redroanchronicles

Some time ago, I won an Amazon gift card from The Pioneer Woman, using my amazing skills of 80s movie trivia. (I knew that was going to come in handy some day. So glad I learned retained movie trivia skills all these years instead of math!) With these spoils, I purchased myself a low-end digital tablet, with the idea being that I would use it to embark on a future of glory in drawing cartoons. Like Hyperbole and a Half or Cyanide & Happiness or Dinosaur Comics.

Okay, I probably wouldn't need a tablet to do something like Dinosaur Comics, but instead of a tablet I'd have to be funnier than I actually am, so that wouldn't work either.

Anyway, last night I finally sat down with my beautiful new tablet, determined to spin comic gold, and was faced with the inevitable realization that I can't draw cartoons. I try and I try but they just aren't good. I am, however, completely enamored of my tablet. I've always had a very tight, photorealistic drawing style, which endlessly vexes me, and in addition to being completely rubbish at comics, I've been completely rubbish at anything slightly impressionistic or sketched. I just. Can't. Do it.

Luckily, I'm also rubbish with a tablet pen! And my complete lack of even basic mastery over my tools makes my drawings very scribbly indeed. Normally I'd be a bit upset about that, but actually I think it's brilliant. I've accidentally found competence at a drawing style I've been hopeless at! It's an exciting day to be me.

Anyhow, when my cartoon attempts failed dramatically, I instead produced a few 10-minute sketches from a few of my Horse Expo photos.

They could be better, and I expect with some practice I'll be doing some interesting things with the tablet (I am determined to draw that cartoon about my dog's love of Christmas lights, and hopefully by Christmas I'll be ready).

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cyprinella

I really love the second piece.

I wish I could bust out my tablet and play, but mine's so old that it has a serial port and my computer doesn't have any!

redroanchronicles

Thanks! I got some great shots for art reference at the horse expo, but unfortunately not a lot that work as photographs... most of the events were in midday sun or after dark. :D I guess in order to get my artistic worth out of the event I'm just going to have to draw a lot more. ;D I am hoping one of these days to learn how to paint, though, and try doing some actual large pieces in color. I haven't really painted much but I always get hung up on the technical aspects, like what surfaces to paint on and gessoing and what sort of paints and brushes to use and technique and... ugh. I need some local art classes, but tragically, there don't seem to be any.

I haven't got the patience for painting so I stick to pastels. Or, well, I used to. Haven't touched them in a couple of years now.

holyschist

Those are very evocative!

Thank you! It's kind of a revelation to be able to draw with a pencil-like object in my hand, but also be able to use photoshop layers and erase things with perfect cleanliness and just... it's super-sweet. ;D

foxfirefey

Eee I just got a digital tablet too, a Bamboo!

I can't do anything as nice as that though.

Mine is also a Bamboo! I love it. When I was shopping I kind of drooled over all the huge and complicated ones, but the Bamboo is perfect... very easy to pack into my backpack with my laptop and whatnot.

Yeah, I figured I can't justify getting a bigger and better one if I haven't already proven myself serious and capable with the toy. My cunning plan is to use

gimpscape for resources on how to work in GIMP or Inkscape with it--I don't want to buy Adobe stuff, so. Although the Corel programmy thing it came with is pretty interesting?

Now I think I just need to make an adorable wee case for my Bamboo.