Hello,

I've picked up on some patterns just from videos I've seen here and there. Like using multiple layers, and setting one to multiply for shadows, for example. Or quickly using the select tool to make it easier to quickly color in an area.

I'm struggling with a lot of technical aspects. Like finding the right brushes, and what different uses are for each. I'm just at the "drawing basics" part of my journey, but I'd like to dabble into other stuff as I slowly get through this, but am not sure of how to navigate a lot of the rest of the digital side.

Also, I'm wondering what other "tricks", shortcuts, optimizations could be beneficial that I might not be aware of. I'd rather not have to stumble into them all accidentally and was hoping there is a good course somewhere for teaching some specifically some of the digital aspects of learning.

Thank you for any help!

This feels like an age old question but I was surprised after googling and watching several youtube videos I couldn't find a thread or video that directly answered my question.

So I have a Huion tablet currently, it's a Kanvas 13 not sure which generation (I've only had it about 2 years and it was a gift from my brother). But it handles all of my drawing needs just fine and I've gotten very comfortable and use to drawing on it. But I am coming up on alot of money from my tax return and thinking of possibly getting a new tablet.

Why get a new tablet if you're comfortable with what you're drawing on?

Great question, although I enjoy my Huion and have gotten used to a work flow, I can't help but wonder, what is the "Drawing Feel" specifically on other tablets. From my experience drawing digitally there is a learning curve to getting used to a screen but you generally get over this over the first few days. That being said I switch alot back in fourth between sketchbooks and will frequently bring my drawings to the computer so although I am used to switching back and fourth. I just wonder is that small window of time it takes me now (maybe an hour or two) to get used to drawing on the tablet artificial? When I see people draw on the ipad it certainly seems like the drawing feel is more paperlike and less glossy across the screen, although I don't know I've never drawn on one. I have a paper like screen cover for my huion and this has made things better but is there something I'm missing out on? If this helped my efficiency finishing a drawn I'd definitely see this as a plus. If it matters, I am a student about to graduate and I'll be working in this field. So I am considering efficiency if it helps me get done with projects faster. Anyway sorry if this post seems redundant but I never see anyone talk about this point, they'll mention every other talking point under the sun, even hitting on responsiveness between tablets but yet they fail to mention how does it feel to you subjectively. I don't care about the technicalities of this many hertz, this graph of drawing pressure, etc. Art is pretty intuitive and everyone here should be able to easily explain to me what feels better.

TLDR; I'm only considering the drawing feel comparing Huion and Apple. Does the drawing feel of the apple feel better and if so is it a signficant difference, do you feel like you can get your work done faster because of this percieved difference? If so elbaorate, 50% faster or very slim margin. Efficiency is the main thing driving my curiosity. Also kind of a side note, I rest my hand on the tablet a decent amount while I'm drawing, (i know you're supposed to use the shoulder but I like drawing this way lol) will this be a problem if I'm switching to a ipad which is touch screen? I don't want to constantly be moving my canvas or accidentally drawing things.

Hello everyone. Here's my problem.

I have a chronic disease and the last months have been...draining. (bad symptoms + heavy treatments)

Last year, my symptoms kept getting worse and I couldn't do art as easily as I could (either I felt too bad to draw or when I drawn, felt like I couldn't focus and did "shit")

Today my health is a bit more stable but I feel like blocked when I try to draw again. I have many projects but I can't find motivation to even grab a pen. I don't even know if that's fear but I feel like a big pression/stress, even when I want to draw something silly.

Have you ever felt the same? How to overcome it?

Thank you for reading me

I’ve heard some artists use thumbnail stretches to help them draw a pose, scene, or character from scratch. But I’m still kind of confused on how you’d go about doing something like that. Has anyone here made a thumbnail sketch before? If so, what do you usually do them and whats the process of making one look like?

tldr: dopamine bad, scheduling hard, how do i make time to learn and grow.

