Digital drawing is one of the latest areas of digital art that has attracted the admiration of many Internet pioneers in recent times. The technical boom in computer programs in the recent period has contributed to facilitating the process of digital drawing for many people.
If you are a fan of drawing and would like to take your talent into the digital age, this field will really appeal to you. Also, if you love to draw but your manual skills are poor, then digital drawing will help you to create wonderful paintings easily.
In this article, we introduce you to the world of digital painting, and how you can create beautiful artistic paintings in the easiest possible way.
What is digital drawing?
Digital drawing is drawing by using electronic devices instead of drawing with the traditional image that relies on traditional pens and boards.
The electronic devices that you can use in digital drawing are:
A device for digital drawing (contains a touch screen and is called a graphics or graphics tablet, and it also contains a stylus).
Tablet or smart tablet (i.e. Android or IOS tablet).
Smart mobile phone.
You can use the tablet or smartphone for digital drawing directly. As for the tablet for digital drawing, it must be connected to a computer or smart mobile device to be able to use it.
If you have difficulty understanding the previous statement, do not worry, we will explain to you in detail how each device works in the field of digital painting.
Is it possible to create paintings on computers that do not have touch screens? Yes, but this may be a little more difficult than the previous methods, however, to complete it, as we will explain later.
Digital painting is known on the Internet by the following names:
Digital art (generic name)
Digital drawing
digital painting
There is a big difference between the programs that are used to draw on the computer, such as the Paint program and others, and digital drawing. Although computer drawing programs are digital drawing tools, the final product differs between the two.
Digital drawing programs enable you to draw with an accuracy almost similar to drawing using hands, this is due to the fact that they depend on drawing pens designed for digital drawing, and they can capture the movement of your hands very accurately and transfer them to programs dedicated to digital drawing with great accuracy.
Of course, there are computer programs that enable you to create a beautiful picture, but they are limited when compared to digital drawing programs.
Figure painting can be thought of as a combination between the creativity of the human hand and the advantages of modern technology.
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digital drawing tools
Literally you can draw digitally on any device that has a touch panel, however there are devices dedicated to this purpose and the way it works and performance varies from one device to another.
We will start by mentioning the well-known tools in this field that are used by most digital artists, then we will try to provide some economic ways to enter the field of digital painting in a simple or as a hobby.
For software; Most photo editing software is compatible with digital drawing tools, but we will mention the best of these tools later in today's article.
Now let's get acquainted with the digital drawing tools:
1. A graphics tablet (for drawing and presentation)
This device is close in shape and design to tablets that run well-known operating systems such as Android or IOS. The main difference in this device is that it is a touch screen that is connected to a computer or a mobile phone.
To be able to draw on this device you will need to use a special drawing stylus which is usually sold with the device.
Using the device is easy, you will need to connect it to your computer or mobile phone and open the program with which you will draw. The device will act as another screen for your device but it is a screen that responds to your drawing with its stylus.
This type of device is known in this field as the graphic tablet, and it is considered the preferred device for digital illustrators and animation designers because it displays what they are drawing directly on its screen and on the screen of the device to which it is connected at the same time.
Important note: Most digital drawing devices are called a tablet or tablet, however, they are not similar to the known tablets, as they do not contain a processor, memory, or any components that enable you to operate them alone, and they must be connected to a computer or mobile phone to be able to use them .
2. A digital drawing tablet only
A digital drawing device or drawing tablet is similar to its graphic counterpart in the following aspects:
It must be connected to another device in order to be able to use it (through a connecting cable or via Bluetooth).
Drawing on it is done through a pen (supplied with the device).
The only difference is that the digital drawing device does not display what you are drawing on it, that is, it is not considered a separate screen.
The use of this device is similar to its previous counterpart, with the difference that the user draws on it while the graphics appear on the screen of the device connected to it. The device can be connected to any computer, mobile phone or ordinary tablet.
The previous two devices are the official devices for professionals in the field of digital drawing. If we want more accuracy, the graphic tablet is used by professionals and workers in large companies because its price may be a little high.
A digital drawing tablet or drawing tablet is very popular among independent digital artists, and although there are types of this device that can be expensive, most of the devices that belong to this category are considered inexpensive.
In the next lines, we will discuss some of the economic options that you can make by entering the world of digital painting with tools that you already have.
There are a large number of companies that manufacture digital drawing tablets, the most famous and best in this field are:
Important note: Most of the previous companies manufacture drawing tablet and graphic tablet, and as we have explained, the difference between the two devices is essential.
To avoid any confusion between the types of devices, we advise you to carefully review the specifications (and rating) of the device you are going to buy before purchasing it.
Alternative solutions and devices to enter the world of digital painting
1. Smart Tablet
In general, you can use any tablet you have for digital drawing, and this is not an exaggeration, but this method is very prevalent in this field, you do not need to use your tablet for digital drawing any tools other than a pen dedicated to this field.
