If you're looking just for traditional 2d animation (without rig/bones), you could try Krita, it's free, and since version 3 it has tools for frame-by-frame animation: https://docs.krita.org/en/user_manual/animation.html
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The Art Pub - Show off your work & help each other out!
- Thread starter XaviConcept
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If you're looking just for traditional 2d animation (without rig/bones), you could try Krita, it's free, and since version 3 it has tools for frame-by-frame animation: https://docs.krita.org/en/user_manual/animation.html
Awesome! Thank you for the recs! I'll check them out!
I don't know if anyone has this issue, but at least for me, drawing human figures from geometrical figures almost always turn into a big mess. Meanwhile, if I skip that phase and go straight to drawing the body using references, it turns out to be good (most of the time).
It took a whole hell of a lot of practice and studying 3d models for me to get my head around using shapes but what helped me was realizing that if you imagine it as a magic pottery clay/ molding clay that you can adust to suit then you can cut or twist or bend that shape to match your reference
Like you use a box as a torso to start but don't keep it as a box, mentally trim(or physically redraw it a bunch of times) to help train your mind to do it that box to actually match the shilloette of the torso in your reference.
Learning that and the witchcraft that is drawing ellipses (no one talks about how the center of a circle and the center of an ellipse are two very different things)
really made things click for me
Yeah, that's exactly one of my main issues. The torso stays as a box with some circles. Been trying to fix this, but still having issues.
Thanks for the tips. I will try to use them when I continue with my practices.
I've never been able to do the torso from geometric figures, ever. It always felt wrong and ended up not working. I can sometimes do limbs that way to an extent. In general I think that trying to do blocky forms just straight up does not work for some people. What did finally teach me how to do torsos was a classical figure drawing method, where one draws a circle for the pelvic region and an overlapping ellipse for the ribcage and builds out landmarks based on how those fit together from there. That in my experience accurately captured how the forms move together in my brain. Unfortunately I don't have an easy link for it because it was something I learned from a Udemy video a ways back.
Ok, I have been trying to improve my painting, but there are still issues with it. What better place that to ask here.
Painting has been... an issue for me from day one. I have been watching videos and studying about the shadows and lightning, but I still feel there are still too many issues in my drawings.
Finished this one a few days ago. First, I started putting the shadows and lightning before painting. As I proceeded, I did some variations to the colors used in the hair, skin and clothes. Also tried to put focus on the shirt folds (is that the correct term?) by highlighting a more powerful shadow. This drawing, I kind of like it and at the same time not. Think it is the best effort I have done, but I know there can be improvements.
Also, when it comes to digital art, when do you start painting? That's something that keeps me confused. For me, after the sketch I start drawing again and then paint. But I have seen people who paint after the sketch and then go with the lineart.
Painting has been... an issue for me from day one. I have been watching videos and studying about the shadows and lightning, but I still feel there are still too many issues in my drawings.
Finished this one a few days ago. First, I started putting the shadows and lightning before painting. As I proceeded, I did some variations to the colors used in the hair, skin and clothes. Also tried to put focus on the shirt folds (is that the correct term?) by highlighting a more powerful shadow. This drawing, I kind of like it and at the same time not. Think it is the best effort I have done, but I know there can be improvements.
Also, when it comes to digital art, when do you start painting? That's something that keeps me confused. For me, after the sketch I start drawing again and then paint. But I have seen people who paint after the sketch and then go with the lineart.
A painting I made for the clip studio summer art contest. Finally was able to submit it today.
This painting was challenging to do and it was a lot of hard work. Like I was not familiar with painting plastic. I had to use a lot of image references and I could never find that perfect reference. Panting plastic when its in a complex shape like this was difficult and hard to wrap my head around in certain areas. I am mostly speaking of the water gun laying on the ground. It was the hardest part of this illustration.
I also had a major breakthrough in painting humans. I decided to paint them in Grayscale first and then I added color over it. I also took a course before this talking about using both a soft and hard brush to paint skin. I still do not fully understand when it is appropriate to use a hard brush or a soft brush though. My rule of thumb is that anything that is closly hovering over a surface will have hard sharp shadows, BUT in reference photos i noticed there will be hard sharp shadows even when nothing is hovering over a surface. Its very confusing. I did a lot of guessing and did what felt right.
