Weekly art tip for my lovely followers!
This week I focused on some anatomy differences between men and women.
What makes a body look manly and what makes it feminine? This basic steps should help you easily draw female or male character,
Come back next week to see more anatomy tips! Learn with me :)
Anatomy tip weekly! :)
This week I’ve prepared something for people who sometimes are confused how to start drawing. Instead of starting with head, start with torso.
I guess most problems can be solved while designing torso. Every body part needs to follow torso.
Hey friends, Meg here for this weeks TUTOR TUESDAY! I know I was going to be focusing more on digital art, but with Inktober happening I wanted to make something on traditional media. Sketchbooks are fun! HAVE NO FEAR! If you have any tut recs send ‘em in here or my personal. Now go forth and I’ll see you next week!
I’ve been using Clip Studio Paint (aka Manga Studio 5) for the last 2 years and I really cannot recommend it enough. It has the smoothness and blending of SAI, a really good brush system and some of Photoshop’s capabilities without the heaviness of the software. I mean, what more could you want?
Unfortunately I feel like the UI deters some people from using it (including my friends…). I can see why and I have to admit the default layout looks a little overwhelming in the beginning. On the bright side, CSP is incredibly flexible with its settings and there are many ways to adapt it to suit what you’re accustomed to. In my case, I wanted something more similar to SAI to make the software transition smoother (old habits die hard I guess).
* There’s a note at the end of this post with a download link to my layout and hotkey settings, plus instructions on how to enable it.
I hope this helps people who feel somewhat lost when they open the program for the first time ><
First things first: Close everything you don’t want and drag panels around. Re-arrange everything however you want, even down to tool order. Actually, most of this post may come off as common sense, but I think it still helps to have a rough idea of what exactly you can do with CSP if you find yourself just not getting into it at all.
This is the default:
My current layout:
After that, there are four areas of settings you need to check on, under File:
Preferences
From the Preferences you can edit a lot of options regarding to how the software functions. From a UI and general ease-of-use standpoint, these are the key points you might want to look at: ► Interface tab: You can change the UI to have a light or dark colour using a slider, from a really light gray to really dark gray (almost black, similar to Photoshop CS6 default)
► Cursor tab: You can change what the cursor looks like when selecting certain tools. ► Layer/Frame tab: You can change the naming convention for when you duplicate a layer, and you can also set layer folders to [Through] layer mode as a default, instead of [Normal] layer mode. ► Ruler/Unit tab: For changing the guide lines for when you set rulers, also setting the default units you want to use (px or mm) ► Canvas tab: Under ‘Scale’ and 'Angle’ you can set the zoom and rotate levels the zoom and rotate buttons snap to.
Shortcut Settings
This is pretty self-explanatory and if you’ve modified Photoshop hotkeys, the window might look familiar. If you use hotkeys heavily like me, I recommend you look through it thorougly since some hotkeys might be different from what you’re used to or don’t have a hotkey set to it at all. You can set hotkeys to anything on the main menu, various general options (like increasing/decreasing brush size and main>sub colour switching), specific tools (even custom brushes) and auto actions. Settings I recommend checking, mostly because these are what I personally care about:
Main Menu: Edit > Clear Edit > Fill Edit > Convert brightness to opacity (converts degrees of white to degrees of transparency, useful for things like lineart) Edit > Transform Layer > Duplicate layer Layer > Merge with layer below / Combine selected layer (these two are different, and unlike in PS where Ctrl+E works for both, it is separate for CSP) Layer > Combine copies of displayed layer (Merges all visible layers into a separate layer, aka PS’s monster shortcut of Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E) Selection > Select All Selection > Deselect Selection > Invert selected area View > Rotate > Flip Horizontal (mirroring)
Option: Drawing color > Switch main color and sub color Drawing color > Switch to transparent color … Or any of the different combinations they have, depending on what you want. Unlike PS, CSP has a third colour option available, which is 'transparent’, so you can 'paint’ using transparency, which functions pretty much like the eraser without needing to change tools.
