopÂ® Elements 8 for PC and Mac, Autodesk SketchBook ExpressÂ® 2010 and Corel Painterâ„¢ Sketch Pad. Granted, Wacom is assuming you already have Adobe PhotoshopÂ® which is necessary for NikÂ® Color Efex Proâ„¢. I think this is an acceptable assumption since most people using an Intuos4 are generally professional designers. I would choose PhotoshopÂ® Elements 8 and Corel Painter Sketch Pad out of the three available options. While I have nothing against Autodesk SketchBook ExpressÂ®, I just don’t feel it is worth it if you don’t already have the other two programs.

I hope this article helps you decide whether you need/want to buy a Wacom Intuos4 tablet. You can read my full Intuos4 review here, Wacom Intuos4 Review.

Bamboo Stylus for Apple iPad

Posted on February 20, 2011 by admin

Now the Bamboo stylus is designed for the iPad!

wacom bamboo ipad stylus

I really like the stylus for the Bamboo models and especially now that there is one created to be compatible with the Apple iPad. There are even applications made specifically for the iPad:

Penultimate – note taking
Autodesk Sketchbook Mobile – sketching
Good Reader – file manager
Adobe Ideas – add your own touches to an image
Doodle Buddy – simple doodle pad
ArtRage – painting

wacom bamboo stylus photo The Bamboo stylus is a sleek and simple design. It feels very natural – like holding a pen or pencil. It is also compatible with the iPhone4 and has limited support for the first generation Samsung Galaxy Tab. And there are plans to make the Bamboo stylus for the iPad compatible with other touch screen devices in the future.

The tip of the stylus is 25% narrower in diameter than other graphic tablet pens (6mm versus 8mm). This made it easier for me to make precise and finer lines than other graphic tablet pens. I especially noticed a difference with my handwriting.

Like all Wacom tablets, it takes a little time to adjust to using a pen on a graphics tablet, but once you do, you won’t be able to tell you aren’t writing on paper.

I’m excited about this new Bamboo/iPad pen! No more finger marks on my iPad/ iPhone4 and it will be much easier to take notes and sketch on the fly.

Click here to buy the Bamboo Stylus for iPad from Amazon

Read the full Wacom Bamboo tablet review here

Wacom Tablets and Photography

Posted on February 6, 2011 by admin

Are Wacom tablets useful for Photographers?

Cintiq 24HD with Canon EOS Rebel SLR

Some say yes and some say no. I am not a professional photographer, but I do find it handy to have a Wacom tablet when I want to retouch my photos. I remember using a mouse to edit, draw and paint in Photoshop and Corel, and I do not miss it!

The reasons for using a pen tablet are simple. The interface makes painting and drawing so much easier and faster. A pen is more natural and comfortable than a mouse. You’ll get less hand cramps! The pen has an eraser and side buttons which can be customised to deliver keystrokes, mouse actions and many other actions.

Thanks to the light-weight tablet, it’s very portable and can be set on your lap. With the accurate pressure sensitivity, you can make broad, calligraphic or detailed strokes and other cool effects. It can be awkward to switch between using a keyboard and tablet so Wacom makes it easier on you with buttons and a radial menu that is customizable.

There are other tablet makers out there, but I prefer and highly recommend Wacom. I’ve tried other tablets in the past and was never fully satisfied. I feel like I wasted money when I should have just waited and saved up for a Wacom. The pressure sensitivity in the battery-free pens is the best I have ever used. I also believe Wacom stands apart because their tablets are extremely well-made.Â The wide range of tablet options, sizes and features also make Wacom tablets stand above the rest.

Overall, I believe anyone who works with image editing, painting or illustration software should strongly consider a Wacom tablet.

Click the links below to read more reviews!
Overview

Intuos5

Cintiq 24HD
Intuos4
Cintiq 21ux
Cintiq 12wx
Bamboo

Click here to read more or buy a Wacom tablet on Amazon!

Wacom Graphire 3 and Graphire 4 Reviews

Posted on February 5, 2011 by admin

Reviews of the older Wacom Graphire tablets

IfÂ you are not interested in the latest Wacom tablet models then you can opt for a Graphire tablet instead. They are no longer sold on the Wacom.com site, but can be found on other online stores such as Amazon.

The Graphire3 and Graphire4 are older models (released pre-2006). They offer some of the same abilities of the more recent Wacom tablets, but without the improved features, software or warranty.