There are a variety of pens for digital drawing, there are electronic and regular pens. Of course, every pen differs from the other even within the same category, and you will need to know the right pen for you and compatible with your tablet.
Of course, since a tablet's screen is touch screen, you can use a large number of tools to deal with it, and some already do. I have seen on the Internet alternative solutions for a stylus or a drawing stylus, but unfortunately most of them are not suitable for digital drawing and we do not recommend using any of them.
Note that the digital drawing stylus is designed to handle your screen accurately without causing any scratches on it, there are cheap types of digital drawing pens that perform their role perfectly, and their price does not exceed 10 US dollars.
You can use your smart tablet for digital drawing in two different ways:
The first method: is to use it for digital drawing directly, in other words, you will draw and modify your drawings on it, this can be completed through programs such as:
The links above are the links for the programs for Android, but most of the previous programs are available on the Android and IOS operating systems for free on the store for each system.
If you are looking for more programs, we will mention several other programs that have versions on phones and mobile devices in the section on digital drawing programs.
The second method: It is through installing a specific program on the tablet and on another computer and connecting both devices to each other. These programs will turn your tablet into a digital drawing tablet, and make your computer treat it accordingly.
VirtualTablet Lite is the most important program, and almost the only program that enables you to convert any tablet into a digital drawing tablet.
The program explains to you the steps to install and use it on the tablet and on the computer, which are easy steps that do not require any technical skills.
2. Economical options for digital drawing tools
The advantage of digital painting is that it is primarily based on a touch screen, in other words any touch screen you own that you can use to make great digital paintings.
Of course, the official devices for this field that we mentioned at the beginning of the article have features dedicated to this field, such as:
Allergy.
Precision.
Full compatibility with digital drawing software.
However if you have a smart mobile phone you can use it for digital drawing, you can draw directly with your fingers (although we don't recommend it), or buy a digital drawing pen and use one of the digital drawing software compatible with your mobile operating system.
If you own a portable computer with a touch screen, you can buy any digital drawing pen, and install one of the digital drawing programs that we will mention in the next section of the article.
Best digital drawing software
1. Adobe Photoshop
From Adobe is considered the leading program in the field of image editing, as it is reliable in the field of digital painting.
Photoshop is the best program suitable for digital art as it enables you to do anything you want in this field, the program is reliable for drawing, coloring and editing, and its tools are constantly updated.
Photoshop provides other advantages such as compatibility on most operating systems and devices, meaning that you can use it at any time and on any device, which makes it highly reliable.
Adobe does not offer a free price plan for using Photoshop (or most of its programs), you will need to pay a monthly subscription of about $21 to be able to use Photoshop.
If you want to explore the capabilities of the Photoshop program in the field of digital painting, you can take advantage of the free trial period that it offers, the period is only one month, and it is available to all Adobe programs and all its tools without limits.
2. Clip Studio Paint
Do you like to draw manga and character? Then this is the perfect program for you, Clip Studio Paint, specially designed for Japanese comics enthusiasts.
The program can accurately sense the sensitivity of your use of the stylus, which helps you to draw on it easily. The program website provides a special section for explanations, which helps you to understand everything about how to use the programs from the beginning of its use to its professionalism.
The program is available in two versions, one that provides professional features for digital painters, and another version with fewer features and tools. The purchase price for the Premium or EX version is $219, and the Standard or PRO version is $50.
You can subscribe to the monthly software plan whose price starts from $1 per device. Finally, the program gives you a trial period for both paid versions. The trial period ranges between one to three months, during which you can use all the professional features for free.
3. Krita
The krita program is one of the favorite programs for professionals in the field of digital painting, in addition to being completely free, the program provides a large number of tools and advantages in the field of digital painting.
The most important feature of the program is the brush stabilizer, a feature that helps to stabilize the movement of your drawing.
In other words, even if your hands are unstable and constantly moving, your drawings will come out naturally on the program. This feature provides three different levels that you can choose the right one for your hand movement.
The tool has many other features such as:
A large number of fonts.
The ability to add fonts and graphics from external sources.
Variety of brushes for drawing and coloring.
The program is compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux operating system, and the program has a special section where you can buy tools, drawing CDs, and tools to help you add more creativity to your digital drawings.
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4. MediBang Paint Pro
Clip Studio Paint is the best tool for drawing Japanese comics and character, but unfortunately it's not free. MediBang Paint Pro offers everything Clip Studio Paint has to offer in Japanese digital painting and more for free.
The program contains a large number of important features and tools in the field of digital drawing, and most importantly, it is easy to use. Also, this program may be highly suitable for devices with weak technical hardware because it does not consume hardware resources intensively.
The site of the program is primarily an educational program, and in this aspect it is superior to most sites of similar digital drawing programs. The site provides a large number of articles that provide explanations for digital drawing and methods of using editing programs, passing through articles on the latest technologies in this field.
