|
Post by Aestelon on Feb 17, 2009 7:54:05 GMT -9
I'm sure it's been asked elsewhere, but this seems like the right place for a proper thread on the subject. I was just wondering what programs everyone uses for their art (figures and otherwise). Artweaver: I'm a big fan of this program since I discovered an article about it in ImagineFX a couple of years ago. It's a beta program (currently on version 0.5.7), so it's not actually complete yet, but it's already got a good deal of the functionality of programs like Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro, including plenty of artist-type brushes, and the ability to easily create your own custom brushes. There's also quite a few user-created plug-ins and filters. The other big plus is how intuitive it is to use. OpenOffice Draw: Part of the OpenOffice.org suite, this is a pretty capable little vector graphics app. I haven't really made use of it for things like figures, but I've designed some rather nice badges with it... Again, I find the UI pretty instinctive. Painter Essentials 3: I'd never have bought this program, but it came packaged with my tablet, so I figured I might as well install it. I quite like it, but I find the layering system odd - it's quite obviously only designed for painterly-style art, so it's useless for anything like photomanip work. The one thing I use it for over Artweaver is sketching. Artweaver can be a little heavy on the processor at times (although no moreso than Photoshop, as I understand it), and occasionally runs a little sluggish. For quick sketching work, Painter is a fair bit lighter, so I can quickly jot stuff down with it. Then I can open it up in Artweaver later and embellish. Inkscape: I haven't quite got to grips with this one yet, as I mostly use Draw for my vector stuff. But I downloaded it anyway, partially because it handles several formats that Draw doesn't (although the opposite is also true), and partially because it has the handy 'bitmap tracing' function, which I think will come in quite handy. The GIMP: I'm not a big fan of the user interface personally, and I find it fairly counter-intuitive, even though I know a lot of you guys swear by it (as opposed to at it... ). But, as with Inkscape, I find it's handy to have around, as there's certain things it can do that my other programs can't.
|
|
|
Post by WaffleM on Feb 17, 2009 12:23:32 GMT -9
I use CorelDraw 12. It seems to be a really solid vectors based program and I'm always finding new tools and techniques to learn.
|
|
|
Post by squirmydad on Feb 17, 2009 12:45:35 GMT -9
I use ACDSee CANVAS, but an old version. I have found I will never push the limits of the old software, so have just settled on it for now.
I would recommend the all in one Corel package as well. JIM
|
|
|
Post by godofrandomness on Feb 17, 2009 17:06:33 GMT -9
I'm a fan of GIMP (its the one I chose to train myself on; just can't beat the price for software that gets active updates and support)
Theres a free one I've messed a little bit with called PAINT.net, it was made as some college project or something, but the designer got picked up by microsft, and still updates it.
Theres a variant of GIMP for photshop fans called Gimpshop. It's GIMP with a GUI similar to photoshops, to the point where you are susposed to be able to use a lot of photoshop tutorials with it seamlessly. I never played with it much though since I had already started to pick up on how to do stuff in gimp.
Thats my experience so far.
|
|
|
Post by ken on Feb 17, 2009 17:09:16 GMT -9
I'm really digging Inkscape. The only issue I have with it is a lack of custom pallets. So far its been very intuative and easy to use.
|
|
|
Post by josedominguez on Feb 18, 2009 17:32:42 GMT -9
I've got paintshop, so I'll be using that once my drawing is up to speed, but for now Inkscape is fantastic. Really easy to use and the price was right I even use it at work with the kids. The whole vector/gradient/blackline makes any artwork look special, gives the kids a real boost. They are using it to make comics at the moment.
|
|
|
Post by tonsha on Feb 19, 2009 0:21:29 GMT -9
I use Inkscape & GIMP. But since I run Linux exclusively at home (And I haven't a CLUE how to install and run WINE) the Windows apps are not really an option. I've always been interested in trying Pixel which is a cross-platform application. It's not free, but it is very competitive. www.kanzelsberger.com/pixel/?page_id=12DaveA
|
|
|
Post by Floyd on Feb 19, 2009 5:26:34 GMT -9
I haven't tried some of the software listed here thanks for the heads up on some stuff that has fallen under my radar. That said...
I use:
Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator. Google Sketchup
I am in the field of Graphic Design & I also am a hobby photogrpaher so Photoshop serves a dual purpose. I've been using them since '95 for my design job.
I previously used Freehand and Corel Draw but there is nothing really new or different enough to warrant the $$ for redundant software. Besides, they stopped making Corel on the MAC at version 11.
~Floyd
|
|
|
Post by evilwayne on Feb 19, 2009 6:01:44 GMT -9
Corel Draw 11/12 and Corel Painter IX (plus, we use Ventura for page layout at work).