Modifier Key Settings
This is a pretty important part to stop by because it affects how you use your tools. Basically, for each tool, you can set what happens when you hold Ctrl, Shift, Alt, Spacebar or use the mouse wheel. With Photoshop and SAI, you may be used to normally having the colour picker / eyedropper when you hold Alt, and moving the layer’s contents when you hold Ctrl. Some of CSP’s default values of these shortcut keys are different, and I recommend getting a feel for the tools you use and changing these settings as you go.
To change a brush to eyedropper while holding Alt: ► Select 'Settings for each process of tool’, and under 'Sub Tool’ select which specific tool you want. ► Under the 'Alt’ dropdown, select 'Change tool temporarily’, then click the Settings button. Select 'Eyedropper’ and click OK. (You don’t have to go all the way down the list of settings, unless you want to refine it to a more specific function)
To change to move layer while holding Ctrl: ► Do the same except under 'Ctrl’, select ’ Change tool temporarily’ to 'Move layer’.
Other settings from the drop down: ► For Shift, you can go to 'Tool aux. operation’ on the dropdown, and check the 'Straight line’ box to make straight lines that connect clicks when you hold Shift.
There are more so please look at the list carefully if you find yourself needing something regarding those key holds.
Command Bar Settings
The command bar is the strip at the top with all the icons, just above the canvas tab. Basically you can put a bunch of shortcuts there of anything in the main menu. It’s really up to you. For mine, I keep the View > Rotate > Flip Horizontal icon on there so I can tell if my canvas is mirrored (because sometimes I forget the canvas is flipped and only realise when I’ve saved and looked at the pic). I also put the icons of all the correction layers I use the most, and the Layer > Combine selected layers icon since my Ctrl+E is already taken up by Merge with layer below.
Additional general notes on navigating and setting up CSP:
► I recommend checking out everything under the Window menu, you might find a really handy panel that isn’t normally open, or you can even disable the Command Bar if you want. I like to keep the Information tab somewhere on the side so I can see if I’ll start lagging any time soon because of big files (lol).
► The Sub View panel is also really useful that it works as a box to place reference images in. You can open an entire folder there and scroll through using the arrows. You can set it so that every time you hover over the panel, the eyedropper is automatically on (handy!)
► Brush settings are accessible through this little wrench here at the bottom right corner of the tool property panel.
► Speaking of brushes, you can select which options are visible in the tool property panel by enabling the eye button.
► Each panel has this menu button. You’ll find even more display options there such as enabling/disabling panel-specific icon bars, changing the size of brush tiles, etc.
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TL;DR: Anyways, if you are too lazy to do this all yourself, you can just download my workspace file and open it yourself. Everything I’ve written about here (shortcuts, modifier keys, etc.) I’ve set to suit habits I’ve formed from using PS and SAI over the years. If you are in the same situation then I hope this will come in handy as a base for your own settings!
Personal hotkey list that’s included in the file (that I can remember): A = Brightness to opacity D = Clear layer F = Fill Ctrl+J = Duplicate Layer Ctrl+K = Flip layer/selection horizontally (as in the Transform command, and not mirror) Ctrl+U = Hue/Saturation Ctrl+L = Levels Ctrl+Shift+I = Invert selection Ctrl+I = Invert colours Ctrl+E = Merge to layer below Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E = Merge all visible layers to a separate layer Ctrl+T = Transform Z = Main > Sub colour switch Shift+Z = Switch to transparent colour X = Mirror canvas 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0 = Change brush opacity in 10% increments End = Resets Rotate and Mirror
Things like Ctrl+Z / X / C / V / A / D / W / O / S etc. remain the same as normal in other programs. Ctrl+Y is Redo.
