#Art tools

[godbirdart]

it appears 2024 will continue the trend of art companies proudly representing themselves with the use of art theft generators [aka, AI generators]

original tweet is now deleted, but wacom used a generated image of a dragon for their 2024 lunar new year promo on twitter.

if you're shopping for art tablets, huion, artisul, and XPPen tablets do just as good a job as their wacom equivalents for less, sometimes even half the price.

when you buy a wacom you're paying almost exclusively for the Brand Name, not any actual quality.

[scwambledeggs]

can u maybe show some behind the scenes how u sketch out muzzles? or just heads in general? im trying to draw a dog specifically but really any animal would help lol

im currently in the middle of figuring out my style again, and im struggling with muzzles, myself :') i might make a tutorial once i get my bearings again, but in the mean time i can point you in the direction of one of my favourite reference tools!

you can pose the skull at any angle and change the search to be specific species and it'll pull up images from google of animal's heads in that angle! LINK

i wish i had a more specific answer right now, i'll try to revisit this in the future <3

[shinonart]

Your process video is so cool! Can I ask what pen(?) you use for your orange base sketch?

Thank you so much!

I often use the Pilot Color Eno mechanical pencils with coloured lead.

I have a couple of reasons for this.

I don't like erasing my sketches after inking because too much friction may alter the watercolor paper surface which may cause issues later on when applying paint such as bleeding or otherwise uneven application. One way to avoid this if you do erase your sketches is to use a kneadable eraser and gently rolling it accross the paper so that it picks up the excess graphite/lead.

Graphite smudges more easily and I don't like how it can dull some colours. The coloured lead does bleed a bit when water is applied, but I usually try to pick a colour that fits the overall image so the lead becomes part of the painting.

I don't do this often but you can separate parts of a complex piece by using a few different colours.

I just think they're neat (and I happened to find a bunch of that coloured lead on a sale years ago and I still haven't had to restock lol.)

Hope this helps!

[kittydisk]

here is a master list of great art tools that can make your workflow easier! 👇 (consistently updating)

posemaniacs.com/en

if you want to learn human anatomy with the benefit of preset poses, this is for you! you can use it standalone, but as a bonus you can also import poses into the clip studio paint 3D models. (File -> Import -> 3D Pose (Posemaniacs)

line-of-action.com

great for gestures and observational sketches!

zvork.fr/vls/

browser based rig for lighting & shadows

MY FAVORITE BRUSHPACKS

truegrit texture supply - https://www.truegrittexturesupply.com

thedawner procreate & csp packs - https://ko-fi.com/thedawner/

ADDITIONAL TOOLS COMING!

[tachyonsplus]

Testing a Vortex Decoder

[neptuniite]

hello i just want to say that your work is so fucking gorgeous i adore the colors and the way you use your brush strokes and color variation it's all so very tasty! I know this is probably going to be a super annoying ask because i am sure you get these questions all the time but would you be willing to share your sketching brush and your painting brushes? if not that's okay and i understand! again you have such beautiful work keep up!

thank you so much! I appreciate it :)

Most-used painting brush pack: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/v1zrX3 These are absurdly good!! and the price is crazy low

Most used sketch brush: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18bNJ8kQmRs6ZzLh9aD0dFY6LxmZTs5OZ/view?usp=sharing Unfortunately I don't remember where it came from but it was from one of the free brush packs I downloaded a long time ago... hopefully I'll find out eventually which pack it was from)

honorary mention for great effects and general brushes: https://grzegorzrutkowski.gumroad.com/ All are compatible with PS and CSP. Have fun!!

[remidiy]

We Don't Gatekeep Art Resources | A Comprehensive List

Here's a list of some of the tools/sites I currently use or have used previously for works/studies. I'll separate it into Software/Utility, Reference, and 'Other' which will be just general things that could help you map out things for your experience with art. **[Free highlighted in pink, paid highlighted in green. Blue is variable/both. Prices Listed in USD]**

Software/Utility:

2D

Krita Painting app (PC) (my main digital art software on PC for 5+ yrs)

Clip Studio Paint [PC] [CSP 2.0+ allows for 3d modelling within the painting app and a lot of other cool features] [apparently allows up to 6 months free trial]

Procreate (12.99) [iPad/iPad Pro] (the GOAT)

Artstudio Pro [iPad/iPad Pro] (An alternative to Procreate if you enjoy the more traditional art app layout) -- I find this app handy when Procreate is lacking a feature I need, or vice versa. (you can easily transfer files between the two, but keep in mind Procreate's layer limit)

2D "Collaborative Painting/Drawing apps"

Magma Studio

Drawpile

Discord Whiteboard

Gartic Phone (Pretty decent for 2d animation practice, but has a hard limit on frames)

3D

Blender [3D Modelling, Sculpting + Layout] (PC)

Sculptris [PC] (it's an old unsupported version of Zbrush, but can help to get ideas out, and functions better than browser sculpting apps

Nomad Sculpt [iPad/iPad Pro] ($20) Works pretty well if you prefer a mobile setup, but it is a bit intense on the battery life and takes some getting used to

References + Study

Magic Poser [ PC and Mobile ] Has both free and paid versions, I've made do with just the lite version before

Artpose ($9.99) [Iphone + Steam]

Head Model Studio [IPhone] A 3D head, with both a basic blockout version for angles, and a paid version with more detail

Cubebrush [simply search "[keyword] pose reference pack"], they usually have good results + they frequently have sales!

