Back

Guides

Community created guides, helpful strategies, and more.
TOPIC | art tips
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
FireAlpaca tip:

Apparently, you can make your own brush just by drawing something, and then adding it as the option "Add Bitmap Brush(canvas)" :0

(finally managed to get something close to a charcoal brush by doing that)
FireAlpaca tip:

Apparently, you can make your own brush just by drawing something, and then adding it as the option "Add Bitmap Brush(canvas)" :0

(finally managed to get something close to a charcoal brush by doing that)
yo4X8PV.pngPsfjTx4.png

rM33C9P.png0304941-D-23-B9-407-C-925-C-1-A4-DDF7-D58-B6.gif
(My fwend helped with this one :3) [img]https://i.imgur.com/dMkkANA.png[/img]
(My fwend helped with this one :3)

dMkkANA.png
yo4X8PV.pngPsfjTx4.png

rM33C9P.png0304941-D-23-B9-407-C-925-C-1-A4-DDF7-D58-B6.gif
Another dumbo reminder to myself to go look in the settings more often; I was thinking to myself about blurring something out of movement and realised the art app already has something for it, so I don't have to do it myself :l also for something out of focus [emoji=imperial deadpan size=1]
Another dumbo reminder to myself to go look in the settings more often; I was thinking to myself about blurring something out of movement and realised the art app already has something for it, so I don't have to do it myself :l
also for something out of focus
yo4X8PV.pngPsfjTx4.png

rM33C9P.png0304941-D-23-B9-407-C-925-C-1-A4-DDF7-D58-B6.gif
Digital art tip:

The transform tool is super helpful with pov structures and stuff, like bridges.
Mesh tool too, but I think it's a little more complicated. I'm sure it'll be fine though.
Digital art tip:

The transform tool is super helpful with pov structures and stuff, like bridges.
Mesh tool too, but I think it's a little more complicated. I'm sure it'll be fine though.
yo4X8PV.pngPsfjTx4.png

rM33C9P.png0304941-D-23-B9-407-C-925-C-1-A4-DDF7-D58-B6.gif
FireAlpaca Tip: Finally took the "look in the settings more often" tip to heart with this one. I've been meaning to find a good way to make a "glitched" effect, but had no idea how to, and randomly atm I decided to look around in the settings. Found this weird setting called "Line (Concentrated)" and it gave me exactly what I was looking for. Kinda. I'm still playing around with it, but it currently looks at least very close to what I had in mind: [img]https://i.imgur.com/8qj0YmW.png[/img]
FireAlpaca Tip:

Finally took the "look in the settings more often" tip to heart with this one.
I've been meaning to find a good way to make a "glitched" effect, but had no idea how to, and randomly atm I decided to look around in the settings. Found this weird setting called "Line (Concentrated)" and it gave me exactly what I was looking for. Kinda. I'm still playing around with it, but it currently looks at least very close to what I had in mind:

8qj0YmW.png
yo4X8PV.pngPsfjTx4.png

rM33C9P.png0304941-D-23-B9-407-C-925-C-1-A4-DDF7-D58-B6.gif
This is just a tip I gotta ave to remember since I keep doubting myself about it.
There's 10 posts on each page in the forums including the first post on the first page. Every page is 10 posts, basically. Just putting this here to remember for my comic :I
This is just a tip I gotta ave to remember since I keep doubting myself about it.
There's 10 posts on each page in the forums including the first post on the first page. Every page is 10 posts, basically. Just putting this here to remember for my comic :I
yo4X8PV.pngPsfjTx4.png

rM33C9P.png0304941-D-23-B9-407-C-925-C-1-A4-DDF7-D58-B6.gif
(Almost forgot to post this one) Another by friend :D [img]https://i.imgur.com/yMpuEfx.png[/img] For things in the background, you can blur them. The further back, the more blur. :] You could also add some foreground elements like bushes or somethin' [img]https://i.pinimg.com/564x/be/62/dd/be62dde3667b357596fb651e77eef2ec.jpg[/img]
(Almost forgot to post this one)
Another by friend :D

