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How To Get Better At Digital Illustration

Creating illustrations is one of the most popular ways to showcase your artistic talent. If you are looking to improve your hand-drawn style, getting better in digital illustration can be tricky at times. There are many styles that artists use when creating images for their own projects or to present themselves professionally. Different artist take […]

By
LNGFRM Team
Published December 21, 2022

Creating illustrations is one of the most popular ways to showcase your artistic talent. If you are looking to improve your hand-drawn style, getting better in digital illustration can be tricky at times.

There are many styles that artists use when creating images for their own projects or to present themselves professionally. Different artist take advantage of different software programs to achieve their look. Finding out which ones work best for you and how to use them effectively is an important part of improving your drawing skills.

This article will go over some easy steps to get started with! Keep reading to learn more about illustrative tools and how to use them.

Practice making sketches

Sketches are one of the most fundamental forms of digital illustration, and there’s no reason to add them to your toolbox if you can’t draw! By experimenting with drawing from nature or still life, by practicing in-depth studies or quick thumbnail drawings, you’ll find that you’re more inclined to pick up rules and patterns for designing pictures that you already understand how to make.

There are many ways to learn about sketching. Some people suggest starting with line drawings, then moving onto thicker washes, shapes, and so forth. Others recommend picking an element (a leaf, a flower, a person) and studying it closely, looking at its shape, what other elements it includes, how it moves as a result of something else, and so on.

Either way, start small and work slowly! No matter which style you choose, keep yourself inspired and learning new things by looking at lots of different illustrations and thinking about why they look the way they do.

Create a style that you find appealing

how to get better at digital illustration

As we’ve discussed before, your style is an integral part of who you are as an artist. If you try to push through with designs that do not appeal to you, then it will take you longer to achieve success.

The best way to get better at anything is by doing. So, start trying out new styles and techniques and see what works for you!

One thing that different artists have in common is that they all use their own personal style to convey their creativity.

You must be able to identify what tools and materials inspire you so that you can incorporate them into your own art.

It’s impossible to become a great digital illustrator if you don’t use illustrations as inspiration!

Take some time every day to look at examples of illustration and how they’re done. You may want to experiment with drawing or painting yourself to learn more about the medium.

Learn to use all of the Photoshop and illustrator features

how to get better at digital illustration

Sometimes, even after you have spent hours perfecting your drawing skills, you will run into a challenge that you cannot seem to solve.

It could be because someone else’s design is completely different from yours, making it hard to compare notes and learn new tricks.

Or maybe you just can’t figure out how to take advantage of an interesting feature or tool in the program you are using to create designs.

Whatever the case may be, we can always look towards those who came before us for tips and tricks. By studying their work, we can pick up some things here and there to apply to our own styles.

And while they might not teach what you want to know about directly, going through their tools and settings can give you some valuable insights.

Practice editing with patience

how to get better at digital illustration

Editing digital illustrations can sometimes feel like pulling teeth! There are many ways to edit an illustration, and some of them seem very simple, but when you try to apply one, it does not work or needs something else done to it.

It is best to learn how to do digital painting through practice first. Once you have mastered that, then you can move onto other things such as drawing, illustrating, or even creating your own illustrations.

Practice making your drawings look good by using plain shapes, shades of color, and textures. Doing this will help you get familiar with the software and what looks nice and well-designed.

Editing is no different! When someone sends you their artwork for proofreading or revision, take your time to check it out properly. Make sure nothing has too much white space, that all lines are clear, and that everything is clearly defined.

When doing so, make sure to use natural lighting, solid colors, and bright lights to improve the readability of the image.

Learn to use all of the Adobe Creative Cloud apps

how to get better at digital illustration

One of the most important things you can do as a digital artist is learn how to use all of your software! There are many applications that contain tools to create beautiful illustrations, logos, and designs.

You should know how to work with Photoshop, InDesign, Sketch, and other popular design softwares like Figma and Procreate.

By being familiar with every app, it will help you hone your drawing and designing skills and save you time in the long run. You would not want to pay for expensive studio space or computer equipment only to find out that there was something you were missing.

There are free versions of almost everything so try out different ones to see which one feels comfortable to you.

Challenge yourself

how to get better at digital illustration

As mentioned before, digital illustrators start off with very simple styles and then progress from there. Starting with simpler designs is a great way to ease into it!

There are many ways to get new artwork for your style. You can take some online classes, find free resources, or buy new brushes and apps that have beautiful illustrations.

Alternatively, you can create your own designs! Creating your own designs is an excellent way to hone your drawing skills while also improving your artistic expression.

Many people begin designing by creating a pattern or shape in illustration software like Photoshop or Sketch. Others use found textures as sources for inspiration.

You can start experimenting with these things and adding your own touches to them! The best way to learn how to draw well is by doing. So, dont hesitate to try something new if you want to see results.

Learn new techniques

how to get better at digital illustration

One of the best ways to get better at digital illustration is by learning new tools and technologies. There are many free resources available via YouTube, blogs, and magazines that can help you learn the ins and outs of different software programs.

Some of the most popular drawing softwares such as Photoshop have their own beginner tutorials or courses that can be accessed for free. Many universities also offer student discounts so it makes sense to search for students who use these apps and see what they do.

There are several books that focus exclusively on illustrating with computer graphics and/or vector art which may be more advanced than starting out in pixel painting. These types of books go into great detail about different production processes and strategies for improving your artistic skills.

Vector graphics are an increasingly common way to create illustrations due to how easily you can scale them down. This means that you don’t need very expensive software to begin creating.

Become familiar with popular topics in digital illustration

how to get better at digital illustration

It is very difficult to improve your drawing if you do not know what tools people have used to create beautiful illustrations. By exploring different styles, media, and techniques, you can start to develop your own style or find new ways to use existing skills.

There are many types of artists that inspire other artists. People who take inspiration from nature, manga, anime, comic books, fashion, etc all contribute to their artistic growth.

By studying these areas, you will see how they apply themselves to creativity and technique so you can pick and choose pieces that appeal to you and learn something new.

Digital art comes with its own set of fundamentals such as color theory, proportions, and logic behind composition. When painting, there’s brush anatomy, texture, and control over medium like water or oil paint.

When sketching, there are concepts of line, value, and proportion. All of these things combine into creating an interesting picture or piece of artwork. Having a basic understanding of these components will help you be more creative.

Author

  • LNGFRM Team

    Frank DiBernardo handles LNGFRM's Foodie and Miscellaneous writing tasks. He's always getting ideas from users, so don't be afraid to send an email to the editor.

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