Good programs for drawing

[Fusion Fox]

I want to practice drawing on a computer with my tablet but I can't find a program that's good for drawing and colouring/filling. Anybody got any recommendations?

Tablet features might be cool but not necessary...

[Terra]

Alias Sketchbook Pro. It's best for sketching (maybe coloring if you're really good at inking on tablet). Otherwise you should stick with Photoshop.

[Terra]

BTW, what is your tablet? Is it Wacom?

[Fusion Fox]

terra said:

BTW, what is your tablet? Is it Wacom?

Yeah, a Wacom Volito2

terra said:

Alias Sketchbook Pro. It's best for sketching (maybe coloring if you're really good at inking on tablet). Otherwise you should stick with Photoshop.

If I draw something in photoshop, can I easily use the fill tool to colour in my drawing? I tried doing this in Macromedia Fireworks (My image editing software) and it wouldn't fill right up to the line (I can't show an example right now, I don't have my tablet set up on this computer).

[kristessential]

How much does a tablet cost?

[Jono]

A Wacom costs alot! Others not quite as much.

For all my drawings I use the GIMP, and a mouse. GIMP is good, powerfull software, and free to boot!

[kristessential]

I just can't draw with a mouse.

[Sarah]

I myself just set my paintbrush to a certain setting and it works for inking. As for coloring...

www.deviantart.com/view/33699427/

[PossibleKim]

Try adobe photoshop. they are good

[Terra]

fusionfox said:

terra said:

BTW, what is your tablet? Is it Wacom?

Yeah, a Wacom Volito2

terra said:

Alias Sketchbook Pro. It's best for sketching (maybe coloring if you're really good at inking on tablet). Otherwise you should stick with Photoshop.

If I draw something in photoshop, can I easily use the fill tool to colour in my drawing? I tried doing this in Macromedia Fireworks (My image editing software) and it wouldn't fill right up to the line (I can't show an example right now, I don't have my tablet set up on this computer).

Sorry, i don't know much about filling. In Photoshop, i do the inking & coloring in different layers, which consume pretty much time. In Xara i use shapes & lines. Perhap you should ink the lines with Pen Tool before filling.

[nabusan]

For me, even with pen tool - colouring in doesn't get all the way to the line. There's always like a 1mm-ish gap. What I do is either get another layer and color in the uncolored gaps manually from behind. Or I dupicate my drawing layer, which somehow thickens the lineart and covers the gap.

[Sarah]

Easiest way to do this for me is this:

Step One:
a) If it's just lines, no white put that Layer to the top and make a new layer, name it Color Layer underneath it then go to the next step.
b) If it's lines on solid white place that layer on the top layer and set that layer to Multiply. (double-click layer and select Multiply from the list)

Step Two:
Fill an entire area in with color is (Photoshop tools) use the Magic Selection Brush! Now, with this said it will select the bulk of the color.

Step Three:
Go to Selection > Modify > Expand and expand it about 2 pixels, all depending on the width of the lines. This should mean that the selection will expand by that much taking up the small space of white that people usually miss.

Step Four:
Now go to the Color Layer under the 'Lines' Layer and select the Paintbrush. You should be getting most of it, OR save even more time and select the Fill Bucket and un-check the three small boxes in the Options menu for the Fill Bucket.

Just humor me and try it

[RngrThorne]

I don't know anything about tablets. But I use Paint Shop Pro. Of course, I'm not the best (read that: not any kind) of artist.

[Fusion Fox]

jono said:

A Wacom costs alot!

Mine cost £27 brand new from amazon.co.uk, that's not that expensive is it?

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0009H7XAY/026-5753162-8290851?v=glance&n=560798&s=gateway&v=glance

[Fusion Fox]

Thanks for all your help everybody, I'll try the programs and methods you recommended (and thanks for the detailed explanations Sarah ;D)

[nabusan]

sarah said:

Step Three:
Go to Selection > Modify > Expand and expand it about 2 pixels, all depending on the width of the lines. This should mean that the selection will expand by that much taking up the small space of white that people usually miss.

Gah! Thank you for this! I so didn't know you could do that! I'll try this out tomorrow!!!

[Jono]

I have the same problem using the GIMP, but I found my own way to deal with it.