Tools of the trade

[Ackaroth]

I am a very very beginner artist. I took art 1 senior year of highschool (last fall through spring 2006) and before that the last art class I took was in 5th grade, when it was required. I have a creative side in me, and I love the work I have seen since I discovered this site. My question is this: What kind of tools do I need? I know that is EXTREMELY vague, so I will clarify. For now, I am interested in just doing sketches, most likely character/architecture. I have considered charcoal. Also, do you guys think it would be advisable to get a tablet? I am planning on getting a scanner just because I want to get active in this community and start building art skills, and since my digital skills are non-existant, I would have to be working out of a sketchbook, and then I would need a scanner to post my work. I threw together a small wishlist on newegg of the things I would like to ask for Christmas from the family, let me know what you think.

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16838111121
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16883100021

I am also interested in any suggestions on referances, books, classes I should look into, etc. I am a freshman at Sam Houston State, in Texas, and am seriously considering taking ALOT of art classes in the spring. I was looking to be a computer science major, but learning java proved to be really boring and tedious.

[emily g]

Welcome,

You can find some info on tablets if you scroll down in this thread: http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=79774

Also, you can try using the search function and search the Lounge for things such as "art materials," "scanner," art books" and such.

I think a pencil and paper is just fine to start with if you want to sketch characters and architecture.
Charcoal can be messy, and I would probably use it for doing figure drawings or still lifes.

Getting a tablet is a good idea, otherwise you will be struggling with a mouse, which can be really difficult.
You will also need a scanner, but you can get by if you have a digital camera to take pictures of your work.

best of luck!
emily

[Datameister]

If you're just starting off with seriously making art, I'd recommend holding off on the tablet for a while. Digital painting won't make you a better artist; practice will. Go out and buy a few pencils and just start drawing. Draw from real life, from photos, from your imagination, from other pieces of artwork. Draw every day, and ask anyone you can for advice on improvement.

As for pencils, it really doesn't matter all that much which ones you buy. I have some black Derwent pencils that work nicely. Whatever brand you choose, I'd suggest getting a 4H, HB (or F), and 4B to start off with. These'll give you a nice range to work with. Also, you may consider black Prismacolors. These are wax-based colored pencils; you can use the black ones much as you would use a normal graphite pencils, but the feel and appearance are slightly different.

Post your work on this site! Get critiques! Take those critiques seriously and don't be insulted! Most importantly, have fun!

Once you've developed some of the basic skills necessary with art, you can decided whether you're enjoying yourself or not and whether it would be worthwhile to invest a hundred bucks or two in a tablet. (By the way, I heavily recommend the Wacom Intuos3 4x5 or 4x6 to non-professionals. It's cheaper than larger tablets but its quality is very high.)

And yes, a scanner would be helpful, although if you have a good enough digital camera, you can mount that on a tripod above an evenly-lit piece of artwork and typically create pretty good "scans."

Good luck!

[Ackaroth]

So should I not even worry about that $90 tablet for now? I figured if nothing else it would get me started and if I found that I just wasnt really grasping the concept, I wouldnt be out $200.

[term8or]

... I'd keep away from digital and painting until you can draw well with a pencil and paper or charcoal or pen. The skills you learn with a pencil will easily translate to digital.

Don't buy anything expensive, just buy a few pencils, a lot of good quality cartridge paper (I'd recommend letter / A4 or smaller) and start drawing. Oh, and a OK scanner is nice, too:)

[Datameister]

Better to just go traditional in the beginning. That way, you can later decide that you definitely want a tablet and then spend $200 on a nice one. Or you could decide it's just not worth it and not spend any money at all, rather than being down $90 and having a piece of electronics in your closet you'll never use.

[Ackaroth]

Woot! I got my sketchbook and pencils from home, and found another old sketchbook of mine. Still need to find some rulers and one of those things with all the different size circles inside. But now I can start working on stuff and posting my work.

[Ackaroth]

Quick update: The camera I was planning on using wont communicate with my computer, so I guess I am back to not posting work, but at least I can draw. My mom is gonna help me grab a scanner some time.