Guides

This forum's just making self-notes and junk about new stuff that seems useful to me whenever I'm drawing digitally. I'm very new to this, and my memory's bungus, so I wanna make sure I remember this stuff. I'm using just Gimp, though I do have Krita(haven't used it yet. only got it to check something out :l)

Using Medibang rn, actually; better than both :l Using FireAlpaca currently, actually, and it's better than all three, mostly since the pen finally doesn't delay when I touch down on the tablet :/
Still applies though. If you wanna add any of your own tips, by all means, please go ahead! Chances are, you're better at it than me -_-


If anyone sees this, they can post stuff too about other art apps. Not sure if I'll ever use it, but hey, maybe you will. Perhaps It'd be pretty helpful to those who randomly stumble across this now and then, ig.
Basically this

Uh, just in case.

*Skin/accent tip:

Make it easier on yourself by making copies of certain skin layers, then take the copies into the accent folder. Make sure Comp mode=Auto/Comp space=perpetual.
Lock alpha.
DON'T make it last layer in the group(I think.)

*Added to what's above ^:

Careful with the copy. It'll erase and color to whatever layer is under you, but only the first, and specifically wherever you colored on the same layer. Be sure to organize them carefully, or maybe merge down the next to color on both(?)
It won't change the layer below you though, and just put it under to see the layer it copied color limits to actually see that layer(not the one you moved.)

Edit: Try messing around different layers and their coloring limits. I believe you're able to color different parts and keep them like that; really just for convenience, I think.

Another edit: You can make an extra layer, color in wherever you need with any random color, then put it underneath too. Just remember it HAS TO BE VISIBLE in order for it to work. Lock the pixels afterward too.

*Drawing anything tip:

Make sure you have at least 2 layers. It won't pick up you're drawing anything at all if you just have one, 'cause it's the background, apparently.

Freaking had to figure this one after, like, half an hour >:[

*Drawing anything tip:

I don't care what you're drawing, but please, for the love of everything, add a transparent layer, then delete the first one. You gotta draw on the transparent one, then add the background later. You're terrible at drawing on the background(for now).

Remember what happened when you first tried to draw that Secret Santa art thing? And how you had to delete the first one b/c you messed it up when you tried to color and add details by making another layer, transparent, and putting it on top, then wanting it to be behind the outline?

Yeah. That was horrible.

*Gimp note:

"Stroke" only works with Paths. You can't do it with "Sections" and junk.

*Sig note:

Signatures in FR are 525x100

525px wide
#100px tall


#using columns, it'd go down 2px(98px)

*Drawing note:

Paths, when you use the specified brushes, will do whatever settings you last had on with the same brush and you can't change them, otherwise the Path will disappear, and you'd have to redraw it again.

Also: "Polygonal" is straight lines. Uncheckmark them and you get weird curvatures.

Just adding this, since I prob won't post on here for a while, for those who are on the ping list. Currently busy with writing requests, so I'm unsure if I'll get any time to do art stuff :l

Oop, one more thing: Please don't press "Fill Path" Unless you know what you're doing and how it'll look. You almost messed something up when you tried that.

(Yeah, still busy)
General drawing tip:

You can copy/paste drawings, but you gotta select the area with a select tool first, then Ctrl+C(duh), and Ctrl+V(Double duh)somewhere else.
Probably works anywhere, but I know I at least tried it in Gimp.

Edit: Yeah this doesn't work every time. Just figured that out earlier :l
It works really weirdly; the right feather in my forum sig(when this was typed out) looks off because of that. It's a layer problem.
Hopefully I'll find a way to fix it. . .

General drawing tip:

Make an outline first, then do whatever underneath.

Also: try using different coloring parts as layers in a layer group(Like the skins/accents)