birth of an artist - beginner's guide to becoming an digital artist

links are in orange

1. invest in a wacom tablet and a scanner/printer - creating artwork with a tablet is much more efficient and natural than using a mouse. i purchased the entry level tablet for $99 and my abilites to create were greatly increased. at first i was pretty apprehensive about using it. it laid unused for a month before i began experimenting with it. at first it is difficult to use considering that you have to get accustommed to the scale differences between the tablet and the screen. also if you are used to pencil and paper, you will notice that you cannot sketch as freely and accurately as you did with the pencil and paper. it takes a long time before one can effectively use the tablet to emulate the same abilities one can produce with natural media. so sketch with natural media to which you are accustommed and then scan, then paint. i still do not depend solely on the tablet.

one of my laments is that i did not have access or knowledge of such tools when i was younger. if you do not have the resources to obtain the tools to create digital artwork, find one. time is an asset that you can never replenish and the earlier you begin using the tools, the greater amount of time you will have to improve your skillset. if all else, use traditional media until you can.

obviously, you need a computer. i purchased my first computer when i was 21. celeron 466 mhz, 198 ram, integrated video card. that was enough to create some basic images, but as you get better, you will need more power to be efficient. i now have a pentium 4 2.53 ghz, 512 ram, 64 agp video with dual hard drives for photoshop scratch disk, and it is sufficient for now. you can now purchase a computer for relatively very little money (~$700) which will suffice for beginners, just make sure you have 512 ram. if you purchase a wacom, it will come with adobe elements which is all you need to create digital images.

2. practice daily - i began to focus only a year ago on my digital artwork. with practice, you will be amazed at your progress. although easier said than done, carry a sketchbook everywhere you go. its a great conversation piece and helps to remind you to practice. it will become you.

notice the differences in quality of images from january 2003 (vineyard girl) and january 2004 (nina). i remember i was so excited when i created vineyard girl, and every image i made after that because i was able to see growth.

3. become active in online artist communities - i am an avid participant and endorser of online art communities like gfxartist.com and eatpoo.com. not only do they provide socialization for the introverted artist ;) but they are integral to an artist growth. online communities help to spur improvement by allowing other artist to critique your work. besides, there is no reason to create artwork if you have no one to share it with. remember how proud you were when mom and dad put your picture on the refrigerator (well... unfortunately i dont, but im sure they gave me some encouragement.)

learn to recieve and give critiques if you do decide to participate in an online artist community. when you give critiques, you are subconciously building your abilities by becoming more keen in discerning whats 'correct' compositionally, developing the artist's eye. when you receive, listen to them whole heartedly, do not get offended and truly take their advice and evaluate it for its value. theres many times that i had not seen an obvious mistake that was corrected because someone mentioned it.

4. build a website - update it often, promote it, improve it. not only will it help you share your work with others, its a good marketing tool if you ever decide that you want to seek employment/contracts/sell your work. it takes very little investment, none if you use free hosting.

5. dont get discouraged - there have been weeks/months that i have not created much artwork. external stress, lack of inspiration, and lack of time will always be formidable foes that you will have to defeat. know that everyone goes through that, and just enjoy your gift.

if you have any quesitons or comments, feel free to email me at jimiyo@yahoo.com