The most important feature of this site is the section on digital drawing materials and files that the site allows users to download for free. Finally, the program is compatible with all operating systems and devices, something that is rarely found in free digital drawing programs.
There is a professional version of the program that offers many exclusive features such as a larger number of paint brushes and cloud storage space for drawings. It is the cloud storage that controls the price of the professional version of MediBang Paint Pro.
You can buy the pro version plus 20 GB of cloud storage for $19 paid once a year, but if you want to get more storage space you will pay about $ 29 for 100 GB or $ 60 for 300 GB.
digital drawing resources
There are three sources that you can rely on to learn digital painting and become professional in the programs that depend on it to create and edit photos:
Distance learning websites (Udemy - Coursera - Skillshare and others).
Websites dedicated to teaching digital painting.
Youtube.
First, the most important training courses on distance learning sites
1. Create Art Digitally: The Ultimate Course
I highly recommend this course for several reasons:
The course explains the basics of digital painting on most of the digital painting programs that we mentioned in this article.
The duration of the course is only an hour and a half.
Explanation of drawing on digital canvas or digital canvas.
Teach how to use digital paint brushes and color pickers.
Create Art Digitally: The Ultimate Course is available on the popular Udemy website for about $68 .
2. Complete Beginner's Guide to Digital Art
Well, I do not consider my opinion in evaluating this course to be too neutral, because I personally liked its content and features, which include:
Explain the basics of drawing lines digitally.
Teaching the basics of digital coloring.
Teaching drawing lines and shapes through observation.
Teaching the basics of using digital drawing programs.
Explain the relationship between lines and shapes.
Teaching drawing simple shapes.
Complete Beginner's Guide to Digital Art is available on Udemy for about $44 .
3. Graphic Design Specialization
Graphic Design Specialization Course
Graphic Design Specialization is not considered a single course, but rather a complete educational path. The path contains 4 courses for each course, a certificate of completion and independent exams. The courses are:
Fundamentals of graphic design and graphics.
Introduction to the field of electronic printing.
An introduction to the field of photo making and editing.
Ideas from history about graphic and graphic design.
The field of graphics and graphics is mainly related to the field of digital painting, so this course is important for those wishing to enter this field, the course is only available on the Coursera website.
You can get this track and many other tracks within the Coursera Plus subscription for $60 per month. You can also view the course during the 7-day trial period offered by the website.
4. Procreate: Draw, Sketch, Paint, and Design on Your iPad
Procreate Draw, Sketch, Paint, and Design on Your iPad course
This course is dedicated to teaching digital drawing on an iPad using the famous Procreate program.
The course takes you from the beginner category to the professional category quickly in the field of digital painting due to its advantages:
Teach how to make digital painting brushes.
Learn all the tools in Procreate.
The course was updated this year to include the latest features and techniques of digital drawing on Procreate.
The course rating is high, which reflects its quality in the field of digital painting.
Procreate: Draw, Sketch, Paint, and Design on Your iPad is available on the popular Udemy website for about $84 .
Second, the most important sites for teaching digital painting
1.Ctrl+Paint site
The Ctrl+Paint site contains a large number of videos that explain the basics of digital painting, the site's video library also contains lessons dedicated to drawing specific shapes, and lessons that help you use digital painting tools such as paint brushes and so on.
The site is a digital painting forum in which artists share their opinions about the lessons on it. Most of the site's content is free, but it contains a number of paid training courses with prices starting at $ 10.
2. Paintable site
Paintable has a free 5-day course that explains the basics of digital painting perfectly, you can take the course
By registering and adding your email address, the course will be sent to you within moments.
The site provides a large number of articles that help you excel and develop in the field of digital painting. The site also has a special communication server on the famous Discord application to allow its users to communicate with each other directly.
Finally, paintable provides the ability to download a large number of digital drawing tools and materials for free, such as paint brushes and fonts.
Third, digital painting resources on YouTube
1. Proko channel
Proko channel is the channel of a digital artist called Stan Prokopenko, the channel has a huge number of videos that explain to you the different techniques of digital painting.
The channel teaches you how to draw American and Japanese comics characters, other than that the channel provides an explanation of areas related to the field of drawing in general, such as anatomy and others.
Finally, the channel does not rely on Stan's style alone, but a large number of digital artists share his methods in explaining their methods of digital painting.
2. Ross Draws channel
Ross Draws channel is one of the most important channels for learning digital drawing on YouTube. The channel may not be professional for some, but it contains a huge number of videos in which Ross explains different ways to draw specific images.
From drawing cartoon characters to humans and animals, the content offered by this channel in the field of digital drawing is varied and interesting.
Conclusion
In this article, we have provided you with all the information you need to know about the field of digital drawing. This field is very similar to the field of digital design and photo editing, but it depends mainly on the creativity of your hands and the wildness of your imagination in drawing.
Do you think that the field of digital painting may replace traditional painting one day? Share with us in the comments your opinion in this field.