I'm a huge fan of Corel! I also use Photoshop/Illustrator, but Draw is my first choice.
|
|
|
Post by Bhoritz on Feb 21, 2009 0:23:36 GMT -9
I tend to always come back to Photoshop (CS3 now). I have tried GIMP which seemed quite fine but learning a new program when I was comfortable with Photoshop was too much work. I sometimes use Artrage when I want the feel of "real painting" on my tablet. I also use Sketchup for 3D (I would like to finish a carriage) or posing peoples, but not much for figures. I almost never work in vectors but that's mostly because I would have to learn from scratch.
|
|
|
Post by Jenny on Feb 21, 2009 6:03:42 GMT -9
While I use the well known Corel Photopaint X4 for fine tuning, coloring and setting up final images, I prefer a somewhat exotic program for sketching and inking: Manga Studio 3.0. It is optimized for graphic tablets; pencils and pens feel very natural when you use a tablet. It is (relatively) easy to use but has all the tools you may know from other graphics programs. However, the typical user in mind is the japanese-style comic artist, who is setting up comics in traditional black/white and doing shading with tones. The latest version (4.0) features colors though. The prize is very competitive, the basic version "Manga Studio Debut 4" is available for about 50$. As Evilwayne already mentioned, Corel Painter is an amazing tool if you prefer digital painting. Quite a few great comic artists use this program also for coloring their lineart (e.g. Yukito Kishiro, the creator of "Battle Angel Alita"). When it comes to 3D graphics, I like both the free raytracing program POVRay (plus it's GUI Moray, now freeware) and 3D Studio Max. However, if you don't have the chance to use a PC with 3ds Max already installed, you might not want to get this monster unless you are a professional 3D designer, it costs about 3,500$. Finally, if you like a strange user interface, completely unusual handling and hundreds of insane hotkeys, then the extremely powerful open source 3D program Blender is a good choice (Don't get me wrong, I like the efforts of the Blender community, but it's hard to get a feeling about that program).
|
|
|
Post by old squirmydad on May 6, 2009 17:30:10 GMT -9
I do my 3D work in a program called Vectorworks (ver.12) by Nemetschek software. It's what I was trained on in college theatre technology and it works great on my Mac. It's one problem is that it doesn't export directly to pepakura for unfolding and doesn't have a built in unfolding script. So I export 3D models as a DXF file, open in Metasequioa (which runs in the Paralells WinXP partition on my Mac) convert to an MQO file, then open in Pepakura (also in WinXP). I then export the PDO layout as an EPS file and open it in Photoshop, back on the mac side of the partition.
I've started working with Ultimate Papercraft 3D, and I can export models as a 3DS file from Vectorworks to Ultimate, but Ultimate has a steeper learning curve than Pepakura so my learning progress is slow.
|
|
|
Post by Aestelon on May 6, 2009 18:05:13 GMT -9
My 3D stuff is done in an old copy of AutoCAD 2000. I used to use it professionally, and got a copy from work so I could work from home when we were on tight deadlines rather than staying there for overtime (the buses back to my village were ridiculously unreliable and didn't run at all after 6pm). I only ever needed to work in 2D for my job, but I learned about the 3D aspects of the program on my own time, and found it really useful.
Obviously it can't export to an unfolding program, but I have a good 3D headspace, so I find it pretty easy to work out the net version from whatever model I design.
|
|
|
Post by moloch on May 18, 2009 2:41:49 GMT -9
As some of you know, I use GIMP. It took me a while to get used to it. I used to do most of my stuff with photoshop, althought it was an old version (photoshop 7).
Most of the stuff that was easy to do in photoshop, I had to make work arounds or close substitute in GIMP. I have downloaded inkscape a while back but I don't have the time to learn another program right now.
|
|
|
Post by joasht on Jun 3, 2009 21:08:06 GMT -9
Probably a stupid question, but are there any free programs for drawing or at least painting paper figures? I'm already downloading Artweaver as we speak, but this is "just in case" there are more out there
|
|
|
Post by Aestelon on Jun 4, 2009 5:37:53 GMT -9
The other particularly popular painting program is the GIMP. Well worth having both, in my opinion. While I've largely migrated to GIMP for most work, as it's about as versatile as Artweaver, tends to run a little faster in my experience, and can convert a lot of extra filetypes (including PDF and SVG vector graphics), I do find its lack of a print preview function is a big drawback; I've quite often tried to print something that I think is at one size and I turn out to be wrong. I'll usually just re-open the file in Artweaver and get a preview to make sure it's right.
|
|
|
Post by jabbro on Jun 4, 2009 5:57:22 GMT -9
I would also recommend Inkscape. It is to Illustrator, what Gimp is to Photoshop. A very nice vector graphics package. I never played with vector graphics that much, but it has a few features that come in handy even for pure pixel artists.
|
|
|
Post by Aestelon on Jun 4, 2009 7:52:22 GMT -9
I would also recommend Inkscape. It is to Illustrator, what Gimp is to Photoshop. A very nice vector graphics package. I never played with vector graphics that much, but it has a few features that come in handy even for pure pixel artists. Most notably the Bitmap Trace feature, which allows you to create much cleaner, vectorised lines from your hand-drawn lineart. It doesn't convert them into full vector components like Canvas, but the cleaned-up lineart alone is a lot nicer and more easily scaled.
|
|
|
Post by squirmydad on Jun 4, 2009 8:56:02 GMT -9
The trace feature in Inkscape does create individual objects. You just need to ungroup them to start applying fills and adjusting outlines.
