I've been trying to get used to my graphics tablet and the new painting program gimp. These are two acts to balance. For one thing, the graphics tablet is a tool I need to get used to while transitioning from traditional media. The other thing is having a new software to adjust with drawing. I used to have Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Paint Tool SAI.
For those of you who have known my old works , you would notice a big difference on the output. Unlike this new thumbnail that disgusts me, my old works were created by a combination of traditional media and the old programs mentioned.
So how does this affect the quality? wouldn't it be just easier to draw the same as before given there are only small differences in the process?
In theory, I agree with you. But in practice, it's way different and it sucks. My old works had me doodling the piece on paper then scanning them and adjusting on photoshop. This helped me a lot during the inking/darkening the lines. The image above is a product of not doing the old process mentioned.
When you use a graphics tablet, you need to adjust the pressure and sensitivity of the input device to match it with the software and hardware you're using. This means I have to consider how much I'm pressing on the stylus to give the results I want on the digital canvas. I press too light, it won't register. If I press too hard, the lines may darken faster.
I have to balance sensitivity and pressure according to how I am used to drawing. Everyone goes through this phase when practicing their graphics tablet. I have been using the same tablet for months and I'm used to it. But in comes the new program GIMP.
My laptop got reformatted and the old software got wiped out. I thought about reinstalling them again but realized how outdated both programs were. Paint Tool SAI is great but it has limited functions in terms of photoediting. Adobe Photoshop and the succeeding versions aren't compatible with my potato laptop. GIMP was the rational answer for it's competitive features from the current photoshop software available and it has lower system requirements.
True to the reviews, GIMP wasn't taxing to my system but this also meant adjusting to the software. Instead of Ctrl + E for eraser tool, I have to remind myself that it's Shift + E now. Deselecting used to be Ctrl + D, now it's Shift + Ctrl + A. You think this small details shouldn't bother me a bit but it does.
I was used to the old shortcut keys that I now appreciated how pressing them from muscle memory saved me a lot of time editing. I could adjust the shortcut keys like most of the settings I've been tinkering on the program for the past few days.
The point is, I expect things are going to be a slow crawl from my usual line art qualities and if this keeps up, I might just skip again in frustration and go straight to digital painting which is a separate method on rendering images. I know, I'm just complicating my learning process.
You can see from the second image how many feathery strokes I had to make just to get something to form. I could also resort back to doing doodles on paper then scan them but that's just cheating myself. I'm trying to do away with paper here. I'm not expecting I'll be as good as I am on paper media. I can do portrait illustrations on graphite well but not going to flex those images here, not the point of the post. The message is that I'm crap at digital for now.
But hey, it's not like anyone would be reading this blog and keeping tabs on my struggles. I know some would just auto upvote the post or skim through the post. I'm documenting my lessons on this blog and will look back on the progress I have made over the next few years. This would make another source for future content as a video time lapse of from time x to now compilation of works.
