Creating illustrations in the digital era is much easier than it was years ago, when most designers would have you believe that professional quality work requires photoshop and other expensive software! There are now many free or low cost apps available with features similar to those expensive programs. Some of the best ones feature tools […]
Creating illustrations in the digital era is much easier than it was years ago, when most designers would have you believe that professional quality work requires photoshop and other expensive software!
There are now many free or low cost apps available with features similar to those expensive programs. Some of the best ones feature tools designed specifically for creating vector images- files that can be scaled indefinitely without losing quality– making them perfect for publishing your artwork online or using as background decorations.
These applications also usually include easy ways to edit colors, which gives you more flexibility in how yours look compared to editing the source image in another app like Photoshop or Gimp.
In this article I will go over one such app called Procreate. You will learn how to use Procreate to create your own illustrative pieces, and even turn these into interactive art. So get ready to explore some new creative spaces! Read on to find out more about this powerful tool.
One of my favorite ways to do digital illustration is to start with an existing image or style that you love. You can then edit, add to, or completely remake this design in your illustrator or procreate app!
I have done this many times where I will choose an already beautiful picture as my starting point. Then, I either colorize it by adding more colors or shape it into something new.
For example, one of my recent designs started off as a still life painting of a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. I then re-designed the bottle so that it was wider and had thinner lines for the neck and shoulders. My self-taught artist friend helped me achieve this look!
Another instance of mine starting from an inspiring piece is my most popular graphic (to date). It is called “The Reason Why” and features a flower blooming next to an eye. I took inspiration from this and created my own version, changing the plant type and hue.
A digital illustration is any picture or graphic design done in the computer. Technically, a drawing is not considered a digital illustration because it is painted onto another surface such as paper or cardboard.
But we will talk about that type of art later! For now, create your own illustrations by doing something called “sketching”. A good way to start is to use an app like Procreate which has tools designed for creating sketched artwork.
There you can draw shapes, add colors, and then take these designs and apply them into a new project or platform. This article will go more in depth about how to do this in Procreate!
What are some other ways to learn digital illustration?
Many schools offer courses on different software programs for designing graphics. Some of the most well-known brands include Adobe, Google, and Microsoft so make sure to check out what they have to offer!
Online tutorials are also very popularly used resources to learn digital illustration. There are many sites with free lessons and even paid ones that require you to login to access their content. Many people put together beginner level guides to help others get started!
Why should you be interested in digital illustration?
Digital artists earn top dollar for illustrating things such as logos, advertisements, and interactive apps and games.
A lot of artists start off by creating a rough draft or concept for their artwork before moving onto drawing, and then adding more detail.
For example, someone could draw an eye first and then add eyelashes and eyebrows later. By starting with a completed element like that, you can save time developing your illustration design skills.
It is similar to how designers create logos. They pick a type style (like rounded corners) and then develop it into a logo.
By using a template as a source of inspiration, you have already done some of the work for yourself!
Procreate is a very popular painting app designed for the iPad. It has many features that allow you to edit, enhance, and even complete finalize your paintings.
One such feature is “Photographic Elements” which allows you to use textures, patterns, shades, and other elements directly from a photograph.
In this article we will be going through all of the steps necessary to learn how to do digital illustrative photography in procreate. We will also go over different types of photographic textures and why they are used in art.
A very popular way to do digital illustration is creating artwork that are mostly made of geometric shapes. These illustrations are typically framed in a specific style, which makes them more identifiable as yours.
Drawing simple squares, rectangles and circles can be done many ways depending on how you want your image to look. There are several apps with easy tools for beginner artists to start practicing their hand-eye coordination.
Many people begin by drawing lots of lines and then going back and filling in the areas between the lines. By doing this, you’re developing your perception and visualization of shape.
Practice: Try experimenting with different styles or genres of digital art like making pictures, cartoon drawings and caricatures.
There are plenty of free resources online where you can find inspiration and tips on how to get started with digital painting! You don’t need any special equipment to get started either; most software comes bundled with some kind of toolbox or palette that contains all the necessary brushes and graphics.
Line drawings are one of the most fundamental styles in illustration. Almost every genre uses line as an integral part, whether it is for composition, narrative structure, or both. Technically speaking, a linework artist does not actually create lines, but shapes that contain lines. It is very important to know how to draw lines before trying your hand at digital art!
There are many ways to learn how to draw lines effectively. Some artists focus more on formal methods, while others find it more intuitive. No matter which style you prefer, there are several easy ways to get better at drawing lines.
Here we will go over five techniques to improve your skill by doing simple exercises. Try out each one once a week if necessary, but remember, no pressure! 😉
Breaking down the process
When learning how to do digital illustrations, it can be tricky knowing where to start. There are so many different types of media and software that use images for design, and new technology comes along all the time.
That is why it is best to break down the process into steps instead of diving right in. By starting with something simpler, you have time to master the technique before moving onto harder ones.
By taking your time to perfect these basics, you’ll feel more confident starting other projects. These lessons will take you through step-by-step tutorials, so you’ll never need to figure anything out on your own.
A texture is an element in a drawing or painting that gives it its look. Textures can be natural materials like plants or animals, buildings, or people, or they can be digital.
As you probably know by now, procreate allows you to create your own brushes using different color layers and modes. You can also add textures to those brushes!
There are many ways to do this. One way is to go into one of the pre-made brush types and find ones with textures already applied. You can pull up any stock photo website and search for “nature” or “seashore” to find them.
Alternatively, you can take a screenshot or graphic and edit it in software such as Photoshop or Gimp. Then, drag and drop it onto your canvas when creating a new layer in procreate.
That said, there are some great free resources online for vegans to use! There are plenty of nature photos and greens you can mix and match to achieve beautiful results.
Color is one of the most important tools in digital illustration. There are many ways to use color in your artwork, but none more universal than using solid colors.
Using only solid colors makes your image feel calm and relaxed. It also gives the viewer a sense of tranquility, which can help them connect with the piece.
You do not need every single color in the spectrum for this to work, either! Some artists will start with a very limited number of primaries (grays, blues, reds) and then add other shades to make different textures and patterns.
By mixing both neutral and bright colors together, you create an effect that resembles nature. Plants, water, and natural landscapes are all made up of just these elements!
There are several apps that have built-in palettes of colors that you may or may not have access to at first.
A few years ago, if you wanted to create beautiful digital illustrations, you needed to be trained in graphic design or use very specific software that allowed for vector graphics.
Now, there are many free apps and tools that let you make your own visuals by creating your own styles or designs. You get to choose what colors and shapes you want to include and then you can edit and remix them as necessary.
There are several apps that offer this feature, but my favorite is Adobe’s Photoshop Mix. Not only does it give you access to all of their products, including photoshop, lightroom, illustrator, and other paid applications for just $7 per month, but it also gives you some basic tutorials on how to use those programs!
You will not be designing from scratch, but rather choosing from pre-made style templates that you can easily customize and mix together.
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