This of coarse, if you want to go the vector design route. JIM
|
|
|
Post by Aestelon on Jun 4, 2009 9:02:41 GMT -9
Really? Oh. I didn't realise that. We need a facepalm smiley, I think. <EDIT> I wasn't convinced, since when I tried to Ungroup one of my traced SVGs, it didn't do anything. Then I realised you need to use Break Apart under the Paths menu, and then quite likely change all your fills to white until you work out what's where. Very handy to know - thanks for pointing out the option's there!
|
|
|
Post by squirmydad on Jun 4, 2009 11:32:25 GMT -9
Ah yes. break apart, fill with white and give them a thin black outline, and that will make it much easier to see all the individual objects.
I wish they would settle on a standard set of names for actions, but when has that ever happened?
Inkscape is really nice up until you try to do some fancy coloring, then it is a bit more work than I'm used to, but good for a free app. JIM
|
|
|
Post by Aestelon on Jun 4, 2009 11:55:45 GMT -9
There is an Ungroup action, but that presumably applies only to sets of individual objects that have been previously grouped. Break Apart applies specifically to Paths objects.
I'm going to have to have a really good trawl through the manual to see what else it does. But you're right, for a free program, it's brilliant. I daresay I'll still be using OpenOffice.org Draw for a fair while yet, but I think Inkscape's just become a lot more useful to me.
|
|
|
Post by gatchaman on Sept 19, 2009 12:11:28 GMT -9
I am drawing the main figure with MS Visio (I guess it's...unusual...but it works !)
Coloring and shading with Paint Shop Pro XI
And finalizing with Vector Magic
I do have Photoshop and Illustrator, but I am too lazy to learn these huge damn things...
|
|
|
Post by scarecrow on Sept 20, 2009 10:29:12 GMT -9
I model in Maya 8.0
Export to OBJ for Pepakura 2
However, I often use Pepakura just to unfold complex objects, take a high-res screengrab and then work primarily in Photoshop CS2. I have a lot more control that way.
For my paper minis I work entirely in Photoshop.
Crow
|
|
|
Post by Slick on Sept 20, 2009 19:12:47 GMT -9
I have never posted in here till now because I was still getting used to my programs but here they are.
Illustrator: For line art and gradient fills and layout. Photoshop: For finishing work and textures.
Sketch up Pro: 3D modeling Metasequoia: 3D modeling and mesh cleaning (sketch up does strange things sometimes with meshes and does not let you fix them so I always check my work here.) Pepakura: Unfolding and then its off to illustrator then photoshop.
All in all about the same programs That most people use. I want to get to learn canvas a little bit more but that will take some time.
Nate
|
|
|
Post by glennwilliams on Sept 23, 2009 12:32:26 GMT -9
Model in 3d Canvas Pro (I want to learn Carrara, but I keep putting it off) and color in PhotoShop.
|
|
|
Post by Dave on Sept 24, 2009 10:30:12 GMT -9
I use Photoshop for everything. I tell people it's like having an extra arm -- it's that useful to me. As a drawing tool, I'm as comfortable with it as many people are with true painting programs, and I get it to do just about anything I can see in my head. It took me a couple of years to really learn the program, but all I really needed to know what that you use Shift, Control and Alt when using various tools to get extra effects. From there, everything really took off.
I'm terrified of Illustrator, knowing how long it took me to get fluent with PS. Some day I'll have a need for vector graphics that I can't fake in Photoshop, and 10 years later I'll be praising this program.
InDesign is my latest love, and while it's not exactly a graphics program it goes right along with PS and Illustrator and is a very useful tool to master if your goal is to be a publisher.
I've used ArtRage and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an inexpensive painting program. It has its limits, but it's a lot of fun and you can achieve beautiful results with it.
|
|
|
Post by Adam Souza on Oct 6, 2009 20:12:32 GMT -9
I've been using GIMP. It was free, and I figured out how to do what I need to do with it. I've also installed INKSCAPE but I know squat about how to use vector graphics. I may teach myself how to use it someday. There are also a few programs that came free with my WACOM BAMBOO, but after I ran through all the tutorial once, I haven't even touched my tablet, other than to move it out of the way.
|
|