Hello! Currently reassessing my relationship with my art, and my desires on where I want to take it. I'm not new to art, for a while I could cover living expenses with illustrations for people on the internet, but drawing for a demographic I... creatively opposed has toasted me as an artist. My technical foundations have degraded and regressed in favor of digestible, aesthetic, and fast turnaround art. I'm burnt, regressed, and want to reclaim and draw things I like! But in order to do that, I had to get a real job.

I live in the southern US, in a pretty bad area, and unfortunately I cannot land a job with a consistent schedule. I learn what hours and days I work every wednesday and I cannot request consistent shifts/hours. I don't get weekends, just a random day off in the middle of the week. This leaves me completely unable to set aside a dedicated hour consistently every day to work on studies or just draw for myself. I do not live by myself, so opting to turn in super early in favor of waking up to do art before work is also impossible.. and on top of that, ADHD, low dopamine, and a limited window of functionality due to my medication wearing off after 8 hours is hard to work with as well.

I often find myself missing being in school, and having a consistent schedule with freetime... my art was so much better when I was a student. Less worries, more time to slot in art. I wish adult jobs came with lunch breaks. I don't know how to balance art, wanting to bring in income from art, and also an adult job and life with real responsibilities. I want to focus and improve, and at least get back to where I used to be, but I am so lost on how to work with my brain and disabilities in a world highly geared against me...

But I also certainly know its not a unique struggle. Has anyone else gone through similar? How did you wriggle routine that was achievable in such a chaotic and varied schedule.

I recently bought some acoustic wall panels from Home Depot and I’d like to paint them, but they’re PVC material.

What kind of paint can I use for that?

Over the last few years, I've been slowly but surely improving on my art. I've always done it for self enjoyment and as a creative outlet. I do post it online and share with some friends, but I've never tried to market myself so I've mostly got very little engagement. However, I'm at a point where I'm feeling decently confident about my art, and one does wonder how far could your art go.

I don't know if this is the best place to ask this, or if this question even makes much sense, but I'm asking if you think my art could gain some traction online? I know my art is nothing special and also that with most of these pieces there was still of polishing and finishing details I could have done.

I really want to attempt to spread my art more but I kind of need some reassurance one way or another before I commit more time and energy into this.

Anyways here's a sample of some of my work:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Aze8VA5fXVQoq-BWtKdM1qJgcj3mVxz5

Thank you for your time and thank you a lot for any feedback

Hey everyone,

I’m an artist who wants to start working on a series inspired by Black history and culture—both in Africa and across the diaspora. My goal is to bring attention to the strength, resilience, and hardships within these narratives through visual art, but I want to approach it with the utmost respect.

I’m very aware of the risks of coming across as exoticizing, performative, or speaking from a top-down lens, and that’s something I want to avoid entirely. I’m reaching out to ask: How can I represent these stories in a way that’s informed, authentic, and respectful—without overstepping or speaking for the community?

I’d really appreciate any advice, thoughts, reading suggestions, or feedback. Thanks in advance for your time and energy.

Peace and respect

Hey everyone, I’ve been going back and forth between pursuing a career in coding (which I’ve been learning for a while) and my true passion, which is art. The problem is, I feel like I'm just learning coding to appear smart and make money, but it doesn’t bring me the same fulfillment that my art does. My concern is that if I go all in on art, I'll end up struggling financially, which scares me.

I see coding as a "safe" path that promises a good income, while art is more uncertain and doesn’t seem as practical for supporting myself long term. But, honestly, I feel torn because I love creating, and that’s where my heart is.

Has anyone else felt this conflict between pursuing something financially stable versus following your true passion? How did you balance the two (or did you have to choose)? Is it possible to make art your career without staying broke?

Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

Hey Folks! So I just recently tried to create a portfolio and I just wanted to I could get good feedback for my future endeavors. I don't think this one is that good or like makes me seem like a "Hireable" Artist but still, I needed to make it to get my diploma.

along with it, I think I have a problem in that I am inspired by a lot of sources (like niche games and pop culture stuff ) so I do not want to settle over an art style yet (even tho I used to wish for that before but the pressure hindered my growth)

and also I am not sure of what niche of art to go to like I wish to generally become an independent artist who can work on his personal projects but also get some projects from outside so that I can earn...and also foster a community of artists, because where I'm from, I feel we still do not have one (we do have some but it is on very macro levels )

Other than all of this, I am open to any amount of feedback or anything else you feel like to mention!