Download link: SAI…ish
Instructions: Put the file in your Documents \ CELSYS_EN \ CLIPStudioPaintVer1_1_0 \ Workspace Folder. Then open CSP and go to Window > Workspace and select “SAI…ish”. Click OK to importing the settings. Hopefully that should work! (If nothing changes, you can try Workspace > Reset “SAI…ish” and click Yes)
* Make sure the file is named workspace_2.spws * If that clashes with another workspace in your files, you can just change the 2 to any number
Walk, Trot, and Gallop:
Top Row: Eadwaerd Muybridge
Row 2, by Richard Williams
Row 3, by Preston Blair
Row 4, by Marc Davis
Row 5, by Josh Weldake
Successful writing depends on building a emotional connection with your readers. Creating that connection can difficult enough in the real world… so what happens when we throw a completely fictional reality into the mix?
This tutorial introduces the concept of worldbuilding: the creation of convincing fictional realities! We’ll talk about constructing something as all-encompassing as a species, culture, or planet, based on the writing style that works best for you. We’ll also cover some important do’s and don’t’s so you don’t lose sight of the big (or tiny) pictures. Additionally, the 11-paged supplement worksheet will give you a creative workout and challenge you to solve problems and answer your own personal questions in order to build the most convincing worlds of all. Have fun!
My Patreon tutorials are unlocked to the public 6 months after their original publication month. You can find the full high-resolution archive of monthly tutorials at my Patreon! Thanks again to my Patrons for supporting me in the creation of my own worldbuilding-heavy comics, The Meek and Mare Internum.
My recent free-to-read tutorials on Tumblr:
This month’s Patreon tutorial: Story Pacing tutorial
And as usual, thanks very much for not deleting my text~~
Composition can be hard, but learning about it can make the difference between making a great illustration or polishing a turd for not solving initial problems. So here are some tips to help you with that, of course you can always watch the video, and if you like this and want more, you can support me on PATREON
ALL LINKS MENTIONED HERE: http://javicandraw.com/2017/06/composition-for-illustrations-a-process-tutorial/
The third video of me working on my comic “Yuragi”. The comic pages are drawn with pencils, scanned once and then colored with watercolors.
This time I’m showing how I paint some frames that are mostly backgrounds: a dilapidated back garden located behind the main hero’s house and a view on the small train station in front on the same house.
This comic is located in a place inspired heavily on the stations on the small Enoden train line that goes from Fujisawa, through Enoshima to Kamakura. I took some photos few years ago and used them as reference for the comics’ setting but now we actually live with Kana not so far from Enoshima!
Tools:
Okay so i got a few notes on how i go about Environments/Landscapes…so i’ll share a method thats easy to work with….bare with me its been a little while since ive drawn them Lol
First thing you want to start of with in your gradient background…use what ever is your preference. Depends on the setting, ima do some type of desert/dusty place.
You’ll learn that the Lasso tool is gonna be your bae when it comes to environments…that and its pretty useful. Now your going to be working in three tones, 1.Dark 2.Mid 3.Light and it will always be the darkest at the front fading to light towards the back…make sense? So you will have three layers for each one to make your life easier and Lock those layers so you will only color within that area. Make sure the dark layer is on top.
Here is where the fun kicks in…we add our dets, try to stay with each tone and dont end up making it all muddy so you cant distinguish each one. Now you can go about this any way you please, you can paint it all in with one brush ( for some reason people get anal about shit like that, thinking there great for using one brush…i think if you got tools use em if you know how to do it right.) Or you can use custom brushes…since this is a tut ill mostly use custom brushes to slap stuff around. Its up to you really, also use the lasso tool like i said its your bae.
The lasso can help define things better for you, so i wanted to add a structure type on the third layer. If you want to give an effect that the selection ive made is in front of the background right click your selection and invert it, add some lighting around the edges…only a little though you dont want to over do it.
Also if you’ve done something on a layer you dont want to mess up or paint on what you can do is create a clipping mask on that layer. Its kinda like locking the layer to that one so you dont go outside of the layer or ruin what you worked on. Make a new layer above the one you wish to attach it to and right click the newlayer, a menu will pop up, your looking for clipping mask. Once you clicked it the layer should look like what ive circled.