Graphire4 Specs:

Pressure sensitive pen
Battery-free digital pen offers 512 levels of pressure sensitivity, two programmable side-buttons, and a pressure-sensitive eraser for easy fixes
Includes Adobe Photoshop Elements 3, Corel Painter Essentials 2, nik Color Efex Pro 2 GE
System requirements: Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP or Mac OS X v10.2.8+; 128 MB RAM; color monitor; available USB port; CD-ROM drive
Interface: USB
Active area: 4 x 5 inches (small) or 6 x 8 inches (large)
Dimensions: 8 x 8 inches ( small) or 10.95 x 10.39 x 0.71 inches (large)

The included pen is very smooth and you can remove the tablet cover in order to place a picture under it for tracing. Also available in a larger size (6 x 8 inches).

The tablet comes in two-tone gray with a matching mouse and pen (also available in metallic blue and white). The plastic cover has a built-in pen holder and can be easily removed. The Graphire4 is powered via USB with a 5-foot cord. Users looking for greater freedom should consider the wireless Wacom Graphire Bluetooth Tablet.

Pros of Wacom Graphire4:
Good for people with repetitive strain injuries
Scrollwheel on tablet
Two buttons on pen
Comfort grip on pen and mouse
Easy to set up
Inexpensive compared to newer Wacom tablets
The Graphire digital pen is interchangeable with the original Bamboo model’s digital pen

Cons of Wacom Graphire4:
Small active drawing area
Pen and pad need more buttons which are available on the newer Wacom tablets
Short cable
Comes with older software – will have to pay to upgrade
Harder to find

Graphire3 Specs:

Pressure sensitive pen
Battery-free digital pen offers 512 levels of pressure sensitivity, two programmable side-buttons, and a pressure-sensitive eraser for easy fixes
Rechargeable lithium polymer tablet battery provides up to 25 hours between charges
Includes Adobe Photoshop Elements 3, Corel Painter Essentials 2, nik Color Efex Pro 2 GE
System requirements: Windows 98SE/Me/2000/XP or Mac OS X v10.2.8+; 128 MB RAM; color monitor; available USB port; CD-ROM drive
Interface: USB
Active area: 4 x 5 inches (small) or 6 x 8 inches (large)
Dimensions: 8 x 8 inches ( small) or 10.95 x 10.39 x 0.71 inches (large)

The included pen is very smooth and you can remove the tablet cover in order to place a picture under it for tracing. Also available in a larger size (6 x 8 inches).

Pros of Wacom Graphire3:
Good for people with repetitive strain injuries
Battery-free
One button on pen
Easy to set up
Inexpensive compared to newer Wacom tablets
The Graphire digital pen is interchangeable with the original Bamboo model’s digital pen

Cons of Wacom Graphire3:
Small active drawing area
Pen is awkward for onscreen navigation
Short cable
Lacking comfort grip on pen and mouse
Comes with older software – will have to pay to upgrade
Harder to find

Summary:
When compared to the Wacom Bamboo tablets available currently, I do not recommend buying a Wacom Graphire.
If price is your main concern and you want a very basic graphics tablet, then I recommend you opt for the Wacom Bamboo Pen (for precision editing) or Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch (not for precise editing). I found a Graphire3 for almost the same price for the Bamboo Pen right now on Amazon! So if you are looking to spend very little, it seems worth it to buy one of the latest Bamboo tablets instead.
Also, the features and software bundles are dramatically improved and you receive a one year warranty from Wacom when you buy a new tablet.

Click below for more info or to buy the Wacom Graphire and Bamboo tablets!

Wacom Cintiq 21UX Demonstrations

Posted on January 14, 2011 by admin

Best Demonstrations for Using the Wacom Cintiq 21UX

Let’s say you’ve read all the reviews about the Cintiq 21UX and you want to buy it, but would prefer to try it out before buying. Well, that’s tricky. You either need to know someone who has one, take a class that teaches you use one, but that’s not completely necessary. YouTube has some great demo videos of the Cintiq 21UX. I’ve compiled a few here that I think are the best!

If you have some videos of the Wacom Cintiq 21UX in action, please post the link and I’ll add them to the list!

This video is 1 of 2 that shows off how to use the Cintiq 21UX for cartoon drawing

This is video 2 of 2

This video shows how easy it is to move the Cintiq 21UX with or without the Ergotron arm

This video shows how to use the 21UX for architecture drawing