TNOAF: Stuff that made art easier for me
Exactly what the title sounds like been a while since the last TNOAF-
As for digital:
1. Folders. Fellas, do you use a lot of layers? Are you bad at keeping track of em? Maybe there's a few sketches you made and despite never using them you don't wanna delete them but they add like 4 extra layers to your drawing but you can't part with them-Welcome to folders. At least in Ibis Paint you can make a group of layers called a folder and open and close the folder as you please to access said layers. I use this in particularly big drawings and use folders for my shading layers then lighting layers then effects then lines etc etc, so a huge drawing may have something like 20-25 layers but thanks to folders it can only appear as 4 or 5 when they're all closed.
2. CUSTOM BRUSHES! Even if you don't use pen pressure these are so useful. Speed sizing is a thing too btw-but customizing your brushes to your workflow and the way you like to draw will make your life so much easier. Depending on your program you can make everything from custom line art brushes to stamps [great for comic making] to patterns.
3. Learning how blending modes work. There's videos on this but also just playing around and seeing what color/saturation does what on each mode is helpful.
As for traditional:
1. Find the paper you like to use. Try out different papers like printer or cards took or mixed media or....idfk recycled greeting cards-whatever you like to use with your materials. Not only does it help with art flow it helps with consistency.
2. Keep your workspace clean. It doesn't sound like much but it helps especially if you use paints or charcoal or anything else already messy, keeping the area clean will make it harder for smudges and clothes and other things to be ruined unless you don't mind that. The same goes for keeping your supplies organized and knowing where they are, if you're multimedia like me this is important.
This last one goes for both:
FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY USE YOUR TOOLS!!!! It's not cheating if you're supposed to use it. Rulers, line tools, frickin mechanical pencils can't believe I've seen arguments for this one-it isn't cheating to make art easier and/or more enjoyable. You don't gotta suffer for 6 hours take good art my guy. Art puritans say you need to labor over every little detail of your work nah I ain't trying to use my sanity and feeling in my hands in the same day- tools are there in your programs and art kits for a reason. Even bases are there to help you, just credit the program [cus programs offer them now] or original creator. Same goes for 3D models they're there for you to use just say you use them.
That's all for now, maybe this'll help someone maybe not idk bruh-
As for digital:
1. Folders. Fellas, do you use a lot of layers? Are you bad at keeping track of em? Maybe there's a few sketches you made and despite never using them you don't wanna delete them but they add like 4 extra layers to your drawing but you can't part with them-Welcome to folders. At least in Ibis Paint you can make a group of layers called a folder and open and close the folder as you please to access said layers. I use this in particularly big drawings and use folders for my shading layers then lighting layers then effects then lines etc etc, so a huge drawing may have something like 20-25 layers but thanks to folders it can only appear as 4 or 5 when they're all closed.
2. CUSTOM BRUSHES! Even if you don't use pen pressure these are so useful. Speed sizing is a thing too btw-but customizing your brushes to your workflow and the way you like to draw will make your life so much easier. Depending on your program you can make everything from custom line art brushes to stamps [great for comic making] to patterns.
3. Learning how blending modes work. There's videos on this but also just playing around and seeing what color/saturation does what on each mode is helpful.
As for traditional:
1. Find the paper you like to use. Try out different papers like printer or cards took or mixed media or....idfk recycled greeting cards-whatever you like to use with your materials. Not only does it help with art flow it helps with consistency.
2. Keep your workspace clean. It doesn't sound like much but it helps especially if you use paints or charcoal or anything else already messy, keeping the area clean will make it harder for smudges and clothes and other things to be ruined unless you don't mind that. The same goes for keeping your supplies organized and knowing where they are, if you're multimedia like me this is important.
This last one goes for both:
FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY USE YOUR TOOLS!!!! It's not cheating if you're supposed to use it. Rulers, line tools, frickin mechanical pencils can't believe I've seen arguments for this one-it isn't cheating to make art easier and/or more enjoyable. You don't gotta suffer for 6 hours take good art my guy. Art puritans say you need to labor over every little detail of your work nah I ain't trying to use my sanity and feeling in my hands in the same day- tools are there in your programs and art kits for a reason. Even bases are there to help you, just credit the program [cus programs offer them now] or original creator. Same goes for 3D models they're there for you to use just say you use them.
That's all for now, maybe this'll help someone maybe not idk bruh-
