Here's What Beginner Digital Artists Need To Know

If you want to make a living as an artist, chances are you're going to need to get comfortable drawing digitally. This can be overwhelming if you've never used the medium before, but that's just how you should approach it: as another medium for your arsenal, one that you'll utilize a lot in professional settings. There are a lot of options and tips out there, so here are the basics for beginner digital artists.

Save Everything

A handy sketchbook is wonderful in that you'll always have your art in one place, as a hard copy. With digital art, you may not have to worry about losing your sketchbook, but that doesn't mean your work isn't at risk of being lost. A simple glitch or software error could result in the loss of all your work, so why take the chance? Research some backup storage options and pay attention to cloud security. Many media companies, like video game companies, are very particular about protecting their IP, and they won't appreciate it if your account is hacked and someone leaks images of a new character. Even if that's not something you'll need to worry about, it is important to be able to look back over everything you've created to see your improvement.

Use the Right Tools

Pretty much all digital artists use a tablet, stylus, and drawing program to complete their work. You can splurge on an expensive tablet and Photoshop if you want, but beginners will likely be fine with an iPad, an Apple Pencil, and a program like Procreate. The program is inexpensive and popular with digital artists, so there are plenty of tutorials and custom brushes out there. There are also several powerful free programs and other types of tablets that will work fine for beginners. You may want to avoid going the super cheap route, since this can limit your ability to learn better programs and grasp some of the features that make digital art so appealing. 

Learn Your Program

Dive into whatever program you choose and start messing around in it. Try out brushes and other tools to get a feel for the capabilities of the platform. Do take a short tutorial, since you can't utilize the tools without knowing they exist and how they actually work. When you have a spare minute, look up new tips and tricks to see how other people are using the same tools in the same program. You can start creating right away, but it's going to save you a lot of time if you learn the shortcuts first. 

Layers Are Your Friend

One mistake beginner digital artists make time and time again is not using enough layers. Layers are just one aspect that makes digital art so versatile. You can have a sketch layer, one for lineart, one for flat colors, or even just for a single color. You can have one for a background that you turn on and off for different versions of the same project. The possibilities are endless. If you try to draw everything on one or two layers, you'll be stuck with basically the same composition throughout the process. 

Copy Your Sketches

To really get a feel for the possibilities of digital art, and how you'll need to adapt from sketching or painting, try to recreate one of your favorite pieces in your new program. You'll see just how different a new color scheme, line weight, and blending brushes can make a piece. Plus, since you're recreating something you already know well, you won't be stuck with the terror that often comes with a blank page, and you can focus on your technique and execution.

Digital art programs have a lot of moving pieces, but once you get to know them better, they offer far more freedom and flexibility than sketch artists are used to. With dedicated practice and exploration, you'll be well on your way to creating truly incredible pieces of art.