Once your done working on each layer we are gonna put in some mist effect, this is something that helps separate each section. So make a new layer between each of your three as shown in the image. Like i said you can use what ever method you like, i just use a soft brush or cloud/mist brush to get what i want.
Now we are going to add some definition to the image a good one to use is Curves. You can find this where your layer menu is, at the bottom you’ll find it, ive circled what your looking for. On the third image is what will appear when you click curves, all you need to do is drag the little square and you’ll see some magic happen. So adjust it to your preference. If you want you can also mess with brightness/contrast too. ALSO i would recommend adding a person in the image, it gives you an idea of the scale your environment is.
I was going to end it there but hey, ill show one last thing…its pretty simple. and that is some water reflection, we are going to turn the middle into water instead cause its a little boring right now. I merged all layers but the first one, you then want to make a selection and copy/paste. Free transform in the shortcut is ctrl T and do a vertical flip on it then adjust so its mirroring the top.
Now make a clipping mask like i explained earlier on the reflected surface and use the radiant tool…i think its called that lol it gives it more of a water surface like you see. For the image below it i used a custom brush which creates a water effect, aaaaaaaaaand bam you got you water now covering the area…easy huh.
And so this concludes the Tutorial and you have the end result. Hopefully that gave some tips on how to approach landscapes…they can be confusing sometimes on where to start. Enjoy and let me know if it was useful or not :P
Hey friends!
Meg here for this week’s TUTOR TUESDAY! This week I go over just a little trick that I like to use when drawing and connecting arms/hands/legs/feet ect. This helps me with foreshortening as well. I hope it helps you folks as well! I have tutorials that talk more specifically about hand/foot/leg anatomy here. If you have any tutorial recommendations send ‘em in here or my personal. Now go forth and I’ll see you next week!
Hey friends!
Meg here for TUTOR TUESDAY! Just a quick beginning look at colors and some color theory! I’ve had a few recommendation for color palette stuff, so I hope this is a start! Paul has done some on color as well! If you have any recommendations send ‘em in here or my personal! Keep practicing, have fun, and I’ll see you next week!
apparently ppl don’t know about waifu2x??? despite its… concerning name it’s literally the most convenient website i’ve ever come across as an artist
it allows you to resize artwork without it becoming pixellated. this is a MASSIVE help if you, for example, make lineart too small or something. it works best with things that 1. have no textures 2. have smooth lines 3. have cel shading, but it still works really damn well for things that don’t fit that profile
here’s an example:
normal size
2x in paint
2x in waifu2x
so like, there’s that. go wild
Original:
Photoshop scaled:
Waifu2x scaled:
It’s legit!! Tell your friends!
That’s quite impressive! It must have some great code under the hood.
@dino-my-life
a series of composition tips i’d been sharing on twitter!
and since some people had asked, i’ve put up a pdf version of this on gumroad along with a layered psd of one of the example images too
tips would be really appreciated, but it’s up for free!
Hello, friends! I gave a seminar on Adobe Flash last night, and figured I’d also put the slides online for anyone who was interested in learning the program! Because of file size/bandwidth limitations, I can’t upload any of the example FLA’s, but you could easily find alternatives on YouTube. The dog pictures also made more sense in context. Well, kind of Tumblr hecked up the last few images in this post, so here’s an Imgur album of all of the slides at full resolution
flash is not a bad program, despite what i’m seeing a LOT of young animators on tumblr claiming. it’s FANTASTIC if you know what you’re doing. you just need to learn how to work in vector-based programs.
A compilation of stuff I know about drawing Asian faces and Asian culture! I feel like many “How-To-Draw” tutorials often default to European faces and are not really helpful when drawing people of other races. So I thought I’d put this together in case anyone is interested! Feel free to share this guide and shoot me questions if you have any! I’m by no means an expert, I just know a few things from drawing experience and from my own cultural background.
I’m not an expert but I like hands a lot so hopefully some of this was helpful!