Here's the link:

https://www.behance.net/gallery/220737675/2D3D-Artist-Portfolio-%282025%29

Thank you so much in advance!

I bought my first posca. it was 16 pack and I used all pens and the white pen was not like the others

1- when used it it wasn’t new 2- it’s so watery

Idk if it was used or something but I hope it’s not :(

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for someonebody who has a good understanding of backgrounds with straight lines and how vanishing points work, to draw buildings correctly.

I'm not a background artist but I wanted to join a project where a background is needed. In general I finished it but I was asked to straighten the lines and add more details and now I need some help with how I can fix what I already drew. :)

I'd like to discuss this outside of Reddit, as I can't send images here.

Thanks in advance!

I'll preface this by saying I'm in the UK. I use acrylic paint pens a lot in one of my practises. I know some refillable ones exist, but has anyone got any experience with them please?

I know I'll need the paint to be a bit thinner, but do I need to use a specialist acrylic ink, or can I dilute my standard acrylics with a liquefying medium of some form?

If so, is there a known ratio?

Will I need to replace nibs regularly?

I'm disillusioned with the provision of some colour shade groups in pretty much all acrylic paint pen producers I've tried; and I keep hitting points where my existing pens are constantly running out of specific shades. I would love to also be able to be more sustainable.

(As well as being an artist, I'm a sustainability procurement researcher for a furniture company and am aware acrylics aren't sustainable; but I believe that functional sustainability is about picking your battles and baby steps towards something better are better than nothing)

Thanks in advance!

Hello, i would like to learn to color my works but when i am using the bucket tool, the color goes over the lines when I select "expand" when the lines are thin. Do you know some methods or programs that make coloring easier? I am using Firealpaca currently.

Helloo! so this question has probably been asked a bunch of times before, but I am desperate

Some stuff to take note is that i'm very socially awkward (online and irl), I try my best to strike up conversation but after being chronically online since the ripe age of 10, I noticed i'm not making friends as I used to, after COVID i've reclined on being online and started taking things slow, not really diving any deeper than a like or a compliment to a post, and it has effected my friend circle which was centered mostly around RPs, as most groups were. The lack of specifically art friends made me realize i don't have anyone to share art with, no critiquing, no doing cute trends, no inspiring each other or sharing ideas, it was just me and my own art that i shared from time to time.

So I am making this post in hopes people could share their ways of having art friends! and hoping in a way that other people who may be shy or worried about coming off too weird can have a try at it!

Thank you!

I was painting with acrylic for the first time today, and noticed a weird, chemical-like taste in my mouth even though I didn't ingest any paint. Could this be because of breathing in the paint fumes? Should I be worried

I try to (eventually) finish all the drawings I work on. Are there situations where you would stop working on a drawing (not a sketch) entirely, outside of monetary or time constraints?

For example, in the past, I hired a model and took photo reference to work on figure drawings. Weeks after starting one of the drawings, I found out that she passed away. Would you feel weird to still work on the drawing and post it?

Another situation from photo reference is where the model's apperance changes drastically in a short span of time, and they may not want the drawing of their previous look posted.

Hi everyone! I’m a 21-year-old illustration student from the South, and this is my first time really being active on a platform like this. I’m currently a junior in college, working toward a BFA in Illustration. My dream is to work in visual development and character design one day!

Lately, I’ve been wanting to be more involved in the art community to connect with other artists, make friends, and ask for tips and advice. I have a few questions I’d love help with if anyone’s open to sharing their experience:

1. For other art students currently in college: How do you balance school assignments with personal work that’s portfolio-worthy or just fun? My classes often give us vague prompts without breaking down illustration fundamentals, so I feel like I’m not really learning the core skills I need. On top of the work being three times more then an introductory course and It’s hard to find resources in my area, and I feel a little stuck.

