So at Happy Gecko Sticky Situation, I draw and own every design. I get a few models of an animal, pick the colors I'd like to utilize and then just go for it. To draw these little stickers I use Adobe Photoshop CS3. It's not the newest version, but it is a version I feel pretty comfortable with. If you want to draw, get into art and learn more about digital artwork there are so many programs you can use, some free, some not so free. Adobe is probably the most expensive, but the most extensive as well. There are so many things you can do in Photoshop. I've never used GIMP on a long-term basis, nor have I used SAI, both of which are free programs, but I've heard lots of artists gush about them both. I do use www.pixlr.com when I'm away from home or don't have my laptop with me and want to toss up a quick banner or similar to Facebook.
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| About 60 layers were used in this portrait. |
In order to draw efficiently, I also have a little Wacom tablet--a Bamboo Fun. For just the doodling I do I find it practical. It's pretty hard to draw with a mouse alone. The Bamboo tablets start for pretty inexpensive, in the range of 100-200 dollars and also come with a Photoshop program. I've used my Wacom tablet for five years now, and it's still pluggin' along great. If you want to draw digitally--this is a pretty good little package deal for you. Here are a few quick tips to start out on your own. Mind--this isn't an extensive blog about drawing, just some little things I've found on the journey. There will probably be more blogs about how to use more tools and proper ways of using layers in later blogs. If you're looking to becoming a better artist, the best you can do is draw as much as possible. No amount of reading blogs or art books are going to make you better unless you practice.
From start to completion a design will take me anywhere from 2-10 total hours depending on intricacy, colors, and whether or not I'm listening to music. Music definitely gets my stylus movin'. Once I've completed a design I walk away from it for awhile. Sometimes it can make me pull my hair out if something doesn't seem just right and have to set aside the
project for a later time. Since I tend to do that, walking away is my
way of taking a break and getting a fresh mind on the design. That can be an hour, two hours or even a day before I open it back up to check on it. If I come back to it and like it better than when I first walked away then I save it as a PNG file for private use and a JPEG file for internet use. If I am not in like with it, then I get to fixing what I don't like or even sometimes start the entire thing over again. I am pretty picky sometimes, like many artists can be.
When you want to start doodling, it's best to get the biggest resolution you can. Start big. That way if you need to shrink your image the quality won't be compromised as much as if you needed to make your finished product bigger. Saving as a PNG also helps keep the quality of the image good. The transparency of an image in PNG format is also helpful if you're planning on die-cutting your images. My doodles start out at 220 pixels per inch. Your program will most likely default at 72, so be sure to change that before you begin drawing.
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| Using "stroke" in PS for the first time. |
Layers. Layers, layers, layers. These things will be extremely frustrating at first. But once you get the hang of using layers they will become your best friend. So use layers. Each layer can be a different color, a line, a certain body part, whatever your style is. I always put a layer behind all layers with a total greyed-out background and use this layer as my palette. This is so you can sniff out any mistakes when coloring in your lines. The grey background makes it easier to spot any mistakes or inconsistencies between your lines. Once I'm done with the piece I just delete this layer or hide it. Lines should be on their own layer and on top of all the other layers. I also do about three to ten layers for just the body coloring. One is just the base layer of the lightest color I plan use for the animal, then each additional layer is another shade darker from the one below it or even a completely different color altogether. Any details, like scales, shading or an extra little mark on it gets it's own layer. I shade my designs by using a layer on top of all the color layers but beneath the line layer and changing it to multiply instead of "normal". This makes shadows look a little bit more natural rather than all one color. Fill in shading with a low opacity and soft brush where you think it looks good.
One little tip I'll leave you with is: YouTube. I learned how to use most of my shortcuts and tools in college, but I learned how to refine them, what you can apply the tools to, and even how to learn updated tools by watching as many videos as possible on YouTube. Deviant art often has some pretty nifty tutorials, too but YouTube really helps out with watching how to manipulate things. So, pick one tool. Play around with it in your program. See what it does. Then go search for a tutorial on YouTube and put it to good use. You'll be doodling in no time!