yMpuEfx.png
For things in the background, you can blur them. The further back, the more blur. :]
You could also add some foreground elements like bushes or somethin'
be62dde3667b357596fb651e77eef2ec.jpg
yo4X8PV.pngPsfjTx4.png

rM33C9P.png0304941-D-23-B9-407-C-925-C-1-A4-DDF7-D58-B6.gif
if you're new to doing Skins/accents, definitely copy/paste extra clipping shadow layers if you intend on editing them. you, uh, might do a thing you can't fix -_-
if you're new to doing Skins/accents, definitely copy/paste extra clipping shadow layers if you intend on editing them. you, uh, might do a thing you can't fix -_-
yo4X8PV.pngPsfjTx4.png

rM33C9P.png0304941-D-23-B9-407-C-925-C-1-A4-DDF7-D58-B6.gif
Oh hey, another FireAlpaca user! This tip is also applicable to Photoshop, iirc, but might work in other programs too:

Control-click lets you select the places in a layer that are filled in! It's great for looking for stray pixels (marching ants where they're not supposed to be), but can also be great for either staying inside the lines (like a bootleg clipping layer) or a stencil tool. The last bit is how I did the aurora on my last Crystalline Gala skin entry (shown; the blue area with the fade is so you can see how it's placed on the base)- just make sure to turn the layer you're using as a stencil off after!
a skin for Coatl F featuring a night sky with a peek-through aurora pattern

Related, something that works on many art programs: Hold Shift when using a tool to draw a straight line (locked to straight up-and-down or horizontal, but sometimes the 45 degree diagonal is also allowed, depends on the program)

One other thing- I saw that you like to do subtractive transparency effects sometimes (erasing at 50% for shading, etc.). It can super save your bacon to make a copy of the layer before you start; I clip the copy to the first, because sometimes I realize that I erased too much, and with the copy on top, I can just scribble where I want the color back with any old color and the pattern'll still be what it's supposed to be, if that makes sense? A lil bit more wiggle room, as it were.
Oh hey, another FireAlpaca user! This tip is also applicable to Photoshop, iirc, but might work in other programs too:

Control-click lets you select the places in a layer that are filled in! It's great for looking for stray pixels (marching ants where they're not supposed to be), but can also be great for either staying inside the lines (like a bootleg clipping layer) or a stencil tool. The last bit is how I did the aurora on my last Crystalline Gala skin entry (shown; the blue area with the fade is so you can see how it's placed on the base)- just make sure to turn the layer you're using as a stencil off after!
a skin for Coatl F featuring a night sky with a peek-through aurora pattern

Related, something that works on many art programs: Hold Shift when using a tool to draw a straight line (locked to straight up-and-down or horizontal, but sometimes the 45 degree diagonal is also allowed, depends on the program)

One other thing- I saw that you like to do subtractive transparency effects sometimes (erasing at 50% for shading, etc.). It can super save your bacon to make a copy of the layer before you start; I clip the copy to the first, because sometimes I realize that I erased too much, and with the copy on top, I can just scribble where I want the color back with any old color and the pattern'll still be what it's supposed to be, if that makes sense? A lil bit more wiggle room, as it were.
a small yellow and gold flag with the Light Flight's symbol
She/Her, FR +0
No worms in my username-
R e n a i w o m
I like being pinged, but not mass ones.
I often process thoughts by writing... Trying to TL;DR more.

_______________________________
Small Logo: Flights and Fancies
Hatchery
idk why I didn't think to try it, but it's probably b/c I didn't want to mess around with the clipping shadow/lineart layers until I knew what I was doing :/

You're able to just copy/paste those layers and clip them to other accent layers. I use groups to organize that better, but if something else works, then good for you :D
idk why I didn't think to try it, but it's probably b/c I didn't want to mess around with the clipping shadow/lineart layers until I knew what I was doing :/

You're able to just copy/paste those layers and clip them to other accent layers. I use groups to organize that better, but if something else works, then good for you :D
yo4X8PV.pngPsfjTx4.png

rM33C9P.png0304941-D-23-B9-407-C-925-C-1-A4-DDF7-D58-B6.gif
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8