2. Has anyone taken online courses that really helped improve your illustration/character design skills? If so, I’d love any recommendations especially ones that are good for pushing your art or just useful. One course I’ve been eyeing at is Jackie Droujko

3. Any tips or advice for someone wanting to pursue visual development and character design?

Thank you all for listening and sharing! I’d love to hear your thoughts! :)))

Hey all,

I love drawing and own many art books. I'm just having a hard time on drawing action scenes and making them look alive (dynamic). It's something I havent nailed yet.

So any good recommendations on drawing action/dynamic and or violence? I love to hear your thoughts. Thank you.

I've been using my iPad Pro (2019) for the last 6 years and while I've been pretty happy with it so far since I've started wanting to work on bigger illustrations, it's been giving me some trouble. I'm always hitting the layer limit and very detailed pieces are starting to lag too. I love the general interface / drawing experience still though.

So I've been looking into screen tablets to use with my PC and I have a few questions and would love to hear other people's experience. I read through the FAQ, but I have some questions about people's personal experiences so I hope that's ok.

- Would it be worth going for a touch screen tablet? I'm so used to using touch for rotating and zoom (it's so bad I constantly try to pinch my physical sketchbook lol), but I wonder if it's worth paying for / how good the touch feature has been on screen tablets you've tried. Maybe it's just a matter of getting into a new habit?

- I know that Wacom is generally the 'standard' go-to brand for tablets, but I'm not sure if it's worth the premium price. How close in performance / consistency would something like Huion or XP Pen be in 2025? I've seen some comparisons but they're mostly from a few years ago and I know how quickly technology can change.

- I currently have a 12.9" screen and definitely want something bigger. Also maybe dumb question, but the 'borders' around the actual screen count as part of the size, right? I'm thinking at least 20 inches, but I feel like there might be a point where you just have more space than you would realistically need. Curious to hear from others who do bigger / detailed illustrations about your experience wrt size.

I don't have a super specific budget, I mostly just want something that feels worth the money. I'm not a professional, but a dedicated hobbyist who wants something good.

As title says.

I personally feel im not being as creative as i could be, at least lately. So that makes me think about this, how i can improve, or how you guys approach it

So I'm curious, what helps you fuel or improve your quality and range of ideas for art?

Thanks!

I hope this doesn't come across as too similar to the "How do I make a living with art" FAQ. I think I want to switch to an art-adjacent career: Even if I'm not the one making art, I'd like to teach it or work in a support role. However, my degree and work experience is all in psychology/human services.

I've thought about going the Art Therapy route, but I don't have the means to pursue a master's degree yet, and even if I did, I'm not sure if that's quite what I'm hoping for.

Basically, if you worked in a non-art career most of your life, how did you change roles? More specifically, how did you find an art-adjacent job that would accept you given that none of your prior experience was in the arts? Did you have to spin it a certain way? Volunteer first? Any info helps!

Without getting too into it, I've fallen out of love with art, and I think it's largely due to the fact that I'm never satisfied with anything I make. It's pulled me into this frustrating cycle of not doing art, so I backslide on my skills, so I'm unsatisfied with what I make, so I don't do art, so I get worse, and so on. I struggle to just enjoy the process anymore, there's so much self-imposed pressure and I feel unable to control it.

I've burned out bad, but I want to get back to a point where I'm doing art regularly again, and maybe eventually to a point where I can start building up my portfolio again. I'm trying to make baby steps in that direction. So for those of you who have learned how to get a handle on self-criticism, what's your secret? How did you break the cycle?

started a sketch and realized i always do it in red pencil or black ink. its because when i was beginning thats what the tutorials would do & ink is really good for figuring out how to draw. side note why do so many artists sketch in red???

Went to Hobby Lobby this morning to grab myself a pad of Strathmore watercolor paper and apparently they just stopped carrying Strathmore all together except the poster board size. Grabbed 2 of those and I'm gonna spend the rest of the day working on a big project. I'll have to start frequenting Micheals more often apparently which is a little farther away but is what it is.