I was very concerned with contrast as I just never make things dark or light enough. It drives me nuts, as I always need to go in and mess with the curves adjustment layer. I think what i find hard to grasp, is when an object is in direct sunlight for example. It is like, where are the shadows coming from if there is nothing really there to create them. Like why is it that in pictures, a house can have one side be entirely in shadow despite being in sunlight on a clear day. I do not get it. My theory is that when light directly hits the side of the house, it will cause the other side to be in complete shadow for some reason. But I do not understand. So it is just more guess work. There is never any tutorials or explanations for this online.
And finally, you know, I was proud for like the first hour of finishing this but then my mood just switched to feeling kind of sad. I just feel like nothing I make is good enough. Like I don't know. I am always just so scared and embaressed to share anything I do. So I never really put it out there. I do but I don't. I guess I am just always so afraid of the things I do not being good enough I guess? idk. I don't know.
This painting was challenging to do and it was a lot of hard work. Like I was not familiar with painting plastic. I had to use a lot of image references and I could never find that perfect reference. Panting plastic when its in a complex shape like this was difficult and hard to wrap my head around in certain areas. I am mostly speaking of the water gun laying on the ground. It was the hardest part of this illustration.
I also had a major breakthrough in painting humans. I decided to paint them in Grayscale first and then I added color over it. I also took a course before this talking about using both a soft and hard brush to paint skin. I still do not fully understand when it is appropriate to use a hard brush or a soft brush though. My rule of thumb is that anything that is closly hovering over a surface will have hard sharp shadows, BUT in reference photos i noticed there will be hard sharp shadows even when nothing is hovering over a surface. Its very confusing. I did a lot of guessing and did what felt right.
I was very concerned with contrast as I just never make things dark or light enough. It drives me nuts, as I always need to go in and mess with the curves adjustment layer. I think what i find hard to grasp, is when an object is in direct sunlight for example. It is like, where are the shadows coming from if there is nothing really there to create them. Like why is it that in pictures, a house can have one side be entirely in shadow despite being in sunlight on a clear day. I do not get it. My theory is that when light directly hits the side of the house, it will cause the other side to be in complete shadow for some reason. But I do not understand. So it is just more guess work. There is never any tutorials or explanations for this online.
And finally, you know, I was proud for like the first hour of finishing this but then my mood just switched to feeling kind of sad. I just feel like nothing I make is good enough. Like I don't know. I am always just so scared and embaressed to share anything I do. So I never really put it out there. I do but I don't. I guess I am just always so afraid of the things I do not being good enough I guess? idk. I don't know.
This probably sounds like an infuriating non-answer that's so endemic to art stuff, but it really just comes down to your preferred work flow.
I think you would find it helpful to pay attention to the difference between cast shadows and form shadows. Cast shadows produce the hard edges on the form in the shadow (ie something blocks light and casts a shadow onto something else) while form shadows are generally softer and describe plane changes on the form itself (or, light hits the form without obstruction)
You can create both of these shadows yourself by putting your hands under a lamp - one hand by itself will mostly have form shadows, a second hand over top will produce cast shadows.
Stapleton Kearns has a pretty extensive blog where he covers a lot of these concepts in more detail. Bargue is also a great resource.
I've been making a no-budget comedy-horror short in my spare time over the last month. It's called BREAKFAST and stars me as a guy who gets brutalised by a ghost while trying to make his breakfast. A few shots below (spoiler tagged as they contain some blood):
Looks well done! Hope you got some breakfast.I've been making a no-budget comedy-horror short in my spare time over the last month. It's called BREAKFAST and stars me as a guy who gets brutalised by a ghost while trying to make his breakfast. A few shots below (spoiler tagged as they contain some blood):
This looks great! Hope it turns out amazing. Visually, did you have any influences?I've been making a no-budget comedy-horror short in my spare time over the last month. It's called BREAKFAST and stars me as a guy who gets brutalised by a ghost while trying to make his breakfast. A few shots below (spoiler tagged as they contain some blood):
I finally have my website up for my comic!
You can read the whole 1st chapter (a whooping 54 pages) here
Synopsis: Hikaru Noori, a famous but private novelist strikes up a friendship with one of his fans, Konane Aka, while on vacation. Their friendship blooms in to a much deeper relationship as they learn about and help each other with their past trauma. A queer romantic drama.
