Going Digital?

Intro
If you've ever thought about drawing digitally but never quite got started for some reason or another, this short article have a few tips and notions, which just might boot you into the thing. We will focus on both the hardware and software side of the matter, as well as the mental preparation which is a major part of the change itself. We begin with the hardware part first.

The Gear
When we're talking drawing digitally we're talking about digitizers (also known as tablets), and this usually involves Wacom's excellent line of digitizer products. They are sturdy, good looking and generally work like a charm. They are very precise and have a high level of pressure sensitivity, which leaves you with a feeling of great control. They come in various sizes, and some have programmable buttons and slidebars.

I use an Intuos3 6" x 8" for the digital art I draw and paint, but depending on your needs you can choose a smaller or even a larger size tablet. But it all comes down to taste and needs as far as tablet size goes. They are hooked up via USB and don't need an external powersupply (they are powered via the USB port). The pen is used just as a normal pen, it has a rubber grip for those sweaty fingers and feels good in your hand. The pen itself is completely wireless, and gives you the freedom to tilt and turn it as you please. Along with a wide variety of accessories for Wacom's tablets, you can find many different types of nibs for your pen. Some have more traction, and some slide smoothly over the surface of the digitizer. What-ever feel you're looking for, you should be able to find a nib type that appeals to you quite easy.

The Software
Along with most Wacom tablets comes Painter Essentials (for both Mac and PC), which is sufficient to begin and experiment with. It is basically a (very) light version of Painter. However, due to it's limitations you will quickly want to move to a more full-blown and feature rich drawing application. Here is a short list of app's supporting Wacom's tablets:


Corel Painter
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
The Gimp
Paint Shop Pro
Manga Studio
Open Canvas


The software listed above all have support for Wacom's tablets (and most likely other tablets as well), but while some of them only have support for these, others are made specifically for tablet use. The list is by no means complete, but only contains some of the more popular choices. Depending on your needs (and the size of your wallet) you should be able to find what you need from the list above. Many of the apps listed can be downloaded as fully functional 30 day trial versions free of charge on the internet, which is probably a good idea before spending heaps of green on a full version.

Is This The Real Thing?
If you're having doubts about whether sketching, drawing and painting digitally is the real thing compared to traditional ditto, you could look at it this way: If I mail you two identical cooking recipes, one by snail-mail (analog) and one by e-mail (digital) would they not result in the very same dish? Would you not leave your personal touch and mark in the making of the dish in either case? The answer of course, is yes! The only difference is how you receive each of the recipes, which is either analogically or digitally. Though this analogy is a bit crude, it has an important point to it. Namely that you will leave a personal mark and style in your art, whether you draw traditionally (analogically) or by tablet (digitally). I would even go as far as to claim that it is inevitable that you do. With that said the differences between drawing digitally and analogically are obviously present, but try to think of it as two different ways to reach the same goal. The mental preparation is to accept drawing and painting digitally as a valid way to create art. Once you have reached that conclusion you are pretty much set to go.

Get Used To It
"Are they hard getting used to?" you might ask. Not really! You may think that drawing one place (on the tablet), and the lines appearing another place (on your screen) would seem confusing. This assumption however, quickly falls to the ground once you actually try one because they become natural to use in no time. Initially you can simply just grab the pen and start drawing effortlessly, but to get fully used to your digitizer you'll need a few days of practice but that's pretty much it. The technology is so refined that it quickly becomes as easy to use as a mouse, and most people usually don't think about using a mouse, they just use it.

To end this article, the only thing left to say is; The technology is there, grab it, give it a go, and add a new and interesting dimension to your world of creativity.

Go push some pixels!