Line of Action [Good for Gesture practice + daily sketching], also has other resources built in.

Quickposes Similar to Line of action, more geared toward anatomy

Drawabox | Perspective Fundamentals Improvement modules (Suggested by @taffingspy )

Sketchfab, this skull in particular is useful, but there is other models that can help you study anatomy as well.

Pinterest can be good, you just have to be careful, usually you're better off just finding reference pack if you have the money, sometimes certain creators have freebies as well

Artstation Marketplace can be decent [make sure to turn on the Aye-Eye filter so it doesn't feed you trash], a colleague of mine recommended this head model for practicing facial blocking, there is also this free version without lighting.

Local Art Museums [Unironically good for studying old "master work" if you're into that, or even just getting some inspiration]

Brushes + Other Useful software:

I personally have used both of these brush packs before making my own

(I actually don't know how to share my daily brush set because I frequently switch between Krita, Procreate, and ASP, but once I figure that out I'll be sure to do that lol)

Marc Brunet's Starter brush pack [Technically free but supporting him for this if you like it is ideal, there's some good brushes]

Dave Greco Brush Pack [$3]

Gumroad in general is a good place to find brushes and art resources. *Note; for Krita specifically, brush packs are a bit weird, so it may require you to find different packs, or import them in a particular way

PureRef [PC] - Reference Compiler/Moodboarding

VizRef ($3.99) [iPad] - Moodboarding/Reference Compiler

Artist Youtubers/Creators that helped me improve/guide me along as a self-taught artist from when I first started digital art to where I am today:

Proko

Marco Bucci

Sinix Design

Sycra

Hardy Fowler

Lighting Mentor

Winged Canvas

Moderndayjames

Swatches

Chommang_drawing

Marc Brunet (YTartschool)

+ Observing a lot of speedpaint art by people whose work I enjoy on social media/youtube, trying to dissect their processes

If you've gotten this far, first of all, congrats, you can read a lot, and second of all, thank you for reading and I hope this helps! I'll continue to come back and update this if I find any new resources in the future, or if my processes change :)

Much Love,

-Remidiy

[joyousjoyfuljoyness]

New painting setup! I now have a dedicated space to paint with Rebelle!

I scored a really good deal on 2 used proart monitors for $250 last year. Turns out the second one is brand new! Converted an occasionally used desk for PC art creation. Removing the friction of setting it all up just to paint and having to put it all away again.

[joreeroj]

slime tutorial

[bowelfly]

Love your snug bug illustration! What watercolors do you use?

that was done with kuretake gansai tambi watercolors. they're pretty nice!

[capesch-arts]

The way you draw hands is so delicious! What references/guidelines/tutorials do you use? Oooor is it a practice-makes-better typa thing?

Personally I am a practice makes better typa person buuuttt, I've used a reference tool for some of the more complicated poses for my hands! This app have been such a great help and it's quite cheap if you want to get rid of adds or buy more models!

[rednblacksalamander]

Disclaimer: for entertainment purposes only, just a joke, in a videogame, save it for the Terminators, etc.

[verthrogic]

The Druanee

[gold0kapi]

Some figure updates (under the cut)!

*They have no clothes, clothes are expensive and first and foremost these are art tools (but I do want to get clothes someday)

First: SOAP. Unpainted Soap, and I'll probably never get around to painting it lol. I also accidentally somehow broke his knee trying to get it on, so he's perpetually lame in his right leg (maybe I'll get him a tiny knee brace and he'll be even more canon lol).

(Bottom pic) I finally broke down and got the 1/6 body, but then had to get a head separately (dunno why they don't come with heads but ok), and so of course I went with a head with a mohawk. It finally arrived the other day! I feel like if I painted his eyes blue he'd actually look quite a bit like Soap though...

Now I need a female body (probably a Phicen 1/6). I don't think I'd get 1/12 size again; I already have a lot of them, and I want 1/6 now for detailed anatomy references, like if an arm is bent in a very specific way, or even all the veins and stuff. BUT the smaller figures are better for quick pose ideas (especially the Bandais, because I'm not as worried about breaking them as the 1/12 Phicens). They're all great though, 10/10 would recommend any of these figures.

*Figures are:

2 x Bandai (the grey and black plastic ones)

2 x TBLeague Phicen 1/12 TM01A and TM02A (one figure is more muscular than the other. The Soap head is on the more muscular body)

1 x TBLeague Phicen 1/6 male M34 body (head from eBay)

[bleaksqueak]

New reward up at the Solivaga Patreon

This month's main resource reward is a modular wing kit I made back in october when working on the halloween illustration. This version of the kit is completely free for use, you can edit it, use it in your projects, whatever you like. I've included edits of my own for other colors and varieties, but feel free to make your own. Every example in the previews is made using the kit. Copy and paste, free transform, liquify... edit them and have fun!

Included this month is the full working size save of the new tarot card, pages 36 - 40 of chapter 2,full sized, textless, and a few extra tidbit assets for patrons to use (The new tarot border, little scraps of torn notebook paper)

Thank you to all supporters, and to anyone who would like to snag some goodies and support the production of the comic, head over to the patreon and grab them (✨Here✨)

[tachyonsplus]

Glitch gear galore