You can read the whole 1st chapter (a whooping 54 pages) here
Synopsis: Hikaru Noori, a famous but private novelist strikes up a friendship with one of his fans, Konane Aka, while on vacation. Their friendship blooms in to a much deeper relationship as they learn about and help each other with their past trauma. A queer romantic drama.
I painted this last year, but I put a little more work into it here a few weeks ago, so it's technically my most recent now, I suppose. The one I'm working on now is going slowly because it's a really big canvas (this one here is I believe 20x24" which is around what I normally paint on, but the one I'm working on is 40" and it's coming along, but I need to get the drive to roll up my sleeves and get back to it). I use acrylics (mostly).
Recently started working on a personal project, I always loved doing the "x character but as an animal crossing villager" type of fanart and since I've been learning 3d modelling for two years now I decided to combine both, this is what I have so far:
Going to try and do my own oc/sona next
Going to try and do my own oc/sona next
Recently started working on a personal project, I always loved doing the "x character but as an animal crossing villager" type of fanart and since I've been learning 3d modelling for two years now I decided to combine both, this is what I have so far:
Going to try and do my own oc/sona next
These are so good! Is the last one Heather Mason?
thank you! and yep, both her and the mouse from the first image are characters that already drew like this years ago, luffy is the only one I made 100% from scratch on 3d
I painted this last year, but I put a little more work into it here a few weeks ago, so it's technically my most recent now, I suppose. The one I'm working on now is going slowly because it's a really big canvas (this one here is I believe 20x24" which is around what I normally paint on, but the one I'm working on is 40" and it's coming along, but I need to get the drive to roll up my sleeves and get back to it). I use acrylics (mostly).
I know you posted this weeks ago but I want to say that I love this painting! I thought it was a photo at first glance. I love the colors of the sky at sunset and I think you definitely captured them well.
Recently started working on a personal project, I always loved doing the "x character but as an animal crossing villager" type of fanart and since I've been learning 3d modelling for two years now I decided to combine both, this is what I have so far:
Going to try and do my own oc/sona next
Awww. Those are all so cute. I bet people would pay to commission you for these.
Thank you 😊, it is the idea to offer commissions for these :p but I wanted to make a few first as a showcase and in the meanwhile I'll keep just doing them in my personal time. They don't take as much to make as regular models and it is a good way to learn and practice things in a smaller scale
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Oh, thank you! I had forgotten I'd posted that, haha. I appreciate the kind words!
Hello. I'm not an artist, but for note taking, I really like felt tip pens. The ones I am buying are Sharpie 0.4mm blue. However, they seem to be limited on colors. What other brands are good so I can get more colors? Particularly, I will go through green often.
If you are just starting out and wants a good "starter" set, I HIGHLY recommend Ohuhu markers.
I use them pretty much exclusively for my Marvel projects for Upper Deck :)
You can get a big color selection for a very low cost. You can also experiment with color blending and such.
While I'm here, the new set for Marvel/Upper Deck cards just got announced and will be hitting stores soon.
This is labelled Midnight Suns and will be centered on the "spooky" side of Marvel.
I did about 50 sketch cards for this set, here's a taste...
I've been working on a no-budget short horror film the last few months. Here's a trailer I just put out:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkbEdD93EPA
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkbEdD93EPA
This movie was pretty. Wanted to practice with it~
View: https://x.com/DiceSMS/status/1779918009848496377
View: https://x.com/DiceSMS/status/1779918009848496377
Same as Twitter!
Steph Sybydlo ART (@dicesms) • Instagram photos and videos
1,547 Followers, 1,492 Following, 193 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Steph Sybydlo ART (@dicesms)
www.instagram.com
Already following you!Same as Twitter!
(and thanks!Steph Sybydlo ART (@dicesms) • Instagram photos and videos
1,547 Followers, 1,492 Following, 193 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Steph Sybydlo ART (@dicesms)
I think we need an Instagram list for artists of Era!
Hey everyone, some lovely work here.
Just wondering if anyone knows of any really good art/illustration focused forums, kinda like here but for art not video games?
I've been an illustrator for a decade or so now but I haven't had any paid work for over a year now and I'm having a crisis, I hate all my old work and want to start over and move in a different direction, but there are several areas I want to go into and I just don't know which to focus on - need help with it all but have no idea where to go for solid advice.
