Didn't know what the heck I was doing, but it was a blast...
Don’t you love having the excuse to buy something you’ve been lusting after?
I’ve been wanting a graphics tablet and digital pen ever since I realized there was such a thing. (About 2 years I think. Yes, I’m from Mars.)
As I mentioned in my last couple posts I’ve been working on an illustration project for an animated video. And scanning just isn’t going to cut it. So, oh well (hee, hee, hee!) I’ve been forced to spend the bucks for my most coveted wish-list item. (Talk about manifesting one’s own reality!) 🙂
I asked around and the consensus was pretty much that the only brand worth considering is a Wacom. I heard good things about their Bamboo model, but after reading a ton of reviews I decided that I probably wouldn’t be happy with anything less than a professional model. A few more reviews convinced me that a small Intuos3, while not the latest and greatest, would suit my needs to a T.
I actually ended up spending less than I thought I would have to. I found a new one on Ebay for a reasonable price and after a few hours’ anxious hovering over the monitor, won the bid with no competition. A few LONG days later my tablet arrived!
It didn’t take me long to realize that the software I had been using for graphic design, Adobe Illustrator, just didn’t seem to give me the results I wanted. Then my friend Lance suggested I try Photoshop. Fortunately I already owned it since I have the Adobe Suite. Of course there are plenty of challenges since I’d never really used Photoshop before. But it wasn’t long before I realized that this tablet + Photoshop offered something beyond my wildest dreams…
…total fluidity of expression. The possibilities are truly endless! Right now I’m really enjoying the painterly qualities I can get with the smudge tool. But I expect this will be a visual love affair to last the rest of my life. (Even my traditional paintings will, I’m sure, benefit from Photoshop as a compositional planning tool…)
The image here is one of my earliest attempts. It’s no-one in particular, just a portrait that flowed out of my head through the pen onto the screen. Perhaps she’s the muse of digital imagery?
Gorgeous illustration, Anne! I love the movement in the hair and the free-flowing quality of the colors. – Amy Ryan
Thanks Amy! I love this new medium! In some ways it’s more fluid than watercolor. (Well, I’ll probably re-read that statement in a year or two and snort whatever I’m drinking up my nose, but it does offer unbelievable freedom of expression.)
This is an awesome new adventure for you. I would not begin to know how to use one. I will be anxious to see what you create on this, Anne!
Yes, I’m so excited! It’s finally got the creative juices flowing – I think they’ve really been dammed up waiting for this! (But I bet you’d be awesome at it if you ever had the desire to pick it up.)