How To Sketch: Sketching The 4 Step Method

Overview: 
Sketching is a vital skill that enables one to quickly capture a vision or idea. Sketching is normally the first place that artists start out and is also the basis for most projects. Even movies start out with storyboards that are a sequence of sketches. Most often, but not always very rudimentary ones at best. Sketching is very important for digital artists for that reason. It is utilized in all media. Sketching is art in it's simplest form but can be taken to a very high degree of detail. Their is a difference between sketching and drawing where drawing is more detailed. These terms are quite often used interchangeably.

Running Computers On Generator

Well we are back on commercial power again.  We were able to borrow a generator Thursday night.  One thing I must mention with running electronics on a generator is that you should use one that has an inverter or use a separate one or you may damage your equipment.  An inverter basically works like a filter and cleans up the noise on the electrical signal similar to background noise found on audio signals.  I was lucky that I didn't damage anything (haven't noticed anything yet) but I did have issue with frame rates with video editing.  Normally I run about 130fps with normal encoding tasks, but I had less than 50fps at times.  So even thought I had power, and ran it through an UPS, it still wasn't good power.  Something to keep in mind if you are in the market for a generator.

Hurricain Irene

Very hard to be a Digital Artist without power.  That is where pencil and paper comes in.  That brings me to my next article on sketching.  It would have been good to have it up before the storm but it is on the way once we get power back ...hopefully soon.

Quick Tip: Animation

This is just a quick thought for those who are aspiring animators and are just starting out. Look for the extras on DVD / Blu-ray discs.  They will often have "Behind the Scenes" footage showing the process that they went through in making the film.

New Tutorials on the Way

Just and update on two new tutorials. I have a quick tip in GIMP 2.7.3 on :How To Add Themes" in the works and an article on sketching where I have taken some popular characters, sketched them out and add more detail. I walk you through my sketching process in a 4 step approach covering silhouettes, line weight, values and shading techniques. I hope to have the first to you by tomorrow and the article next week. So check back or sign up and subscribe by email for updates.

-Steve

GIMP: How To Add Themes

Adding Themes to GIMP (2.7 +2.6) is rather simple once one knows how. This tutorial covers the steps and allows one to change the working environment of GIMP quickly. All that is needed is the new version of GIMP 2.7.3 and custom themes downloaded from GNOME. 

With custom themes you can go from the default the to a custom theme.