Been looking for an illustration mentor or something but I've only found one and I can't afford them, I didn't realise they cost so much.
Just wondering if anyone knows of any really good art/illustration focused forums, kinda like here but for art not video games?
I've been an illustrator for a decade or so now but I haven't had any paid work for over a year now and I'm having a crisis, I hate all my old work and want to start over and move in a different direction, but there are several areas I want to go into and I just don't know which to focus on - need help with it all but have no idea where to go for solid advice.
Been looking for an illustration mentor or something but I've only found one and I can't afford them, I didn't realise they cost so much.
It used to be the Concept Art forums. But that went away. I feel like Discord communities have taken the place of art forums. Like, I joined an art Discord server that Chumps posted here quite a bit ago which is fairly active. I can DM you an invite if you want it.
I haven't kept up with art forums. But a quick Google search yielded these two communities, the first of which I found via Reddit:
https://crimsondaggers.com/forum/index.php
https://www.artistforum.com
https://www.artistforum.com
Also, the Deviant Art forum looks like it's fairly active. But it's fine to hate your work. A lot of artists like the process of making art but not the end product.
I am by no means a professional artist having sold some art in a gallery here and there and to private patrons. So take everything I say with a grain of salt. But I would say to make a list of all the things you want to do like say for a few weeks, then try the next thing and see if you like it. It can be beneficial to build up a body of work, show it to people, and see if they like it. But in the end, it comes down to asking yourself how you feel about it. In short, it's okay to experiment.
Your profile shows that you're in London which is a big city. I would recommend going to and/or staffing at conventions (either volunteer or for pay) in London or another European city. Plus take your portfolio book with you to show to other volunteers and get critiqued by artists tabling at the convention when you have a break or a day off to attend. Then you build a report either by buying something and/or following them on social media.
Additionally, It helps if you do research beforehand on the artists who are going to be there so you have an idea. Usually, a lot of artists are willing to help. I understand why it's hard to find an illustration mentor seeing as they're busy people. As a result, it can be a tall order for an artist to take another one under their wing.
But yeah, I would keep your ears tuned to the ground on the local art scene in London whether it's going to art gallery hopping every so often, a local drawing event, etc. Otherwise, good luck!
Thanks for the reply!
To give a little background, I did a degree in illustration later in life (30), landed a job illustrating for a music festival (through contacts I had made socially), was made redundant after two years and tried to go freelance. I got some commissions (all sorts of stuff - private portrait/pet commissions, some editorial work, doing album art for fairly unknown musicians, logos, flyers etc etc) but it was mostly small fry jobs that didn't pay well.
I was doing a lot of the things you mentioned around that time - went to all the conventions, art fairs, gallery openings etc, and I was working in shared creative studio space with other illustrators, designers etc. Exhibited in a couple of group gallery shows.
I sent my portfolio to every illustration agent in the UK and got rejected by all of them. I couldn't get by on the money I was making, had to take a part-time office job to get by, found it harder to find time and motivation to illustrate, fell into a deep deep depression, eventually stopped getting commissions altogether... and that's where I am now.
None of the work I was doing previously was what I wanted to do, it's just what I fell into, my heart wasn't in a lot of the work.
I've always wanted to do either video game concept art, illustrating assets in 2D games, or illustrating action figure packaging, drawing pop culture stuff... anything in those sort of worlds... but I have no work of that type to show.
Every time I try to draw that sort of stuff I just get frustrated because my skill level is so lacking when it comes to anatomy, lighting, colour theory etc... I feel like it would take me years of hard graft, practice and studying fundamentals to get to a level of employability in those fields, and at 42 maybe it's just too late to chase those dreams, especially when I find it so hard to motivate myself to work on it (depression is a bitch).
Alternatively I could go back to the kind of stuff I was doing before, editorial, portraits, that kind of stuff, and try and start getting commissions again.
It wouldn't be ideal but it would certainly be better than my miserable low paid office job. But if I couldn't make a living from it before I'm not sure what would be different if I tried again.
I just don't what to do, I thought that after 12+ years of doing this I would've found my thing by now, but I just feel more lost than ever.
I joined Discord a few years ago but it all felt a bit too alien for me haha, I'm old and like my old skool forums like this one. I'll try the ones you suggested, thanks!